ITALIAN restaurant chain Ask Italian is opening a new style venue in the heart of Worcester next week.

The company will be unveiling its next generation 144-seater restaurant in the £20 million Cathedral Square development on Wednesday July 12.

In a bid to bring the outdoors inside, the restaurant will have an al fresco feel pergola feature with climbing greenery and macramé hanging plants, finished with a mirror ball to bring a bit of fun to the experience.

The menu will offer a range of dishes from starters and antipasti sharing boards to new Alto pizzas, pasta dishes, salads and some show-stopping desserts.

ASK Italian’s managing director Harry Heeley said: “We’re delighted to be bringing our new design to the exciting retail and leisure space in Cathedral Square, Worcester.

“As big fans of the Italian passion for gathering around the table together, our team is fired up and ready to welcome in residents of Worcester to enjoy a little escapism over lunch, dinner or any occasion in between.

“They can expect freshly prepared dishes in an easy going atmosphere as we share our favourite bits of Italy in the beautiful city of Worcester.”

Adam Lindop, operations manager for ASK Italian, said: “We can’t wait to welcome the people of Worcester into our brand new restaurant.

“Summer is the perfect time for eating out and enjoying an aperitivo and the team are ready and waiting to bring a little touch of Italy to Worcester customers.”

An aperitivo is the Italian ritual of going out for a pre-dinner drink and it is the sort of drink people have on these occasions such as vermouth, Campari or Aperol. The drink is often served with some nibbles in Italy.