Popular Lincoln restaurant Straits Brasserie at the bottom of Steep Hill has celebrated its second birthday by opening a new bar area on the ground floor of the restaurant.

Owner Richard Shucksmith bought the venue, which was formerly a wine bar, six years ago and transformed it into Brazilian restaurant Viela before reincarnating it in 2008 as a brassiere serving modern British as well as Brazilian cuisine.

Richard has also now turned part of the ground floor into a bar area for people wanting just a drink or for those who are eating in the restaurant but who want to relax with a beer or a glass of wine either before or after their meal.

Richard explained: “There aren’t many places on The Strait where people can enjoy a drink and a chat with their friends and this used to be a popular wine bar so we thought we’d revive it.”

The bar stocks a wide range of drinks including wines, spirits, cocktails, ciders and good quality Belgium, German, British and fruit beers including seven local varieties.

Straits Brasserie has also introduced a new Two Courses For £10 Menu which is available from 5.30pm till 9.30pm (last orders) from Tuesday to Thursday and from 5.30pm till 7pm on Friday and Saturday.

Diners can choose from a range of traditional favourites and Brazilian classics including homemade beefburger with chips, Caesar salad and Feijoada which is a pork and black bean stew.

“This is a great offer and means it’s now cheaper to eat in the restaurant and enjoy top quality food and home-grown ingredients than it is to stay at home and have a takeaway,” said Richard.

And with dishes on the main menu like duck leg slow cooked in cherry beer with braised red cabbage and dauphinoise potatoes and XinXim de Galinha, chicken and king prawns in mild spicy coriander, red palm oil, peanut and cashew sauce served with rice, who could resist?

To book a table call 01522 576765.