TAWOMG - The Bays is Gone

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I had dinner with a long time friend, Jan. We were both home alone in Barcelona. We went to a restaurant within a walking distance from our places, but before dinner we stopped over at Gimlet, a bar. There we had one Dry Martini each.

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It was a very relaxed dinner. We talked about trips, places that we have visited and that we wanted to visit, bars and restaurants where we have been. Many years ago Jan and I made a bet: which of us would be the first to visit seven bars around the world where supposedly the best Dry Martinis were served. One of these places was the Bayswater Brasserie, in Sydney, where I went in March 2008. Although the first Martini I had there was just average, the next one was much better (one may say this always happens, as you keep on drinking...). In general I was very well impressed by the place: it was, at the same time, smart and relaxed, with lots of nice people around. It was definitely a good place to go.

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"I will tell you a secret", I told Jan. Sometimes, when I'm fed up and feel like giving up everything and disappearing, just go missing, I think Sydney would be the place to go. It is not only far enough from almost anywhere else, but also a great place to be. "If one day I go missing, be sure that you will find me eating lunch regularly at the Bayswater Brasserie".

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No longer so, I have just found out. When I came home yesterday night I checked on google maps whether they had the street view of Bayswater Road. In the search I found out that the Bays has closed down last year. I couldn't find out the reason, but the owner sold it to a restaurant chain and today it is opened under a different name. No more Dry Martinis at the bar, no more endless lunches during the week. A myth was gone.

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Nobody lives forever and we are used to the idea that one day we will all be dead. However, and surprisingly enough, we are not used to the idea that companies also come and go, are started and closed, have their heyday and decay. It would be interesting to know what happened to the Bays, but it was not the first great restaurant to be closed. Just to mention three that come to my mind, "Le Café Anglais", "Weber" and "Larue" in Paris also disappeared without leaving a trace. It is difficult to think that the Bays was a victim of the recent crisis, having in mind that Australia is doing quite well, but that could be an explanation. For me, that during years dreamed of going there, that is sad news. And I will have to figure out another place to go, should one day I decide to go missing.

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Even though Spain has apparently benefited from the turmoil in the North of Africa, attracting tourists that otherwise would have travelled to Egypt or Tunisia, the crisis is hitting very hard the service sector. Yesterday my friend and I were two of very few customers that dinned at the place that we had chosen. No waiting lists, lots of tables empty! And it was a Saturday night! It bodes very ill for the future of many restaurants in town. That is also sad.

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Time goes by and things change. That's how life is. There is nothing that we can do about that, but adapt!

Wish you a nice week,

Maurício