Brisbane Spanish restaurant Gordita closes, owner to open Hope and Anchor pub

Spanish restaurant Gordita at the M&A development in Fortitude Valley has shut up shop.

It's the fifth food venue to do so since the $250 million development opened in late 2013. Other casualties in the M&A Lane food precinct include La Locanda Osteria, Mighty Mighty, Papa Jack's and The Flaming Olive.

Gordita owner Jamie Webb says the reason for the closure was ongoing issues with the centre's design, including the laneway acting as a wind tunnel and management's placement of an exhaust system that resulted in smoke being blown over patrons. "It just became untenable," Webb says. M&A management Jones Laing LaSalle declined to comment.

The restaurant closure hasn't slowed Webb down – he opened Ginger's Diner, a casual Korean eatery in Caxton Street in February, while his latest venue, the Hope & Anchor in Paddington, will launch next month.

Formerly the Shingle Inn and before that well-loved local The Lark, Webb says the aim is to return the Given Terrace heritage-listed cottage to a "neighbourhood eating and drinking place" where "you can come in early to eat with your kids or drop in late for a drink".

Never one to shy away from a theme, Webb, who also owns Lefty's Old Time Music Hall, says the ambience of the Hope and Anchor will be that of a "mini seaside English pub" with a menu inspired by British pub classics.