Newbury Sushizen restaurant to close and possibly reopen as bar

A Newbury fine dining restaurant will close next week, its owner has confirmed.

Sushizen founder Mo Hansubhayyan, from Southampton, confirmed the closure of the Japanese eatery, which opened to customers on Bartholomew Street in November 2022.

READ MORE: Newbury Japanese restaurant Sushizen on Bartholomew Street celebrates first birthday

A planning application, by Colin Martin of KCM Pubs, has been submitted to West Berkshire Council to turn the Grade II-listed building into a new venue called Parched Independent Bar.

The proposal seeks permission to redecorate the existing shopfront with new signage and to reinstate access to the courtyard through a blocked doorway.

The proposal also includes a full indoor refurbishment, adding a new bar counter, fixed seating and removing the current plaster finish to expose the original brickwork.

New flooring and lighting will also be added.

The existing decorative archway will be removed to form a new partition wall with a window to create a view to the new chilled cellar.

The council is expected to decide on the application by Thursday, August 7.