![\"Amalia](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0_JS299027133.jpg\")
Amalia owners Miguel Queipo and Antonio Lixi<\/p>\nOwner Miguel Queipo thanked his customers for their continued supportAmalia owners Miguel Queipo and Antonio Lixi<\/p>\n
The owner of an award-winning city centre restaurant has spoken about how his venue bounced back after receiving a zero hygiene rating. Miguel Queipo, one half of the founding team of Campbell Square\u2019s Amalia, previously expressed his \u201cdisappointment\u201d after his popular establishment was discovered to have mice activity.<\/a><\/p>\n The businessman said he takes hygiene \u201cvery seriously”, having been open for more than a decade in the heart of Liverpool.<\/a> Despite this, inspectors rated the Italian restaurant with the lowest possible score following an inspection on Monday, June 16.<\/p>\n At the time of the visit, it was said \u201cmajor improvement\u201d was needed in all three key areas – hygienic food<\/a> handling, cleanliness and condition of facilities and management of food safety.<\/a><\/p>\n Miguel, who moved to England from Spain to study business, previously claimed the issues were \u201csorted out straight away\u201d.<\/a> Following a Freedom of Information request, the ECHO<\/a> revealed that \u201cevidence of mouse activity\u201d was noted in several spots throughout the venue.<\/p>\n According to the report, this included the back store, the landing, and the bar area. A \u201clow level\u201d of activity was also found in the kitchen. In light of this, the company was instructed to \u201cremove all mouse droppings\u201d and monitor for any new signs of activity.<\/p>\n Now, following a revisit, the restaurant has received four out of a possible five in the rating system. Miguel told the ECHO<\/a>: \u201cWe just wanted to share our experience, because it\u2019s been a real rollercoaster for our business.<\/p>\n “After our first food hygiene inspection, we made all the changes straight away and applied for a re-score back on Friday, July 1. We were told we\u2019d get re-inspected by Wednesday, October 1, but that date came and went with no visit.”<\/p>\n Liverpool City Council<\/a>\u2019s environmental health service conducts food hygiene inspections to ensure that food served to the public is safe to eat. Officers can turn up unannounced and can take food samples and photographs to support any investigation.<\/p>\n Unless there is an immediate risk to health, businesses that receive bad ratings are given time to make changes so that things improve. They can also ask to be re-inspected or appeal the verdict handed down by officials. Liverpool City Council visited Amalia on Thursday, October 2, a day after the scheduled three-month re-inspection.<\/p>\n Miguel added: \u201cThe old rating didn\u2019t reflect our true standards. It knocked customer confidence, slowed down trade, and put a big strain on us as a business.<\/p>\n \u201cThe good news is we\u2019ve finally had the revisit, and we\u2019re proud to say we\u2019ve been awarded four stars. It\u2019s a huge relief. We honestly can\u2019t thank our amazing customers enough for sticking by us through all this. Their support has kept us going, and we\u2019re so grateful.”<\/p>\n Having moved to the country in 2007, Miguel 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.<\/p>\n Amalia was their first business venture, and its name holds a special place in Miguel’s heart, with the company being named after his grandmother.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The restaurant enjoys a loyal following of regular customers and is known amongst daring foodies for its calzone challenge<\/a>. At the tail end of 2023, the owners decided to take on a new venture as the pair opened a tapas-style restaurant.<\/p>\n Located a stone\u2019s throw away from the original restaurant, just across the road, is Amalia Cicchetti.<\/a> Cicchetti means small in Italian, so guests can expect small snack-sized plates of sandwiches, pizzas, cakes and deli food.<\/p>\n![\"Amalia](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1_Amalia.jpg\")
Amalia is found in Campbell Square(Image: Liverpool Echo)<\/p>\n![\"Liverpool](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/zz170913insideramalia.jpg\")
Liverpool and Everton players at Amalia restaurant in Liverpool city centre – left to right Joel Robles, Joao Teixeira, Jose Enrique, Miguel Queipo (owner) Tiago ILori, staff, Gerard Delofeu, Antonio Lixi ( Amalia head chef-co owner)<\/p>\n![\"Amalia](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1_JS313881655.jpg\")
Amalia Italian Restaurant has previously been crowned ‘Best Pizza In England’ at the English Italian Awards<\/p>\n![\"Randy](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_JS29643999.jpg\")
Randy Santel doing the Calzone Challenge at Amalia Italian bar Pizzeria on Campbell Square, Liverpool.<\/p>\n