A NEW wine bar is set to open in Lyme Regis this week.

Lilac, the new wine bar and neighbourhood eatery on Broad Street will open to the public on Wednesday, July 28.

The venue is a creation of TV chef Harriet Mansell, her second venture in the town, having opened Robin Wylde on Silver Street in October 2020.

A wide range of wines will be served by the glass, along with a range of rare, 'low intervention' (natural) wines by the bottle alongside a selection of other drinks.

A changing menu of seasonal small plates will accompany the drinks, with a focus on vegetables, zero waste and sustainability.

Harriet Mansell said: "We're very excited to be opening. There's a need in the area for somewhere that offers what we do. Lilac is the kind of place you can go on any occasion, either for a drink and a snack or a long meal, or just a really great coffee. It's basically the place I want to go on my days off.

"There's definitely a gap in the market for this type of thing, we've had a lot of interest.

"There's a focus on local seasoned food, with a menu which will be changing daily. It's all about local produce, with a sense of quality - we want everything to be the best it can be."

She added: "We want to make it accessible to people, it's not a pretentious type of place."

Tables are now available to book online. The venue will be operating with table service in place, it will take reservations for most tables with some allocated for walk-ins.

Table service - reservations, some tables allocated for walk-ins - some seats at the bar.

Ms Mansell has made a reputation in the culinary world for creating dishes with foraged food and local ingredients. She competed alongside the country's finest chefs on BBC’s Great British Menu and has worked around the world in renowned restaurants and Michelin star kitchens, including cooking for the Qatari Royal Family in the Seychelles and the Murdoch family in the Caribbean.