A renowned restaurant and coffee shop in our town centre is expanding.

Hermitage Rd Bar and Restaurant are moving into the vacant site next door that had previously been occupied by Bath Store.

With the unit at 20-21 Hermitage Road now empty, Anglia Country Inns are set to bolster their popular brand by enlarging their business.

ACI, who are behind Hermitage Rd and other excellent local pubs, restaurants and hotels including The Fox at Willian, confirmed their expansion.

They said: "This may be Hitchin's least best kept secret at this stage as the builders have been in for months - but for anyone that hasn't caught on yet, then the rumours are true.

"We are expanding and have very exciting times ahead.

"We have taken over the large ground floor space on Hermitage Rd, next to our current coffee shop and have lots of great plans for it, including expanding our Coffee + Bagel bar and introducing meeting rooms."

In the meantime, set in an impressive former ballroom in the heart of Hitchin, Hermitage Rd Bar & Restaurant offers exciting food with added theatre from the open kitchen, quirky cocktails and beer from the bar and live music from local talent.

While downstairs, discerning punters grab coffee and bagels from their award winning coffee shop and have a browse in the lifestyle store next door.

They are open seven days a week, along with the coffee and bagel, with pop up al fresco cocktails on sunny Fridays and Saturdays.

The site also offers private dining, cocktail masterclasses and conferencing for up to 24 people in their 'Room@theTop'.

See Hitchin Nub News for more on this exciting news in the heart of our town.