We visit the old-school Italian restaurant in central Bristol that a lot of locals still don't know about

Whether it’s a swift pre-show pint at the Smoke & Mirrors or a post-performance bag of chips from Rendezvous Fish Bar, Denmark Street has it covered when it comes to keeping Hippodrome theatregoers fed and watered.

And then there’s Ciao Amici, a long-running Italian restaurant opposite the stage door which must be one of the busiest in the city when there’s a big show at the theatre.

I must have eaten at Ciao Amici dozens of times over the years but I can’t recall writing about it.

It’s always the go-to pitstop for me before I review a show at the Hippodrome, usually with my teenage daughter who loves old-school Italian restaurants.

With its upturned wine bottles on the wall, jars of pasta and old wine corks, it’s a traditional trattoria that doesn’t try to be cutting edge or trendy, it just sticks to what it does best - banging out Italian classics for diners who need to be in and out within the hour before curtain up across the road.

I usually book because if you arrive around 5.30pm or 6pm before a show without a table reservation, it’s often touch and go whether you’ll even get in.

That said, the restaurant is Tardis-like thanks to a rear dining room which always seems to have a spare table or two for walk-ins.

One of the best things about the place is the buzz of the room. It’s always full of chatter and laughter. 

The huge menu covers all bases with pizzas, chicken dishes, risottos, pasta dishes and oven-baked pasta dishes.

Prices are remarkably affordable - all starters are under £8, the cheapest pizza is just £9 and the entry-level pasta dish is £9.50. They are almost 1990s prices.

On our most recent pre-show visit, I had the Etna pizza (£11.50) - a 12-inch stone-baked pizza with a generous carpet of spicy pepperoni, fresh chilli, garlic, tomato sauce and mozzarella. The base was blistered, crisp and chewy in all the right spots and there was plenty of heat from the chillies and pepperoni anchored in the duvet of molten cheese.

My daughter went for the tagliatelle al salmon (£13.50) - a mountain of pasta strips with flakes of smoked salmon, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan and a creamy white wine sauce. It was rich and comforting on a cold and windy evening.

There was even time to share a light and boozy tiramisu (£5.95) before calling for the bill, which had 10% taken off for diners who have tickets for Hippodrome that evening. A lovely touch.

Of course, the saving went straight back onto the final bill as part of the tip.

And the service here is some of the best in the city - friendly, warm and efficient. Everybody is welcomed like regulars whether they are or not.

Hidden down the side of the Hippodrome, I’m sure a lot of Bristolians who don’t go to shows still don’t know Ciao Amici even exists but for those of us who do, it’s a tried and tested gem.

Ciao Amici, 10-11 Denmark Street, Bristol, BS1 5DQ.