There’s a new Italian restaurant coming to Wapping Wharf this April, with Magari promising “authentic, home-cooked Italian food that’s perfect for sharing”.
Friends and co-owners Gilda Lombardi and Delphi Ross will be making fresh pasta on-site every day, which will be used in a menu of vegan, vegetarian and meat-based Italian pasta dishes alongside great locally-sourced ingredients.
Gilda moved to Bristol from Italy two years ago. During lockdown, she met Delphi when she was giving her children some English lessons before they started school. Gilda’s family run a cookery school in Rome, and she was taught to cook by her mother and grandmother. Delphi lived in Naples for two years, and has worked in the hospitality trade for ten years. Realising they had the perfect set of complementary skills to start a new restaurant venture in Bristol, the two teamed up to create Magari, meaning “I hope so” in Italian.
Magari’s ethos is all about sharing and socialising. Alongside the pasta menu, there will be a drinks menu featuring wine served in carafes, plus jugs of Spritz (liqueur, Prosecco and soda water), served with aperitivo snacks designed to be shared with family and friends.
Gilda Lombardi says: “Food is a huge part of our culture in Italy and because of my background I was really born into cooking so opening Magari feels very natural to me. We really want to bring together and celebrate Italy’s dynamic food culture and the amazing local produce that is grown and made in the South West.”
Delphi Ross says: “For Italians, food is a communal activity that brings everyone together with love and laughter and we want a night out at Magari to have that same effect. Wapping Wharf has such a great community atmosphere that it makes perfect sense for us to open here.”
From April, you’ll find Magari in a double unit at CARGO 2: half of which was home to Buxton & Bird, and the other half to vintage boutique Something Elsie, which has now moved next door. Stay up to date with developments by following @magaribristol on Instagram!