Twenty years ago last weekend, Paul Eldon and Dan Sanderson, the owners of Muse restaurant, went on their first date.
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They popped in for a pre-dinner drink at the Aria Bar and Grill in the China World Hotel in Beijing and never made it to Hatsune restaurant.
On Saturday night they celebrated with a dinner at Tetsuya's, one of the final nights of service at the iconic Sydney restaurant which announced its closure in May
"It was the Japanese dinner we never had," says Eldon.
![Co-owners Paul Eldon, left, and Daniel Sanderson have announced the restaurant will close. Picture by James Croucher Co-owners Paul Eldon, left, and Daniel Sanderson have announced the restaurant will close. Picture by James Croucher](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/MUwv8t3Wj4u7LSUBpSbqhh/88fedefe-5c72-4a8d-8512-daf79f03f480.jpg/r0_0_8192_4606_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Perhaps now they'll have time for more dinners, for after nine years Muse's final service will be on August 25.
The lease at the East Hotel was up for renewal and, even though the decision was not made over seared coral trout at Tetsuya's, the occasion gave them time to reflect.
"The decision wasn't made overnight, but with that sort of milestone in mind, we've been thinking about what we want to do with the next 20 years of our life," says Eldon.
![Back in their first year in Muse, Dan Sanderson and Paul Eldon in 2015, Picture by Elesa Kurtz Back in their first year in Muse, Dan Sanderson and Paul Eldon in 2015, Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/MUwv8t3Wj4u7LSUBpSbqhh/1f3961c2-dce3-4a9e-b32e-c748e44ebe13.jpg/r0_222_3988_2464_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
They're not quite sure. Eldon sounds like he wants to cook more, reignite his passion for wine.
Sanderson has been studying for a masters in art conservation at the University of Canberra and has been working part-time at the National Museum of Australia.
Eldon said the approaching end date gave them a chance to reflect on some of the achievements of the past nine years.
"We've got a beloved bookshop, a nationally recognised award-winning wine list, two vibrant in-house book clubs, and a restaurant that has provided top-quality seasonal dining to its guests every single day since 2015, barring the occasional lockdown," he said.
![Muse was always about food and books. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Muse was always about food and books. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/MUwv8t3Wj4u7LSUBpSbqhh/7811a6bb-ce9e-466f-813c-b6dcd87aa1f5.jpg/r0_218_4256_2611_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The restaurant stopped doing dinners in 2019, focussing on breakfast and lunch. That same year they also put the business on the market but the right price was never offered. From 2017 until 2019 it was awarded two glasses in the Gourmet Traveller Wine wine list of the year awards.
"But perhaps our proudest achievement has been our literary program, with the help of Nikki Anderson, which has spanned more than 360 events and featured more than 500 speakers including some of the biggest names in Australian literature, journalism and politics, from Tim Winton and Hannah Kent, Laura Tingle and Laurie Oakes, to Mick Dodson and Anthony Albanese."
![Paul Eldon and Dan Sanderson had their first date 20 years ago this month. Picture by Graham Tidy Paul Eldon and Dan Sanderson had their first date 20 years ago this month. Picture by Graham Tidy](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/MUwv8t3Wj4u7LSUBpSbqhh/ed9af2a2-7e92-4e2a-86e0-13954889489e.jpg/r0_161_4256_2554_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
There's a full program of literary events scheduled until closing day culminating on Sunday, August 18, with Muse favourites Karen Middleton, Chris Wallace, and Tom McIlroy in a classic Canberra political panel that asks "What's next?".
The space will be refurbished by East Hotel into Cucina 69 where "breakfast will never be dull" and there'll be a focus on good coffee, according to East Hotel brand director Dion Bisa.
She wanted to take the opportunity to thank Eldon and Sanderson.
"They have created a place that our guests and local Canberrans have grown to love and cherish," she said.
"We would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank them for the warm and inviting hospitality they have shown our guests and our team."
Muse, East Hotel, 69 Canberra Ave, Griffith, will be open until August 25, 2024.