A new fine dining restaurant is set to open later this month, with the owner setting his sights on being the first to bring a Michelin star to the area.

Naz Chowdhury has taken over what was The Pavillion in Leysdown, on Sheppey, and turned it into “a family-friendly authentic creative fine dining restaurant”.

Named the Dining Room, its menu, which will change frequently, will offer “mouthwatering, delicious flavours created with spices from all around the world”, Naz said.

The 38-year-old, who lives in Leysdown, said: “Everything that we are going to serve is going to be very artistic. We want to get a Michelin star and we want our customers to be wined and dined in style.”

If successful, it is understood Naz, who formerly owned the Curryholics takeaway in Sheerness and The Piranha Club, now Saddlebrook in Leysdown, would be the first to achieve the feat on Sheppey.

He added: “We are going to do a few dishes from our Curryholics menu, because we had so many people purchasing them, along with some more current items.

“We are also going to be specialising in seafood because Sheppey hasn’t got much to offer in terms of seafood.”

Future plans include offering cooking lessons, live entertainment, themed nights and even a chauffeur service should diners wish to be collected for their meal and dropped home afterwards.

The award-winning chef, who has more than 25 years cooking experience, added: “I have worked with some professional people in fine dining and I believe I can make a big impact on this Island because I don’t really see a place that can offer a different kind of food.

“Food is not timeless, it lives in a social, national and international context and continuum.

"The reason why Indian cuisine hadn’t grown was because it had not been encouraged – a curry was a curry.

"We are the next generation taking a step forward to make changes and all we can say is expect the unexpected.”

Naz said he hoped to open in the next two weeks.

The lunch menu will be offered from noon to 2pm on Wednesday to Sunday, while the evening service will run from 5pm to 10pm Tuesday to Sunday.

The restaurant will seat up to 60 diners and there is also a private room that can be booked out for up to 20 people.

For more information, call 01795 511861.

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