Husband and wife team Stuart and Cecilia Gillies will open Bank House Wine Bar and Kitchen in their home town of Chislehurst, Kent, in September.

The independent bar and kitchen will specialise in serving a weekly-changing menu of “modern European plates alongside a dynamic wine list”, they said.

The restaurant will be housed in a former brownstone Victorian bank on Chislehurst High Street, and the site has been restored and converted into a space which spans two floors.

Upstairs is a cosy cocktail bar with sash windows,a fireplace and exposed oak beams. A short menu of wines (predominantly English), Champagnes, and mixed drinks will be the style.

The head chef is Bobby Brown, previously of Bread Street Kitchen and The Kentish Hare. His menu features the likes of grilled scallops with black butter and garlic; crab salad, brown crab dressing and pickled cucumber; and fried buttermilk chicken and habanero and lime salsa.

Stuart Gillies brings a wealth of experience to Bank House, including stints at Daniel NYC, The Lord Byron Italy, and Le Caprice London. He was most recently CEO of the Gordon Ramsay Group. Cecilia brings her own extensive front-of-house expertise, having opened big names such as Quo Vadis and Marco Pierre White’s Criterion.

“There is an excitement and thrill to creating something locally which does not currently exist on our high street,” said Stuart.

“I’ve always loved the world of hospitality and restaurants, so it’s long been a dream to be able to bring that experience and energy into our own community, where Cecilia and I have raised our four boys.

“Socialising and going out is embraced so much more now than when I grew up, and we’re very much looking forward to bringing something new and different to the area.”