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It has been closed since September – but Casanova restaurant is back up and running again.

New bosses have taken over since the retirement of previous owner Salvatore Ilardi after 25 years at Casanova, in Crookes, who sold the long standing business to new owners.

Andrea Bastian, who has taken over as the restaurant manager, is pleased to be up and running after the work to transform the inside of the building was completed, and says the opening night went well. Pictures show the major transformation.

He explained the changes that have been made. He said: “We have completely renovated the concept of the previous Casanova. You can see now the location is divided into two places. Upstairs is a really quiet, proper, restaurant. Downstairs, is also a lounge and restaurant. It means you can have a cocktail, enjoy a beer, you can just come and have a drink and fun. Plus downstairs there is what we call a ‘bite’ menu.

It has been closed since September – but Casanova restaurant, pictured, in Crookes, Sheffield, is back up and running again, and its manager has explained the changes.

“If any customer would like to have a full dinner downstairs, there is no problem because the kitchen can provide for both locations, the same menu.”

The venue reopened for the first time on March 16, and Mr Bastian said the restaurant was fully booked on that first day, other than one table for two. “Apparently all the customers left happy,” he added.

Some returning customers said they were pleased the venue had finally re-opened. Others remarked on the number of changes, he added.

But he said there had also been customers who had visited for the first time on re-opening night. He said more than half of the new customers, who had never been in the previous Casanova, had initially come in for a drink, and had some sort of meal while they were there.

It has been closed since September – but Casanova restaurant is back up and running again, and manager Andrea Bastiani, pictured, has explained the changes

The new owner of the restaurant will be Saimir Bezati, an Italian resident of Sheffield who said in September he was looking forward to taking over the well-known venue on the corner of Marston Road.

Previous owner Salvo first took over at the restaurant in 1997, at the age of 42. It had previously been an Italian restaurant under the name of Santino’s.

Casanova restaurant Crookes: Boss explains changes as popular Sheffield venue reopens after six months