Jessi Singh has called last drinks at his Flinders Lane wine bar, Mrs Singh, after just two years.

The chef-restaurateur behind casual Indian diners Horn Please and Daughter in Law, as well as British-Indian pub Mr Brownie, announced the news in an Instagram post yesterday.

“The last three months, we lost $60,000 a month,” Singh tells Broadsheet. “There’s no one in the city – absolutely no one. The only two days of real trade are Friday and Saturday, and even then, they’re slow. How much loss can you take?

We think you might like Access. For $12 a month, join our membership program to stay in the know.

SIGN UP

“[Closing] was heartbreaking for me, it was heartbreaking for the staff, but I couldn’t sit there seeing it empty.”

CBD venues have been badly impacted by Covid and all that’s come with it, particularly in light of the ongoing working-from-home recommendation. Singh says the lack of workers in the city has been most damaging. “That’s the biggest thing – people aren’t in the city for work. And there’s still no [return] date set. We’ve been left in limbo.”

But Singh went on to praise the building’s landlord: “Without support from 101 Collins Street, it would [have been] impossible to stay open in [the] last two years … you are a dream landlord.”

Another Instagram post, on Mrs Singh’s dedicated page, speaks directly to those who made the bar what it was. “Thank you to every person who came through our doors and, therefore, supported our endeavours,” it reads. “There are a lot of critical aspects to running a restaurant, but in the end, it is the people … the team and guests that make restaurants actually special.

“It was a pleasure to keep your company, serve you, work with you and to share food and wine with you.”

Mrs Singh launched in early 2020 – just before the onset of the pandemic – focusing on Indian flavours but incorporating Australian, American and pan-European influences. The menu was centred around a variety of cheesy flatbreads, and it opened serving an impressive lobster roll, tandoori-spiced corn, and with a roving champagne cart.

The space featured velvet seating, black-and-white terrazzo and blue resin floors.

This article was updated at 4pm on Thursday February 17 after Broadsheet received comment from Singh.