Banana Tree to take Cafe Rouge's place in Gunwharf Quays following recent closure

The Parisian-themed restaurant has been at The Canalside in Gunwharf Quays for years but has now sadly closed its doors. However the unit is not expected to stay shut for long with plans already in the making to transform it into a different eatery owned by the same company.

A planning application has been submitted to Portsmouth City Council seeking permission for new signage to re-brand the restaurant into Banana Tree - a Pan Asian restaurant also owned by The Big Table Group which also has Cafe Rouge, Bella Italia and Las Iguanas in its portfolio. It is proposed that the red decor of the venue will be scrapped and replaced with new dark coloured branding. If the application is successful, there will also be new acrylic canvas awning covers and valances, new black trim on the site and new Banana Tree signage.

Fencing has already gone up at the site in preparation for work to begin to transform the venue into a brand new restaurant.

Meanwhile customers of Cafe Rouge have described its closure as a 'shame' and one lady said that all of the staff were 'lovely'. The closure comes as multiple sites have also been shut down including the venue at Brighton Marina which was part of the boardwalk for 15 years as well as a Bournemouth Cafe Rouge.

To view or comment on the planning application for the Banana Tree signage visit Portsmouth City Council's planning portal and search for reference 23/01587/ADV .