A shisha lounge looks set to replace an Italian restaurant in the town centre which closed two years ago.

Plans for The Drop Shisha Lounge to take over the empty unit on Kings Street, which previously hosted Dolce Vita, are being considered by the council.

Much-loved Italian restaurant Dolce Vita took up the space in The Village shopping centre until June 2018, when it was forced to close after going into liquidation.

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The owners of the The Drop describe it as “a shisha lounge where you can experience bespoke cocktails, exciting tapas and the finest wines in a lounge atmosphere”.

The Drop Shisha Lounge Ltd applied for planning permission in November to adapt the site and are still awaiting approval from the council, which is likely to be further delayed due to the Covid-19 crisis.

What is Shisha and where can you get it in Reading?

Shisha is a syrupy-flavoured tobacco smoked in a hookah – a type of waterpipe.

Currently, if you want to get shisha in Reading, you have three options.

Chillim, on Oxford Road in west Reading, calls itself “the ultimate Shisha experience in Reading” and serves 31 different flavours of tobacco including Brazilian passion fruit, white gummy bears and pina colada.

It also serves an eclectic food menu, including a raft of guilty pleasures such as burgers, kebabs, fish and chips and waffles.

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Amari, on Wokingham Road in east Reading, calls itself “a relaxed and chilled out environment” and regularly shows live football and boxing.

Lebanese Village, in Caversham, opened in November 2018 and is primarily a traditional Lebanese restaurant but also serves Shisha.

A Shisha lounge in the heart of the town

But there is currently no shisha bar in the town centre and The Drop is set to fill that gap at a site above hip bar Caffeine & Cocktails and which neighbours The Oracle shopping centre.

The Drop will not only serve shisha but also offer tapas and cocktails.

It is not clear currently when it could open given the Covid-19 lockdown and with planning permission still to be granted, but a website and Facebook have gone up in preparation.