Tweet

Six years since first opening, Paco Tapas – Bristol’s Michelin-starred tapas bar from chef owner Peter Sanchez-Inglesias – announces its extension into the restaurant’s neighbouring site, the space temporarily used during the pandemic as Pi Shop. Alongside the extension, Paco Tapas will continue in the spirit of evolution with the launch of a new waterside dining terrace, providing the perfect spot for Michelin-starred outdoor feasting this summer. 

The family-run institution from brothers Peter and Jonray Sanchez-Iglesias first opened its doors in 2016, sitting beside acclaimed sister restaurant Casamia in Bristol’s former General Hospital. Named after the family patriarch, Paco Sanchez-Iglesias, who you can still regularly find welcoming guests as a customer of the restaurant, Paco Tapas has remained true to its roots, combining comforting yet dynamic Andalusian flavours with a flair that won Paco Tapas a Michelin star within its first year of opening, that it has retained ever since. 

Since 2019, chef-patron Peter stepped away from cooking at Paco Tapas to oversee the wider business, handing the reins over to head chef Joel Breakwell who has, with Peter’s support, preserved the genius of the restaurant. The restaurant will now take the next step in its journey, extending into the space housed between Paco Tapas and Casamia to welcome 20 additional covers to its 40 cover restaurant. 

The extension comes alongside the launch of a newly designed 55 cover waterside dining terrace, bringing Sanchez-Inglesias’ vibrant Spanish menu riverside. Guests can soak up the sights and sounds of its waterside location over dishes from an ever-changing daily menu, from a laid-back para picar session over a glass of sherry to a full-fledged tapas feast. Menus are handwritten on brown paper and consist of signature tapas dishes with Paco’s Michelin-flair, including Octopus a la Gallega, Tortilla Española and Gambas Al Ajillo, as well as daily specials that capture the seasons’ best – bringing a taste of the Mediterranean to Bristol’s city centre. 

The interiors truly reflect Paco Tapas’ core style to offer a hybrid of tradition and modernity; a space comprised of wooden surfaces, patterned tiles and stainless steel, all punctuated by the buzzing open kitchen, where, perched on their stools at high-top tables, guests can observe their next morsel in the making. 

This comes following the news that its sister restaurant, Casamia, will close its doors on 20th August. The team have plans for the site to become something new later this year – more details to be announced in due course.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Images Credit: Faydit Photography