Pioneering Potts Point restaurant Jimmy Liks has shut its doors

Lockout laws have claimed one of the pioneers of Sydney's modern Asian restaurant revolution, with Jimmy Liks at Potts Point closing its doors. Jimmy Liks' owner Justin Maloney has called time on the 13-year-old Victoria Street restaurant after his Friday night business dropped by half and Saturday dinner trade dipped 30 per cent.

"The laws are such an aggressive way to kill King's Cross," he says. "Corner shops and chemists are also going broke. Places like us and Hugos weren't the problem, but the knock-on has meant there are fewer people coming here now."

Jimmy Liks was a pin-up for its movement when it opened, melding cool design and modern food. "We're going to liquidate it – it's such a shame," Maloney says. "This area is supposed to be the eating and drinking capital of Sydney. Now when people say 'I want to go for a drink', I tell them to go to Double Bay."