A NEW Romanian restaurant serving traditional food and entertainment is coming to Reading.

Opening at the former home of Italian restaurant Buon Appetito, on Chatham Street, the yet-to-be-named eatery has submitted plans to serve late-night food and drinks.

Buon Appetito closed earlier this year and has now been taken over by business owner Paul Ciprian Chiritescu-Tanasa.

The 34-year-old, from Salisbury Road, Reading, runs Traditional Romaesc, a shop in Oxford Road, and is now branching out to opening his own restaurant.

Explaining the changes, Mr Chiritescu-Tanasa said: “It’s not going to be an Italian restaurant anymore, there will be traditional Romanian food and food for everybody, it will be a mix of European cuisine, burgers, English breakfast, pizza, pasta.

“It will be a wide-ranging menu. There is going to be pork, lamb ribs and steak, traditional Romanian dishes.”

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Plans for the cuisine and the alcohol offering have not been fully confirmed yet, as Mr Chiritescu-Tanasa is waiting for licensing approval from Reading Borough Council.

He also hasn’t settled on a restaurant name. It is currently listed as ‘Traditional Romanesc 2’ on Companies House., with the premises appearing as ‘Chatham Street Restaurant’ on the council’s online list of licensing applications.

Ahead of reopening the restaurant, Mr Chiritescu-Tanasa has applied to serve alcohol and play recorded music from 10am to midnight each day, and serve late-night food and drink from 11pm to midnight each night as well.

He also wants to hold live music performances indoors from 7pm to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Mr Chiritescu-Tanasa said: “It won’t be every weekend, we want a mix of local bands and Romanian bands.”

He added that his team, currently made up of a chef and a barman, are hoping to make renovations to the kitchen and customer area.

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You can comment on the licensing application by emailing licensing@reading.gov.uk. The deadline for representations is Friday, September 1.

Comments on licensing applications are not anonymous.

Boun Apetitio occupied the premises from 2015 to Spring 2023.

The previous team last posted on Instagram on Friday, April 7, and the restaurant received a 5/5 review on TripAdvisor on the Sunday of that weekend.

Prior to its closure, the building was occupied by The Mirage Polish restaurant, Egipteca Pizza, grill and Steakhouse and the Chi oriental brasserie.