A restaurant named one of the best in the UK is to close permanently due to rapidly increasing costs.
Michelin-starred restaurant Casamia in Bristol has long been viewed not only as one of the city's finest restaurants but one of the finest in the UK. It is often named among the country's best places to eat in renowned guides and at respected awards ceremonies, from Harden's to the National Restaurant Awards.
In a statement posted on Instagram, executive chef Zak Hitchman, formally of Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms in Machynlleth, said: "For reasons out of my hands Casamia will be closing permanently on August 20th. I have very mixed feelings about this, part of me likes that it couldn't exist for long as it fits the concept of rip it up and start again, it would obviously be great if we weren't all out of a job though. I don't know that a restaurant quite like this will exist again, and we won't be going out quietly, so come and see it before we close."
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Chef-patron Peter Sanchez-Iglesias told Big Hospitality that rapidly increasing costs had made the business "financially unviable" and that "losing just a few covers per service is often the difference between making a profit and making a loss", Bristol Live reports.
Bristol Live is seeking more clarity on the future of the site along Lower Guinea Street, but owner Peter Sanchez-Iglesias has told The Caterer that his family plan to open a more casual restaurant at the same site as soon as this Christmas.
"The project has served some amazing food - imaginative, complex and fun and for me personally it's been a breath of fresh air and really invigorating to see a restaurant operate so well in such an original way. But in the spirit of creativity the team and I are ready for a new project.
"We have great plans for this site to become something new, and a little more accessible, later this year."
Last year Bristol Live reviewed an experience there, describing it as "as much a dazzling theatrical show or performance as it is a restaurant meal". It's widely considered to be Bristol's most expensive meal, with a 20-course tasting menu priced at £180 plus an extra £120 for optional wine pairing.
Reflecting on the restaurant's journey, Zak wrote on Instagram: "In August 2020 we ripped up Casamia's rule book and started fresh. We created an unconventional restaurant, serving 20 courses of food like you've never had before, soundtracked by an eclectic mix of music played through a ridiculous sound system.
"We were determined to keep evolving, so we quickly became a very creative space, taking on influence more from gigs, film and theatre, than restaurants we'd been to. We filled Casamia with graffiti, record sleeve menus, neon lighting, strobes, and projectors showing interesting and peculiar cinematography.
"Most importantly we created a restaurant filled with a team enjoying themselves. We kept the same core team through covid, and there is no way Casamia would be the same without any one of us."
