The original Zazu’s Kitchen restaurant has now closed ! And re-opens this Friday, November 28th – all of 100 yards down the road. It’s a few short steps for the neighbourhood operation but a big stride forward in its development, according to the team behind the Bristol-based business.
Co-founder Toby Bywater explained: “Zazu’s has built up such a loyal, local following since opening up on the Gloucester Rd over two years ago that we’ve now outgrown our small site.
“When the nearby Delmonico’s restaurant decided to close its doors, we saw it as an opportunity to improve our customer offering. The new site has more space, with a much bigger kitchen that means our talented chefs can strut their stuff to better effect with the menus.
“There’s also an amazing upstairs dining room, which we don’t currently have. We are converting this into a really versatile room that can be a community meeting room by day, with appropriate food and drink as required, and a very sexy private dining room by night. We can now offer, for example, a Zazu’s Christmas menu for private parties, which we couldn’t really do before. Or use it for birthday parties, kids parties etc. Having a community facility, free to use, is a big part of who we are.
“We are very proud to be a local, independent, restaurant on one of the best shopping streets in the UK for independent retailers. We started in this area so to find a new and better home is great for us, especially if it means keeping out one of the brasher corporate national chains.”
The team has spent over £100,000 on transforming Delmonico’s into the familiar Zazu’s offering. The building works includes improving the frontage, enlarging and sprucing up the front terrace, creating a new bar area for casual drinkers as well as revamping the front and back dining areas.
Builders have already uncovered several original architectural features that will now be incorporated into the new interior look. The new set up will also retain the restaurant’s signature vintage Ercol 60’s furniture.
Toby says they are keen to keep the casual, informal feel of their current site at the top of the Gloucester Rd, near Sommerville Rd. “We try to achieve a comfortable, understated elegance”, he said. “And although a little bigger, the new Zazu’s will still have that cosy, friendly feel. We’re not about to go all posh,” he laughs.
The current site has been taken on by another Bristol independent operator, Biblos, who have established a great reputation for their healthy wraps and fusion Caribbean and Middle Eastern food. The new look café, the third, will open in January.
Delmonico’s owner Nick Hennessey is to stay on as part of the Zazu team. He said: ”It’s a sad day for me and my wife and daughter to be closing after 14 years on the Gloucester Road, but we are very excited to be working with the Zazu’s team. They have such a great vision for the place and are very much about being a friendly, unpretentious neighbourhood eaterie which is what Delmonico’s was all about. We believe our regulars will love the new set up”.
Zazus re-opens on Friday Nov 28th. Christmas bookings are now being taken for the new private dining rooms. Details can be found on www.zazuskitchen.co.uk.
Tel: 0117 944 5500