One of Philadelphia’s Michelin-recommended restaurants will be closing for good on Friday

Barely 12 hours after Michelin included the fine-dining destination Laurel among its list of Recommended restaurants, chef Nicholas Elmi delivered the news that its final night of service would be Friday.

Laurel’s closing after 12 years had been set in motion over the summer, as Elmi told The Inquirer in June that its lease was ending and that he wanted to open in Rittenhouse.

Wednesday’s announcement on Instagram included word that reservations were available for a seven-course meal prepared by Elmi and chef de cuisine Kevin McWilliams.

Although honored with the Michelin accolade, “I feel like I’ve known what’s been going on over the past year, so I’ve already gone through the whole gamut of emotions,” Elmi said. “Last night was incredibly motivational for me — it made me redouble my efforts and figure out what my next step is. So that’s where I am: keeping my options open, keeping my eyes open, and trying to remain inspired.”

The closing a week before Thanksgiving after a five-month wind-down was intentional. “Everyone’s starting new jobs in December, so it lets them take a week and a half off, get through Thanksgiving, decompress a little before moving on to the next stage of their lives and careers,” he said. “And it gives me the month of December to clear the place out and get myself organized. Winding down a business isn’t just flipping a switch — there’s a lot of paperwork to get through right now.”

Elmi said he was looking forward to family time as well as focusing on his Bala Cynwyd restaurants Lark and the Landing Kitchen, as well as the Pump House events venue, which he own with Fia Berisha.

The new restaurant will not be the same as Laurel, he said. “As the culinary landscape of Philadelphia has changed, Laurel needs to be updated, whatever form that takes. There are a couple of different concepts we’re playing with right now. I think Michelin is certainly going to improve the aspect of fine dining in Philadelphia, and I want to take some time to figure out what that means to me in the context of how I’ve grown up cooking and doing fine dining over the past 20 years.”

He said he was unsure if the Laurel name will continue.: “There’s a big part of me that understands Laurel is a recognized, branded name. But Laurel was also a little, tiny, beautiful restaurant stuffed into an apartment on a street in South Philadelphia. It was so intimate and so fun, and it represented a really cool moment in my life — being able to cook like that, and cook so freely.

“There’s part of me that wants that to remain a memory, not only for myself but for the people who worked there and for the guests who came through over the past 12 years. So I’m still struggling with the idea. I’d love to carry the name on, but that name carries weight, and there’s an expectation that comes with it. Moving into something different isn’t off the table.”