Porta Porta Italian Restaurant will serve its last meals on 31 December 2026, ending a 33-year run that began in Changi. The family announced the closure of its Simpang Bedok restaurant on Instagram on 9 November.
In the announcement, as reported by AsiaOne, co-founder Rozianah Baharudin Laino, known as Rozi, recalled how some diners who used to come in on dates now bring their children for dinner. She invited customers to return for one last meal before the restaurant closes.
Rozi Is Retiring, but the Family Is Open to a Takeover
Danesh Laino, Rozi’s son, told CNA Lifestyle that his mother’s wish to retire was the main reason for the closure. The family has received offers to operate from other premises, but it has no plans to relocate.
Danesh said the family would help a buyer carry on the business if someone came forward. He also told CNA Lifestyle that the family would make arrangements to support the restaurant’s staff.
From Changi Garden to Simpang Bedok
Rozi and her late husband, Antonino Laino, opened Porta Porta at Changi Garden in 1993. The couple had spent five years in Carrara, Italy, and wanted to bring the experience of sharing a meal around an Italian family dinner table to Singapore.
Danesh stepped in to help after his father died in 2012. The restaurant moved to its current home at 32 Jalan Pari Burong in 2019.
The menu includes tagliatelle in squid ink sauce, meat lasagne and tiramisu. Porta Porta says on its website that it is Muslim-owned and serves neither pork nor alcohol. The restaurant’s FAQ also states that it does not hold halal certification.
