The owner of a popular award-winning tapas restaurant is selling up to “focus on other ventures”.

Harbour Street Tapas Bar in Whitstable has been running for eight years and was recently named best in Kent on the Good Food Guide’s list of best local venues.

But now the modest-sized restaurant specialising in small plates c various Spanish regions has hit the market for £180,000.

Estate agent Christie and Co. says: “The current owner has operated the business for many years and is now looking to sell in order to focus on other ventures offering a great opportunity for a new operator to take full advantage of the business and popular location.

“This is a well-positioned prominent three-storey property with white rendered elevations under a pitched tiled roof, close to public parking.

“The main restaurant is served by a single bar servery with air conditioning, an open plan commercial kitchen with full extraction and a pot wash area.

“The business is predominantly owner-run together with a complement of full-time and part-time casual staff.”

Inside, the building seats 42 and all of the fixtures and fittings are included in the sale.

In July, the Spanish-style spot came top of the Kent entries and second for the southeast in the Good Food Guide’s best 100 local restaurants list.

Judges hailed the tapas bar’s “laid-back, buzzy and sociable” atmosphere where “every dish begs to be ordered”.

Celebrating their success on Instagram at the time, bosses said: “Thank you to Good Food Guide for the inclusion, our amazing team and to every single customer that nominated us.

Shortly after, reporter Rhys Griffiths visited for an Eat My Words review.

After sampling dishes such as glazed pork ribs and grilled tiger prawns, he said: “How lucky the folk of Whitstable are to have this charming little place as a neighbourhood restaurant.”