WORK is underway to refit an empty unit in Festival Place ready for a new tapas restaurant.

As previously reported, Festival Place confirmed it was ‘in talks’ with Spanish tapas chain Tapas Revolution to use a unit previously occupied by Pizza Hut.

Read more: Festival Place 'in talks' with Spanish tapas restaurant 

Now, work is being carried out to the unit to revamp it for the new Spanish restaurant.

Festival Place is yet to confirm that Tapas Revolution is set to open in the shopping centre, however, a sign on the door provides emergency callout numbers for Tapas Revolution, including the site manager and project manager.

The chain restaurant launched in 2010 in Westfield Shepherd’s Bush and has since gone on to open a further eight restaurants in England including in Birmingham, Bath and Brighton.

It is owned by Spanish chef and cookbook author Omar Allibhoy who said he was shocked by the lack of Spanish restaurants when he came to the UK.

Tapas Revolution specialises in Tapas – the famous small dishes found in every bar in Spain – offering a selection typical to those found in Omar’s hometown of Madrid.

The restaurant’s website says its food is “meant to be shared, at any time of day on any occasion”.

Dishes include crispy slow-cooked pork belly with a sweet and spicy sauce; tiger prawns with garlic and parsley oil cooked in a traditional terracotta pot; and crispy fried aubergine with a spiced honey and thyme dressing.

Basingstoke previously had a tapas restaurant - La Tasca, in Festival Place - which closed down in 2016 to be replaced by Las Iguanas. 

Festival Place and Tapas Revolution have been asked for further information regarding the opening date of the Basingstoke restaurant.

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