The venue said it will “reopen as soon as it is safe to do so”
19:01, 07 Oct 2025Updated 19:02, 07 Oct 2025
Amalia is ‘closed until further notice’ following a fire(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A popular city centre restaurant is “closed today until further notice” following a fire. Mersey Fire and Rescue Service were called to a fire at Amalia Italian restaurant on Argyle Street, Liverpool city centre at 11.07am today, October 7.
Posting the announcement on Instagram, the restaurant said: “We are temporarily closed today and until further notice due to a small fire on our block. Our business has been closed as a precautionary measure.
“We apologise for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and support. We will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so.
“Thank you for your patience.”
After moving to the England in 2007, owner Miguel Queipo teamed up with Antonio Lixi after the two worked together at an Italian restaurant in York, where Antonio was a chef and Miguel was a manager. Amalia was their first business venture, and its name holds a special place in Miguel’s heart, with the company being named after his nan.
In its lifetime, Amalia has amassed an impressive portfolio of awards, including multiple Liverpool Lifestyle Awards, two Liverpool Food and Drink Festival awards and The Positive Award, and Antonio won Chef Of The Year at the National Italian Awards in 2018.
Randy Santel doing the Calzone Challenge at Amalia Italian bar Pizzeria on Campbell Square, Liverpool.
The restaurant enjoys a loyal following of regular customers and is known amongst daring foodies for its calzone challenge. At the tail end of 2023, the owners decided to take on a new venture as the pair opened a tapas-style restaurant.
Located a stone’s throw away from the original restaurant, just across the road, is Amalia Cicchetti. Cicchetti means small in Italian, so guests can expect small snack-sized plates of sandwiches, pizzas, cakes and deli food.
A spokesperson for Mersey Fire and Rescue Service said: “Fire crews were called to a fire at a restaurant on the ground floor of a three storey building on Argyle Street, Liverpool city centre this morning.
“Crews were alerted at 11.07am and on scene at 11.11am, with two fire engines in attendance. Crews arrived to find smoke issuing from an extractor system on the ground floor at the rear of the restaurant and used a hose reel jet to apply water to the affected area while attempting to isolate the system.
“The gas, electrics and extractor system were all isolated and firefighters checked flats on the first and second floors of the building for smoke spread. Crews monitored the extractor and ducting system which showed a reduction in temperature to a normal level and cladding close to the ducting was cut away to check for smoke spread. Fire crews left the scene at 1.24pm.”