A new Vietnamese restaurant in Bristol is welcoming customers inside for the first time after coronavirus restrictions were eased.
Foodie Vietnam opened in late April but was only able to host diners on its few outside tables at St Nicholas Market, meaning its trade was heavily dependent on the weather.
But with the latest easing of lockdown restrictions allowing indoor hospitality to resume, the restaurant can reopen fully from today (May 17) - and it's already proving popular.
The cafe-restaurant is headed up by Dung Nguyen, who has 20 years' experience in the catering trade including four years managing Chinese restaurant Emperor Court in Clifton Village.
"After opening for a soft launch on April 29, we're delighted to be able to welcome guests to our inside seating area," said the 38-year-old.
"As we could only welcome customers outside until today our trade has been heavily reliant on the weather, which was great at first before taking a turn for the worse in more recent weeks.
"There's such a positive vibe in the air now that we can start serving people indoors and the atmosphere has been really exciting today. We're relieved that we can now serve people rain or shine.
"The feedback on our food has been really positive so far and we'll be adding more dishes to the menu over the coming weeks. We look forward to showing guests what we have to offer."
Dung studied at a cookery school in Vietnam years ago to hone his culinary skills, and has employed an experienced team of kitchen staff to help him prepare the food.
Customers can expect to find a range of authentic dishes from the Southeast Asian country on the all-day menu, including pho, bánh mì and Vietnamese coffee.
The restaurant will also launch a deli counter in the coming week for those who want to take their food away with them.
Foodie Vietnam has replaced Source in St Nick's Market, which announced its closure in March. It is located at 1 Exchange Ave, Bristol BS1 1JW.
