Restaurant in Highgate which accused locals of 'never supporting us' had decaying prawns and mice droppings

"An Italian restaurant which closed suddenly after its owner took a swipe at locals for never supporting us was handed the lowest possible hygiene rating after decaying prawns and mouse droppings were found at the property. Don Ciccio Osteria Italiana & Pizzeria in Highgate shut up shop earlier in October, exactly six years after opening, with its owner Marco Claudio Valente blaming the sheer indifference of our neighbours for its closure despite boasting a 4.7-star rating on Google based on more than 700 reviews."

"But a food safety report seen by the Standard has revealed that the restaurant had been penalised for a series of hygiene offences. An inspector had criticised the restaurant for having prawns decayed and passed the use-by date. They also found unlabelled seafood, out-of-date pasta and sausages, mouldy strawberries and mouse droppings near a pizza oven. A report from Camden council also revealed that a gas leak had been detected."

"When questioned about the hygiene issues at his restaurant, Mr Valente told the Standard that the restaurant had consistently had a five-star rating but had received two negative reports recently. He said that over six years the restaurant had experimented with different menus, prices and promotions but customer numbers remained weak. Mr Valante also said that the kitchen's six fridges, five freezers and cold room had been full maintained."

Don Ciccio Osteria Italiana & Pizzeria in Highgate closed in early October after six years of trading. The owner blamed local indifference despite a 4.7-star Google rating from more than 700 reviews. A food safety inspection recorded multiple hygiene offences including decayed prawns beyond their use-by date, unlabelled seafood, out-of-date pasta and sausages, mouldy strawberries and mouse droppings near a pizza oven. Camden council also detected a gas leak and issued a hygiene rating of zero with 15 key points noted. The owner said cold storage was maintained, acknowledged occasional minor traces of mice reported by pest control, and claimed corrective actions were implemented.

Read at www.standard.co.uk