Since Bristol's newest pasta restaurant announced it was coming to Wapping Wharf, I've been eagerly anticipating its arrival. Promising to bring 'authentic, home-cooked Italian food to Bristol', Magari is the latest shipping container restaurant at Cargo 2 behind M-Shed that specialises in fresh pasta made on site every day.
Magari is run by friends and co-owners Gilda Lombardi and Delphi Ross and is inspired by their Italian heritage. They have promised to bring "authentic, home cooked Italian food to Bristol".
I followed their Instagram page, desperate to grab some grub once they opened and checked back to make sure I didn't miss the big day. It opened on Wednesday May 4 and their dishes have been all over social media since.
READ MORE: New Italian restaurant Magari opens at Wapping Wharf
I decided to take a walk down one sunny lunchtime and visit the waterside restaurant. The shipping container spot is quaint but cute, with the décor pulled back to basics - offering a focus on the pasta they pride themselves in.
The countertop displays the different pasta shapes that are all made by hand whilst a menu on the wall as you enter details your offerings. The staff greetings were all smiles and joy, which always adds to an experience.
My colleagues and I all examined the menu, which was modest; offering puttanesca - which is made up of Isle of Wight tomatoes, capers, breadcrumbs (£9), olives as well as vucca - a vegan option which is made up of squash, Harbourne blue and sage (£9.50).
There are two more options, the ragu - which is made up of jolly hog sausage and Sussex charmer (£10.50) and finally the pomodoro which is made up of 'simple tomato sauce', Sussex charmer and basil (£7.50).
There are sides on offer too, olive leccine (£3.50) and cream of cod (£4.50), as well as tiramisu for dessert (£4.50). The drink selection is impressive too, with a range of Sicilian lemonades as well as some alcoholic options including local Wiper and True beers.
I opted for the pomodoro, inspired mainly by the fact I'm not a fan of olives and don't eat pork; I asked for extra cheese - a request that was met with "of course". My colleague, who adheres to a gluten-free diet ordered the same, with gluten-free pasta which we were happy to know Magari offered.
My other colleague was after the Ragu, but it wasn't on offer today. Instead, she ordered pasta with bacon.
The food is all made fresh and took around 25 minutes to come, however they did let us know that the gluten-free option requires extra cooking time. On such a sunny day, waiting at their seating area wasn't too much of a chore.
The boxes were a generous size and I was glad to see that the my extra cheese. The mountain of Sussex charmer was so impressive that I could barely see the pasta beneath.
The pasta itself was a mafaldine shape and I was so impressed to think that this was handmade, particularly as any pasta dish I've ever made myself has its ingredients straight from the shelves of the local supermarket.
The dish itself was nice, and the cheese complimented the fresh tomatoes well. I do think that there could have been some extra dimension added with the herbs - there was a slight hint of basil which would have been even more delicious if intensified.
I ate the entire portion and it was certainly a hearty lunch - I hit the four o'clock slump after. I enjoyed a bottle of lemonade alongside my pasta and it was the perfect accompaniment - it was sweet, smooth and delicious.
However, on finishing my pasta a realisation hit me - the tiramisu I ordered for dessert hadn't been added to my bag. An easy mistake to make but disappointing nevertheless.
Perhaps I should have checked my bags contents before I went on my way. I know the staff are simply trying their best and were ensuring to get our food to us as fast as possible and as it's only their second week open; teething troubles are expected.
I'm expecting that Magari will have a changing menu and I'd like to see non-pork meat options. I think having pork as the one meat option on a menu is risky as many follow diets that prohibit eating pork. However, the meat free options are plentiful.
I look forward to seeing how Magari evolves. It certainly has embodied the perfect family feel at its new spot and is sure to attract a swarm of regulars.
