Discover Magari, the authentic new pasta restaurant coming to Wapping Wharf

After dreaming of sharing their love of Italian food, culture and community camaraderie for the last couple of years, Gilda Lombardi and Delphi Ross are now opening Magari, an authentic new pasta restaurant at Wapping Wharf in April.

Set in a double unit in the shipping containers at Cargo 2 in Wapping Wharf, new restaurant Magari promises to bring authentic, home-cooked Italian food that encourages sharing and community spirit to Bristol. With one unit focused on making the pasta for everyone to watch and see, and the second unit focused on a place to sit and enjoy.

Magari is the brainchild of friends and co-owners, Ms. Lombardi and Ms. Ross. Ms. Lombardi came to Bristol from Venice in Italy two years ago and Ms. Ross lived in Naples for two years - something she equates her passion for the Italian dining atmosphere having come from. The two met during lockdown when Ms. Ross was giving Ms. Lombardi’s children some English lessons before they started school.

The perfect combination

With Ms. Ross having worked in hospitality for the last 10 years and Ms. Lombardi coming from a family who runs a cookery school in Rome, as Ms. Lombardi was cooking a meal for them both they realised they had the perfect set of complementary skills needed to start a new restaurant venture that could stand out in Bristol.

They have named the restaurant Magari because it means ‘I hope so’ in Italian and describes everything good that you could wish for, something they hope to be an apt description of a night out at the new Magari site.

Something else they hope to achieve is to focus on using the best locally-sourced ingredients from the south west in surprising ways and to show people that you can make delicious food from anything that you have available - instead of racking up huge import records.

The highlight at Magari will be the fresh pasta that will be made on-site every day, but the restaurant will also serve a carefully selected menu of vegan, vegetarian and meat-based Italian pasta dishes.

With the ethos of Magari so centred around encouraging people to socialise, there’s going to be a real focus on their aperitivo menu. Alongside the pasta menu, therefore, there will be a drinks menu, featuring wine served in carafes and jugs of refreshing Spritz (liqueur, Prosecco and soda water), all served with small aperitivo snacks that have been specially designed to be shared with friends and family.

The Italian ethos in Bristol

So, how did Magari all come about? “Both my husband and I have a background in food, with his family having a cookery school and my family are in wine in Tuscany. We always wanted to do something to do with food,” says Ms. Lombardi.

“We arrived in Bristol and found a city and community that was really into food that was locally sourced and a city that was curious about other traditions. We found Wapping Wharf fantastic, inspiring and a fantastic vibe. We met Delphi in lockdown so we started talking about our mutual interest and here we are now.”

For Ms. Ross, Magari is all about bringing to Bristol what Italian people have in the food culture in Italy. “I was living with a Napolitan family in Italy so I learned a lot about Italian food,” she explains. “Obviously the food part was important but more the food culture is what stuck with me. They just make time every single day to not only eat good food but also to be with each other. I don’t feel we have that in the UK, and I love it.”

As a vegetarian, it’s also important that the restaurant celebrates healthy, sustainable, local food for Ms. Ross. “The Italian way of making things is very simple. It’s more about a home cooking vibe and when you talk about Italian food in Bristol, even within the Italian community, it was all about importing ingredients,” continues Ms. Lombardi.

“This isn’t really in the philosophy of Italian cooking - it’s about cooking with what you have, what you grow and what you have close to you. Magari is about looking at things that are a bit different and how we can substitute ingredients, as well as about sharing and showcasing the best providers.”

They’ve split the business into two parts, one that focuses on the fresh pasta that will be made in-store every day and a side that will be focused on the more social aperitivo options. This will be available with sauces ranging from vegan to meat, and with gluten-free options available too. “We wanted to make it as accessible as possible, so everyone can enjoy it,” says Ms. Ross.

Community is central

​​"For Italians, food is a communal activity that brings everyone together with love and laughter.” It’s for this reason that both Ms. Ross and Ms. Lombardi felt Wapping Wharf made the perfect location for the restaurant.

“Wapping Wharf has such a great community atmosphere that it makes perfect sense for us to open here. Food is community, and I think you really get that down at Wapping Wharf - this is what our business is all about. It’s such a lovely atmosphere down here,” says Ms. Ross.

“We’ve been down here while having work done on the container for the last six weeks and every single person has been amazing. People have popped their heads in, introduced themselves, and brought us coffees. I’ve come from working in a big venue with a big team and I was a bit worried about working in such a small one, but I’ve ended up with an even bigger one!”

What are they most excited about? “Harbourside in summer is perfect, and summer 2022 is going to be a big one for everyone. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else - it’s perfect for us,” smiles Ms. Ross.