Photo: QueensPost
Bliss Bistro, one of Sunnyside’s premier restaurants, closed its doors today due to financial difficulties.
Alim Maruf, the owner of the Zagat- and Michelin-rated restaurant, fell behind in paying his $5,500 per month rent as the economy soured. Maruf did not comment on the closing.
At 1:00pm today, Maruf and his business partner were collecting their wine and other items before the landlord changed the locks.
Maruf opened the Skillman Ave. (46th Street) restaurant in March 2007 transforming the restaurant into a French bistro. Prior to his arrival, the restaurant known as “Bliss” offered New American cuisine.
Upon taking over the restaurant, Maruf enhanced the garden in the back of the restaurant for outdoor dining but maintained the simple décor of the dining room.
The closing is a blow to the Skillman Ave. district, which in recent years has undergone an upscale makeover.
