Iconic decades-old CT restaurant, night spot closes, leaves customers ‘heartbroken’
News of the closure had started to spread in the city’s West End late Sunday.
Tisane Euro-Asian Café, a Hartford West End tea house and cocktail bar, closed its doors for good Monday after 24 years, Locals 8 Hospitality Group confirmed in a statement.
Overall, the closure was a result of the pandemic because more people are working from home, hence fewer people are coming to Hartford.
“We’ve had some amazing times here. It’s sad to see Tisane close its doors, but many things have changed since the pandemic,” said founder and CEO Allie J. Gamble.
“Tisane used to be open from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. prior to Covid and served four day parts: People would have meetings over coffee that rolled into lunch, lunch meetings that rolled into happy hour, or dinner that rolled into cocktails and music. Its central location on Farmington Avenue served as the perfect meeting space for many.”
Locals 8 is trying to relocate Tisane’s staff to positions at other Locals 8 restaurants in the Greater Hartford area, the company said in a statement.
Gift cards will be honored at all other Locals 8 locations and any tickets purchased for upcoming events will be refunded in full, Gamble said.
“Tisane means infusion (as in dried herbs), and that was the vision when I built it twenty-four years ago,” Gamble said in the statement. “I wanted to create a spot with an infusion of people, products, and ideas all in one place.”
Gamble said Tisane, “has been a very special place close to my heart for many, many years.”
“Tisane was a true fusion restaurant, blending Asian spices with classic European techniques,” Gamble said in the statement. “It also blended cultures and people, bringing together a strong and proud LGBTQ+ community.”
The company noted that Tisane created a space for meaningful conversations and “amazing music where many felt at home.”
Over the years, the restaurant won dozens of ‘Best Of’ awards, including the best LGBTQ+ bar, cocktails, tea selection, and coffee house, according to the company.
“Tisane was very timely and needed in Hartford for many years, and we’re proud of the community we created here,” the statement said.
Gamble thanked patrons for their loyalty, as well as, “the dedicated staff who fostered and inspired such a unique spirit at Tisane.”
Rumors of Tisane’s closing also had been swirling around Facebook since Sunday.
The eatery at 537 Farmington Ave. served Mother’s Day brunch on Sunday.
The establishment is described on its website as: “Coffee shop by day morphs into a lounge serving Asian-fusion fare & caffeinated cocktails at night.” Since April, it’s been more a night scene.
Customers of the restaurant reacted with sadness at the closing.
One Facebook poster wrote: “Just found out that Tisane Euro-Asian Cafe is closing for good. I am heartbroken. I have made so many friendships and memories there, between post-CCH karaoke and First Sundays to First Friday House Music. And now it’s all over.”
The restaurant had already cut its hours, noting in April, “Like many restaurants, we are still feeling the after effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and in an effort to support our busier hours of operation, we have reduced our quieter ones. Our goal is that this decision will allow Tisane to continue to grow and offer you, our cherished guests, a hub of community and culture for the West End of Hartford for many years to come.”
In January the restaurant group announced it was closing The Half Door gastropub in Hartford, but that they were determined to reopen in another location. The reason for the closing, the Facebook post said, is that they were unable to reach an agreement with the landlord.
