A plush seaside restaurant serving steak, fish and lobster to as many as 200 punters at a time could be open within the next four months.

Kent restaurateur Mehmet Dari has this week revealed striking images showing how the business in Central Parade, Herne Bay, could look ahead of its planned launch next year.

The magnate believes the site - located next to the town's pier - will become an upmarket attraction, drawing customers from across the county.

And the businessman, who also runs the chain A La Turka, says a rooftop terrace will be added to the premises about a year after the restaurant's spring opening.

"The amazing, beautiful views from the rooftop will definitely attract people from all over," Mr Dari told KentOnline.

“It’s going to be serving really good quality steak and good local fish and lobsters, and an amazing place for people to come and enjoy themselves.

“We’ve got a lot of planning and work to do - it will be a big project.”

Mr Dari previously revealed that he expected to shell out hundreds of thousands of pounds transforming the long-vacant building.

He also said the proposed bar at the eatery, which will be called The Bay, will offer gin, wine and champagne.

The site used to be Le Petit Poisson, which had huge success as a fish restaurant - becoming the town’s first eatery to earn a place in the Michelin Guide, in 2011.

The businessman says his new venture, which will be called The Bay, will “bring a lot of work to the town”, as he predicts it to seat between 150 and 200 customers.

“It will cost a bit of money so we might have to re-mortgage another property or get a loan,” Mr Dari added.

“Our architects are working on the plans and things are looking good, but until the full application is submitted, and the decision is made, we don’t know if it will be granted or not. There are always objections to these kinds of things.

"It's a really nice size and we’ve already started doing some of the the work on the inside."

The establishment in Central Parade will be just down the road from Mr Dari’s flagship branch of A La Turka, which is currently at the centre of controversy.

Kent County Council has ordered him to tear down a glass enclosure built around the site's outdoor seating area, after it was found to obstruct the authority’s access to utilities.

But an online petition - which has gained more than 800 supporters since launching on Sunday - is now calling for him to be given more time, branding the demand to remove the structure “unreasonable" and " a waste of taxpayers' money”.

Mr Dari has plans to open another A La Turka in Whitstable as well as a champagne café in Westgate Gardens, Canterbury.

He also owns meze bar Grapevine in the centre of Herne Bay.