Italian restaurant to open at former Wiltshire hotel

Until September this year, the ground floor of the old Bear Hotel in Chippenham Market Place had been occupied by tapas and cocktail bar La Taperia.

But the business stopped taking bookings and deactivated its website ahead of the weekend of Saturday, September 7, and is not believed to have opened since.

The windows of the venue have now been covered up and a new sign has been placed at the entrance promising that a new Italian restaurant is “coming soon.”

La Taperia opened in late 2022 and was popular among groups of residents.

READ MORE: Look of revised plans for transformation of historic Wiltshire hotel revealed

The Bear in Chippenham (Image: Newsquest) While it now appears to have left the 18th century building, it has previously been suggested that the owners of the site are keen to retain a commercial ground floor space with an occupant.

Meanwhile, the upper floors of the property will be converted into flats and offices after plans were approved earlier this year.

The development will include the creation of five flats and a maisonette alongside the conversion and extension of the former garage into self-contained offices.

The plans said the ground floor commercial space would be unaffected by these changes.