A RESTAURANT is about to have its official opening after being closed for more than a year.

The former Gemelli Restaurant on Bridge Street, Newport will open on July 23 under the new name Gem42.

Described as serving ‘Art Cuisine’, owner and chef Sergio Cinotti said: “Cooking is a form of art. It uses all the five senses and the food will presented and taste but it will also be visually beautiful.

“We have designed the menu over four months with guys from the Welsh National Culinary Team.”

The restaurant was one of several businesses to close due to electrification work to the railway lines and the rebuilding of the bridge in May 2016. The works finished in December of 2016, but the restaurant remained shut until now.

“There was some structural damage that needed to be addressed,” co-owner Pasquale Cinotti said, “so the side and rear of the building was knocked down and that took some time to make sure it was done properly.”

Sergio and his fellow chefs will use Welsh ingredients and also serve Welsh wine. The food is described as ‘Welsh with a bit of Italian’ and Mr Cinotti wanted to bring something upmarket to the city.

He said: “This restaurant has always been in our heart. When it closed it was under a different partnership and now I have taken over and myself and chef Jason Hughes want to do as much as we can to offer quality food and fine and dining.

“There is fantastic produce here in Wales and that can be adapted to have an Italian touch,” he said.

“Newport is a special place and this will offer good quality food which is locally sourced.

“I wanted to make this restaurant more modern. All the plates are hand designed and made, but we have kept some of the old features like the ceiling, so it brings back some memories for people.”

His brother Pasquale added: “I am proud that it will open and have a new image, it’s tradition with evolution. We are looking to the future.

“This is a bit more cosy than our other restaurant, and it has a more of a fine-dining profile. It gives us an opportunity to present food as an art form.”

Find out more at facebook.com/restaurantgem42 or call 01633 287591.