Latest opening: Casa
What: A casually-styled yet gastronomically-serious Italian restaurant within Bristol city centre’s The General development. Casa’s menu might have sections including antipasti, pasta, pesce, carne and dolci but is unconventional in its approach, offering a tight selection of carefully-conceived minimalistic dishes made using top quality British and Italian produce.
Who: Celebrated Bristolian chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias is behind the new project. Casa is in some ways a return to his roots: he and his late brother Jonray started their cooking careers at their parent’s Casamia restaurant in the Bristol-suburb of Westbury-on-Trym but gradually moved it away from its informal Italian origins to create one of the UK’s most ambitious restaurants. Casamia - which moved to The General development in central Bristol in 2016 - closed earlier this year citing rapidly increasing costs. Casa is being overseen by the same senior team as Sanchez-Iglesias’ adjoining Paco Tapas, with Joel Breakwell leading the kitchen as executive chef supported by head chef Alex Brownrigg and Paco Tapas’ long-standing restaurant manager James Stavert in charge of the floor.
The vibe: Casa is the antithesis of Casamia which - in its final incarnation, at least - was a dark edgy, affair. The space has been opened up to overlook Bristol’s pretty harbourside and the walls are white once again (presumably a fair few coats were required). Other design details include a mix of maple and birch furniture and some of the trad Italian artworks from the original Casamia in Westbury-on-Trym (some of the dishes are served on ‘archived’ tableware from the early days of the restaurant).
The food: Sanchez-Iglesias has used his menus at both the Michelin-starred Paco Tapas and his London restaurant Decimo as the blueprint for Casa’s food offer. And why not? It’s difficult to think of a top UK chef that has done a better job of transitioning to a more casual mode of dining. Sanchez-Iglesias’ approach is distinctive, carrying over the same attention to detail in both the sourcing and conceptualisation of the dishes that made Casamia one of the UK’s best restaurants. Dishes on the menu at Casa include mushroom suppli; potato ravioli with lions mane ragu (pictured); tortellini in brodo; steak Florentine; ossobuco; and a spectacular tiramisu, which is made using the same recipe that Sanchez-Iglesias’ parents Paco and Sue used in the early days of the restaurant. As at Paco Tapas, the printed menus are dated by hand with the team also adding daily specials.
To drink: Former Casamia sommelier Tom Lakin has somehow found time to curate Casa’s wine list despite being in the midst of a career change (he is retraining to become a primary school teacher). The selection is focused on Italy but also explores how the country’s grapes have travelled the world. Much effort has been put into Casa’s small selection of cocktails, with options including the Chocogroni (cocoa-infused rum, Cocchi Storico, maraschino); and the Joegroni Sbagliato (Chinotto, Sacred Amber vermouth, TurBULLent), which is named in honour of Casamia’s former general manager Joe Gaines.
And another thing: Casa certainly does have a casual feel but make no mistake, Sanchez-Iglesias and team are cooking some of the most refined and creative Italian food in the UK.
8, The General, Lower Guinea St, Redcliffe, Bristol, BS1 6FU
https://www.casabristol.co.uk/
