Closed town centre Italian restaurant Zizzi is set to be replaced by a new Sri Lankan restaurant The Coconut Tree.

The Coconut Tree, which has branches in Oxford, Bristol, Bath, Bournemouth, Cheltenham and Cardiff, applied to the council for a licence for a new restaurant at the 64 – 72 King’s Road address on June 15.

It wants to sell alcohol from 10am to midnight, Monday-Saturday, and until 11.30pm on Sundays and offer food until 12.30pm, Monday-Saturday, and until midnight on Sundays.

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It is also seeking permission to provided regulated entertainment, which could include live or recorded music for example, from 12pm-midnight, Monday-Saturday and until 10pm on Sundays.

The restaurant describes itself as ‘bringing Sri Lankan street food to the UK’ and says customers will ‘experience an explosion of flavours in our vegetables, meats & fish along with sweet and fiery cocktails’.

Its Cheltenham branch received a positive review from renowned food critic Jay Rayner, who described it as “laid back, cheap and full of charm” in The Guardian.

It will replace the King’s Road Zizzi, which closed permanently last year, deciding not to re-open following the Covid-19 lockdown.

Zizzi still has a branch in Reading at The Oracle Riverside, which remains open.

Reading Chronicle: Zizzi, The OracleZizzi, The Oracle

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The Zizzi brand is owned by the Azzurri Group, which also owns Ask Italian and Coco di Mama.

The King’s Road branch is one of 75 locations the Azzurri Group permanently closed following the lockdown, with Ask Italian in St Mary’s Butts also closing.