A new restaurant and wine bar has officially opened in Kenilworth, with a sell-out first night.

Vynes of Kenilworth opened for the first time on Wednesday (November 5) at the former Butcher's Bistro site on High Street.

Run by self-proclaimed food and wine lovers Guy Finch and Daniel Povey, the new venue aims to bring something completely new to Kenilworth's culinary scene.

Guy explained: "We had a vision from day one with the small plates - not a tapas bar, but a small plates and wine bar.

"We're really proud of the menu, it is a sharing thing, you can come and order loads of small plates and share, but we also have the full menu.

"If you want to do starters and mains, you can, but it is up to you."

Guy and Dan took the keys to the unit in July and continued to operate as The Butcher's Bistro for the first few weeks.

But they said they had a clear idea for what they wanted Vynes to be, and have spent months getting ready for opening.

Dan said: "I got lots of feedback from people around here and what people wanted.

"They wanted something like a date-night setting, somewhere where it's not over-cluttered, and you can come and have a few different small plates." 

As well as the small plates and extended menu, Vynes will also be serving Sunday roasts which will include their special three-day gravy.

The menu has been crafted by head chef Justyna - a former chef de partie at Six By Nico in Birmingham.

One of the restaurant's key selling points is that the food will be cooked on Vynes' new Robata grills - on charcoal.

Justyna has placed a real emphasis on freshly cooked food and top quality ingredients, and will also be changing the menu on a seasonal basis to ensure customers are always getting the best.

Speaking on the renovations, Dan added: "A lot of investment has gone into the back of house, so we have big grills that everything is cooked on, and we have had to improve the kitchen so it can cope with the demand.

"We've bought new tables, new chairs, we've buffered the floors, we've done new signage outside, completely redecorated, added new lighting."

The Vynes team has also placed a lot of emphasis on ensuring there is something for everyone, but without compromising on quality.

This runs through both the menu and the wines on offer.

Guy continued: "We're really trying to make a spectacle of the wine, we really want to focus on it being a wine bar, so we've gone a bit above and beyond! 

"We've got some really rare wine, a really large selection of wines, but also covered all price points from £20 up.

"We have the Old Bakery next door for real ales, we'd like to be like that for wine.

"Somewhere you know you can come and get a really nice glass and then the food itself is also exceptional."

And now just days after opening, they are encouraging locals to come and try for themselves.

"We are already filling up for December," Guy said. 

"We've had a customer base that has been with us since July, even as we've been changing, they've been coming back. 

"We're seeing it already get a lot busier now, the social media presence has started, we're getting bookings flying through. 

"So get in while you can!

"In December we're going to have a Christmas menu, so get in in November to try the normal menu first!"

To find out more, head to the Instagram page or website.