The Seafood Restaurant in St Andrews, a stunning modernist steel-and-glass cube overlooking the North Sea, has been taken over and given an Italian makeover by 22-year-old Stefano Pieraccini.

A marketing and managing graduate, he will be mentored by his father Adrian, past owner of restaurants including Rocca in St Andrews and Rocpool in Inverness.

Now called the Seafood Ristorante, the venue will be refurbed and expanded, almost doubling capacity from 44 to 80, with staff numbers rising to cater for the additional trade.

The 2017 Harden’s Survey described the restaurant as “heaven in a glass box… with food to match.” Tim Butler, its owner since 2003, is selling up to focus on his growing St Andrews Brewing Company.

Stefano Pieraccini says that, having grown up in the trade, he has dreamed of running his own restaurant since he was a 14-year-old kitchen porter.

“I’m very lucky to be in charge of a restaurant in such a spectacular location. There are not many places in the world where you can sit in comfort eating oysters while the North Sea splashes off the windows in front of you.”