Connoisseurs of French dining gave it a miss last night when a French restaurant in Jalan Raja Chulan here was forced to close earlier than usual due to a landslide at a hillside behind the premises.

The landslide occurred about 8pm, while three chefs were busy preparing dishes for customers.

La Vie En Rose restaurant manager, Till Gangne noted that at the time, there was heavy rain, followed by a booming sound, coupled with the odour of wet earth at the rear of the restaurant.

"We discovered it was a landslide at back of the kitchen and falling concrete pieces on the slope almost hit the gas tanks nearby," he said when met by reporters at the scene of the incident.

Gangne, 32, said following that, diners were advised to leave the premises for their own safety.

He said signs of a landslip were evident about two weeks ago, adding that safety measures were taken by the private land owner who covered the affected slope with canvas.

Meanwhile, City Hall Project Implementation and Maintenance deputy director-general Datuk Mohd Najib Mohd when contacted by Bernama, said they had issued a notice of land restoration in the area to the land owner.