One of the most familiar and beloved culinary institutions in central Yerushalayim is ending its run after three and a half decades. Picolino, the Italian dairy restaurant in the heart of the city, will close its doors at the end of this month.
In an emotional announcement posted Tuesday night on social media, the owners, members of the Bibi, Yazdi and Dahan families, shared their decision to lock the doors and part from the clientele that became, over the years, an inseparable part of their home.
The story began 35 years ago when the matriarch, Nava, opened the family's first restaurant. Alongside her stood the family patriarch, Yoska, who would arrive each morning, look guests in the eye at the entrance, greet them and share the family's story. Around those tables the next generations grew: children who married there, grandchildren who ran between the chairs, and great-grandchildren who crawled there in recent years.
Over the decades the restaurant weathered every difficult period the capital has known: the years of terror attacks in the city center, wars, the coronavirus lockdowns and security emergencies. Alongside its regular operation, the family's communal giving became well known, from employing people with disabilities and integrating youth, to caring for lone soldiers and turning the place into a donations centre during emergencies.
The family stresses that the closure does not stem from crisis or loss of passion for the profession, but from a simple desire to stop, rest and dedicate time to home and family after decades of intensive work. "You can close a restaurant, but you can't close 35 years of life," they wrote in their announcement.
The restaurant will continue operating until the end of this month, and the owners invite the wider public, customers and employees across the generations to come one last time, to raise a glass, share memories and say a proper farewell.
