Clifton restaurant At the Italian Table to close in April

At the Italian Table will close April 18.

At the Italian Table, the unique little Italian restaurant in Clifton, announced earlier this month that it will close its doors in April after five years in business.

Owner Gina Stipo made the announcement through the restaurant’s website on Feb. 7. The final day for the restaurant will be April 18. Stipo said the restaurant’s lease will expire at that time.

The restaurant, located at 2359 Frankfort Ave., was focused on communal dining and authentic Italian food made by Stipo, who had traveled Italy for 13 years teaching cooking classes and leading tastings prior to opening the concept, and her staff. Stipo had continued to make regular trips to Northern Italy, where she procured many of the ingredients used in her meals. She also led tourist excursions there from the U.S.

The tiny structure, which originally was a home and later was a dress shop, was converted into a kitchen and intimate dining space with two long tables, one of which was a 300-year-old antique from Italy. Much of the décor was brought to the restaurant from Italy; many of those items will be for sale once At the Italian Table closes.

Within a couple of months of opening, the restaurant was getting booked up weeks and even months in advance. People came from all over the U.S. to enjoy a meal there and reviews were positive, making the place a bit of an unexpected hit.

In the announcement, Stipo wrote, “The success is truly more than I imagined it could be 5 years ago. I brought my dream to fruition.  But as my lease is ending in April, I have chosen not to renew but to close the restaurant.”

She thanked patrons and employees and also noted she will continue leading excursions to Italy going forward.