Tough Times Close Doors of Top N.Y. Eatery

One of Manhattan’s premier French restaurants, Lespinasse, announced Friday that it would close because it couldn’t turn a profit in the current economic climate.

The 12-year-old restaurant in the midtown St. Regis Hotel was known for its sumptuous beige and gold antique decor and prize-winning wine list and cuisine.

Lespinasse was one of six Manhattan restaurants with a four-star rating from the New York Times.

The owners and St. Regis managers said business had fallen off, partly because world events have kept patrons at home. The restaurant will close April 19.

“We carried it as long as we could,” said Guenter H. Richter, managing director of the St. Regis. “Any reopening will be determined by the pace of the economic recovery.”

There was no indication that the closing was due to anti-French sentiment over France’s opposition to the war in Iraq.