Here is the first sneaky peek inside the stunning Opera Grill restaurant that opens in Chester city centre from noon on Thursday (August 4).

Opera Grill is the last occupant to launch within the new Pepper Street dining quarter, promising quality cuisine within a former Methodist chapel.

Individual Restaurants are opening Opera Grill opposite sister restaurant Piccolino. Fit-out costs alone are in excess of £3m.

The striking orange seating will comfortably accommodate up to 300 diners with 130 on the ground floor, 120 on the first floor and 70 on the rear roof terrace.

This makes it the largest restaurant in Chester by a country mile.

Cool retro-style orange seating is a theme throughout Opera Grill.

Final touches are being made to the menu but there will be a wide range of dishes and prices.

Steaks are available from £17 with a broad selection including rib-eye and sirloin. Non-steak options include dishes from the raw bar and cold counter with beluga caviar on the menu but be warned, the £70-plus price tag is not for the faint-hearted.

A smoky aroma hangs in the air because major points of interest are the charcoal grill and wood-fired oven in a kitchen area open to public viewing.

Discerning drinkers will be impressed by the extensive wine list and cocktails plus mixers made in-house from cold press juices.

Food on display during a menu taster day at Opera Grill.

Upstairs is a performance area which will feature DJs, singers, bands, a gospel choir and may be even opera, fittingly enough. This first floor will usually come into play at busier times such as weekends and race meetings but is also available for private hire.

A popular area is likely to be the glazed summer pavilion on the first floor to the rear, which is essentially a glass box with a retractable roof accessible via an internal stairwell.

Mark Leddy, head of marketing at Individual Restaurants, who open Opera Grill in Chester on Thursday.

Mark Leddy, head of marketing, describes Opera Grill as ‘a theatre of dreams’ with an ‘internationally-inspired grill using outstanding ingredients’.

He said: “At the heart of our menu are our bespoke charcoal grill and wood burning ovens. We only use sustainable wood from the English countryside, it’s natural with no additives and imparts the most amazing flavour and aromas to our food.

"Specialising in the best steak cuts from around the world, provided by our very own butchers shop in Cheshire and showcased in our state of the art ageing room.”

For more details and to book visit the website or call 01244 343 888.

Opera Grill as viewed from the first floor.