City favourite and Harden’s top performer the Bleeding Heart in Farringdon has closed, along with its sister restaurant the Don, also in the City.

Both have closed for the time being as part of a company voluntary arrangement involving the Bleeding Heart Restaurant Group.

The Bleeding Heart Bistro and The Bleeding Heart Tavern continue to trade as does the St Swithin’s Wine Shippers run by the same group.

Lee Manning, a partner at the financial restructuring firm firm ReSolve, which handled the CVA, said: “While the pandemic has been catastrophic for the hospitality industry, there are still viable solutions available.

“However, those avenues will only be available to those operators that take action to assess their options sooner rather than later. We commend the Bleeding Heart Group for making the tough decisions in a timely manner… This made all the difference.”

Our co-founder Peter Harden pointed out that The Bleeding Heart has been one of the most successful restaurants long-term in the history of the guide over the last 30 years and – despite its current travails – still positioned to benefit when trade does eventually come back.

“Year in, year out the Bleeding Heart has been crammed full, and – though its not all over Instagram – “it’s never a restaurant that has had to rely on PR, merely doing a good job for its large Square Mile clientele.

Its spin-off, The Don, is likewise a legend in the City. It is a sign of the times that such a successful operation has taken a knock.

The fact these restaurants have closed underlines more than anything the plight of the City – and city centres everywhere – during the pandemic.

Peter Harden adds:

“A formerly bulletproof business has been dealt a major curve ball by the pandemic.”

“But the continuance of trading at the adjoining Bleeding Heart Bistro and Bleeding Heart Tavern is a positive sign for the future. “

“And when life returns to the City, who knows regarding the former Restaurant premises: perhaps even this particular Heart will start beating again…”

This article has been amended to make it clear that the closure of the Bleeding Heart Restaurant has not affected ongoing trading at the Bleeding Heart Bistro and Tavern.