Bristol favourite Casamia to close after nearly 25 years

The acclaimed Bristol restaurant Casamia will close after almost 25 years.

The Michelin-star restaurant, one of only three to hold the accolade in the city, is run by chef-patron Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, who said the business is no longer ‘financially viable’.

‘With margins so tight, every table counts,’ said the chef, who in 2017 was named ‘Chef of the Year’ by our sister title The Good Food Guide.

‘Losing just a few covers per service is often the difference between making a profit and making a loss’, he told Big Hospitality.

Sanchez-Iglesias said he and his family had been reviewing the restaurant over the last couple of months and decided they should call it a day.

The restaurant is currently open for dinner on Thursday and for two services on Fridays and Saturdays. A 20-course tasting menu at £180, with a £120 wine pairing, is available.

Sanchez-Iglesias said in a statement sent to CODE: ‘The project has served some amazing food – imaginative, complex and fun and for me personally it’s been a breath of fresh air and really invigorating to see a restaurant operate so well in such an original way.’

The chef, who also operates Paco Tapas in Bristol and Decimo at The Standard in London, hinted a more casual venue will replace Casamia: ‘In the spirit of creativity the team and I are ready for a new project. We have great plans for this site to become something new, and a little more accessible, later this year.’

One Bristol food influencer said Casamia will be greatly missed: ‘It’s sad and unexpected to hear of the closure of Casamia, one of the jewels in Bristol’s crown for many years, although I have every faith whatever new project the team set their minds too will be equally as exciting and accomplished’.

CODE understands the new restaurant will be a relaxed Italian, reverting to the style of Sanchez-Iglesias’ parents’ place where he began his career.

Head chef Zak Hitchman is set to leave the business to open his own venture. The plan is to close permanently on August 20.

It will be sorely missed in Bristol, which, despite being a relatively small city, has a burgeoning restaurant industry.

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