Michelin-recommended Little Hollows Pasta Finalist at UK Italian Awards 2026

Little Hollows Pasta, the small Chandos Road bistro in Redland that opened in 2021, was announced as a finalist on Feb. 23, 2026 in the UK Italian Awards 2026 category Best Restaurant in the South of England. The awards’ Gala Final is scheduled for March 30, 2026 in London, with judges due to visit shortlisted businesses ahead of the ceremony.

The kitchen at Little Hollows tills its reputation on day-to-day craft: all pasta is made fresh on site each morning and hung out in the window to dry before being plated. The Michelin Guide highlighted that practice, writing, “Bristol's pasta-lovers are really being spoilt with this rustic bistro run by a charming and knowledgeable team. The pasta itself is freshly made in house each morning and then hung out in the window to dry, before being fashioned into bright, flavour-packed dishes.” Local coverage early in the restaurant’s life called the pasta “perfect” and said the team “almost completely mastering a strong, Italian-inspired menu just a few weeks after opening.”

The Italian Awards has run as a national recognition programme for UK Italian businesses since 2012 and operates on a staged process: businesses register to be considered, entries go to a public vote, finalists are announced and then judges visit shortlisted venues to experience them first hand before winners are declared. The Awards’ message to finalists reads, "Congratulations, what an amazing achievement! The team will be in touch across [the] next few days to confirm your contact details. Your digital certificate will also be emailed out to you this week ahead of the judging process starting. Each category will have one overall winner along with a number of highly recommended, this will be announced at the Gala Final."

Competition in the South of England category is tight: the Italian Awards announced a list of nine finalists in this category, while a separate regional shortlist framed as a “top five” named Little Hollows alongside The Spaghetti Incident on Stokes Croft and Bianchi’s, which has recently been described as the city’s best restaurant. Other Bristol-area names appearing in wider coverage include Don Giovanni’s on Temple Gate and Toff’s Pasta, which trades at markets across Bristol and the South West.

With the short announcement published Feb. 23 and the judging window opening, finalists should expect direct contact and a digital certificate by email ahead of visits. Little Hollows’ combination of in-house daily pasta, Michelin Guide recognition within a year of opening, and early local praise mark it as a contender to watch when winners are revealed at the Gala Final in London on March 30, 2026.