A former fine dining restaurant in Gourock is set to re-open as a cafe – four months after its shock closure.

The former Bath Street Arches will be relaunched as Cafe Lucas.

The popular town centre restaurant closed in February after five years – despite being busy and turning a profit, according to the then-owner and head chef Ambrish Brahmwar.

Mr Brahmwar said there was no room for growth due to the restricted size of the premises, which has space for just six tables.

But an applicant from Glasgow plans to turn it into a cafe and is seeking permission from Inverclyde Council’s Licensing Board to take over the restaurant’s alcohol licence.

The new tenant is proposing to open between 6.30am to 6pm Monday-Friday and from 7.30am at the weekend.

Bath Street Arches – believed to be Scotland’s smallest restaurant – closed on February 24.

“Due to our restricted size – six tables – the enormous commitment of time that it requires and without any ability to grow further in its current form I have chosen to go out on a high.”

At one point the restaurant had been ranked the eighth best in the country and held the top spot in Inverclyde with a five-star rating.

It opened in 2013 and received rave reviews from food critics and customers.

Councillors on the licensing board will make a decision on the proposed changes to the use of the premises at a meeting in the Municipal Buildings at 10.00am tomorrow.

This article appeared in the Greenock Telegraph on 7 June 2018.