Our story

Little Hollows Pasta

The inspiration

Like a lot of chefs, Chris Davis' love of cooking started at home. Growing up, he spent countless hours in the kitchen with his mum, Ruth, watching her turn simple ingredients into family meals, and cakes, made from scratch. It taught him that good food doesn't need to be complicated—it just needs care.

That appreciation became an obsession after travelling through Italy. It wasn't just the food that stuck with him, but the way Italian cooks approached their craft. They'd spend years perfecting techniques, paying attention to every ingredient, and creating simple dishes with incredible flavour. That philosophy became the foundation of Little Hollows Pasta.

Today, that same mindset shapes everything we do at our Italian restaurant in Bristol. From the carefully selected eggs and flours we use, to the final cut of every sheet, exceptional pasta is the result of countless small decisions made with care.

Close-up of three uncooked ravioli on a baking sheet, dusted with flour.
A man wearing a black cap and white shirt smiling in an indoor setting.

Handmade pasta in bristol

The Markets

In 2016, Little Hollows Pasta began in Chris' Bedminster flat. Most mornings started at 2am, making fresh pasta by hand before loading everything into a van for Bristol Harbourside Market, Tobacco Factory Market, or Stroud Market later that day.

Those early years were all about learning. Every market was another opportunity to refine techniques, improve recipes and work out how to make truly artisan pasta on a larger scale without compromising on quality.

By 2018, people were coming back week after week for cult favourites like our Cashew & Walnut Pesto, San Marzano Tomato & Mascarpone Sauce, and Roast Cherry Tomato Agnolotti - loved so much that the Roast Cherry Tomato Agnolotti is still on the menu til this day (The Michelin Guide choose it as their dish of the month for Great Britain and Ireland in May 2026.)

Person sprinkling flour over freshly made pasta in a box.
A man stands behind a table at a food stall selling pasta, with containers of cooked pasta in front of him and a sign that reads 'Little Hollow's Pasta Co.' in the background. The scene is set at an outdoor market with colorful tents and people in the background.

Pasta Bristol

The covid meal kits

When the markets closed in 2020, Little Hollows Pasta faced the same uncertainty as countless independent food businesses. Rather than press pause, Chris turned his attention to creating restaurant-quality pasta meal kits, giving people everything they needed to enjoy a fresh handmade Italian meal at home.

The meal kits became about more than just pasta. They were an opportunity to support the local producers he'd built relationships with over the years, while showcasing the quality ingredients that have always been at the heart of what we do.

The response was overwhelming, and with every delivery came more confidence that Little Hollows was ready for a permanent home. That support ultimately led to opening our Italian restaurant on Chandos Road, Bristol.

A plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce, garnished with chopped parsley and grated cheese, served on a white dish. Another plate contains a ball of mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil. A third plate has Kalamata olives in olive oil, also served on a white dish. The dishes are placed on a white tablecloth.
A man wearing a black beanie, a gray T-shirt, and a face mask around his chin, is peeling a yellow bell pepper in a kitchen. The photo is taken through a window with white hand-drawn citrus fruit and leaf illustrations.
Uncooked yellow lasagna noodles on parchment paper in a cardboard box.

italian restaurants bristol

The Present

Today, Little Hollows Pasta has found its home on Chandos Road, Bristol, but not much else has changed. We still bring the same care, curiosity and respect for great ingredients that started in Chris' kitchen all those years ago—just with a brilliant team of food, wine and hospitality enthusiasts alongside us.

From the fresh handmade pasta we make every day to the wines we pour and the atmosphere we've created, everything is considered with one goal in mind: to serve honest Italian inspired food that keeps people coming back.

Group of 12 people, including chefs and staff, standing outside the Little Hollows pastry shop, smiling and posing for a photo.
A white bowl filled with a pasta dish, likely Bolognese, topped with grated cheese and chopped herbs, sits on a wooden table next to a napkin with a fork and spoon, with a glass of water nearby.

michelin Bib restaurants bristol

The Team

A restaurant is only ever as good as the people behind it. Every service is the result of a team working together with care, skill and plenty of graft. From the first batch of fresh handmade pasta in the morning to the last goodbye at the end of the night, they're the heart of Little Hollows—and the reason every visit feels a little special.

Chef searing asparagus stalks with a handheld torch, with a stainless steel pot and kitchen counter in the background.
Indoor houseplant with heart-shaped green leaves near a bright window, with bottles on a wooden shelf in the background.
Slice of lemon-colored dessert topped with whipped cream and red berries, with sliced strawberries and red berries on a white plate.
Find us on Instagram
A woman with glasses, wearing a black sleeveless knit top, smiling while pouring wine in a bar or cafe setting. There is a bottle of red wine and a glass of wine on the counter in front of her. Shelves with bottles and bar equipment are in the background.
A woman in a white shirt and black apron preparing colorful pastries or dumplings in a bakery or kitchen, with many similar pastries already arranged on a table in front of her.