The Berlin branch of a prominent Tel Aviv restaurant owned by renowned Israeli chef Eyal Shani and his business partner Shahar Segal has shut its doors permanently, Haaretz reported on Tuesday.
The closure comes after multiple delays in opening, several protests, and only eight months of actual operation.
The restaurant, an extension of the Tel Aviv establishment known as Gila and Nancy, was launched by the Eyal Shani and Shahar Segal food group. It had been scheduled to open in Berlin in June 2025 but faced repeated postponements.
The initial delay followed a protest linked to Segal’s connection to the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. A second postponement occurred after pro-Palestinian Aרשנ activists demonstrated outside the venue. According to Shani, threats and worries over the safety of restaurant employees led to that further delay.
The restaurant finally opened its doors in September 2025. Its debut was marred by a violent protest during which demonstrators threw tomatoes and issued threats toward diners.
Protest organizers maintained that their actions targeted Segal specifically rather than Israeli businesses in general. Segal had briefly served as spokesperson for the Gaza Humanitarian Aid Fund (GHF) for approximately two weeks and participated in the project.
The Shani and Segal restaurant group runs more than 40 establishments around the world, spanning locations from Melbourne to New York. Among its notable venues is the Michelin-starred Shmona restaurant in Manhattan.
Opposition to Segal’s businesses has extended well beyond Berlin. Last summer, protesters in Melbourne broke windows at a Miznon branch.
The restaurant group declined to issue any comment regarding the closure of its Berlin location.