A plush new rooftop restaurant will welcome customers through its doors in just a few weeks, bosses have revealed.

Socialite in St Margaret's Street, Canterbury, has this week started takings bookings ahead of its launch at the start of July.

The eatery - which will sit above the five-storey Hampton by Hilton hotel - will cater for more than 100 diners, with owners claiming it will have the best view of the city at night.

And dinner reservations for its opening two nights have already been filled by eager customers.

A spokesman said: "We’re thrilled to announce our bookings are now open and we’ll be taking table reservations from Friday, July 1.

“We guarantee Socialite will be the ultimate new location in Canterbury, perfect for a luxury dining experience.”

However, the business is awaiting to secure the green light from the city council for sax players, violinists and DJs to perform at the venue.

The licensing application submitted at the start of this month also shows the eatery plans to operate until 2.30am on Fridays and Saturdays. Its doors are set to open at 8am each day.

Socialite will be run separately from the hotel, with foodies accessing the site via a lift from the ground-floor entrance.

The long-awaited venue, which had been due to open at Easter, will be only the second Socialite in the country, with the other in Brighton.

Speaking earlier this year, co-founder Adam Elliott said: “Canterbury is a great fit for Socialite.

"The city has an up-and-coming thriving food scene, and we have been looking at locations that we believe guests will want an experience to go along with their dining.

“We promise the best view of Canterbury at night from our roof terrace."

This comes as five other restaurants eye up moves into the city centre, after sourdough pizza specialist Franco Manca launched in the former Costa coffee house in Guildhall Street two weeks ago.

Cosy Club – which already has 31 branches across the country, but none in Kent – has its sights set on the former Closs & Hamblin store, just a few doors down from Socialite.

The chain says it prides itself on offering table service in grand interiors which "create a sense of occasion".

An eatery called Herd, which focuses on serving up steak dishes, is getting set to open in the old Gourmet Burger Kitchen unit next to Subway.

It has a licensing application in with the local authority seeking permission for live music performances and the sale of alcohol.

A New Orleans-style sandwich shop, named Po'Boys, is also poised to open in the old West Cornwall Pasty Company store opposite Patisserie Valerie.

And further along St Peter’s Street is the empty Sta Travel unit, which looks likely to be filled by Tortilla - the UK’s largest so-called “fast-casual” Mexican brand.

American junk-food giant Taco Bell is also set to take on the former Jigsaw clothes store, converting the high street shop into a restaurant and takeaway.