The owner of a popular family-run Turkish restaurant in Maldon is preparing to open a 'fine dining' steakhouse in the High Street next month.

Sami Barli's new restaurant 'Paparazzi' is set to create 30 new jobs locally and should help to revive the High Street.

Sami opened the award-winning Turkish restaurant Sark in 2017.

It is hoped his latest venture will provide an "all-day fine dining" experience with the same quality visitors have come to expect from Sark.

400 people have already booked a table at the restaurant during its opening week, which is expected to take place in early October.

Paparazzi will take the place of Prezzo, which closed permanently in August last year.

The restaurant is adorned with glamorous decorations, including vivid murals and chandeliers. (Photo: Ben Shahrabi).

Sami intends to divide his attention between his two restaurants.

He said: "Sark is my baby – I can't leave Sark alone."

After a successful first couple of years, the Turkish restaurant moved to a larger premises in 2019.

Sami said: "This (Paparazzi) was my dream – I have done it.

"But Sark is my bread and butter."

The outdoor seating area is being completely renovated. (Photo: Ben Shahrabi)

He added 60% of Sark's customers came from outside Maldon, some from as far afield as Southend and Brentwood.

Sami continued: "We can't leave the High Street to die. We need to do more business so we can get more people into Maldon.

"At night-time, this side of the street used to be dead. Now, life is getting better.

"When Paparazzi opens, it's going to be even better."

When asked whether he was concerned about a new Italian restaurant, SALT, opening next to Sark, Sami says it will bring yet more people into the town.

Sami with former Maldon Town Mayor Abdul Hafiz, who is backing the new restaurant. (Photo: Ben Shahrabi)

Paparazzi is backed by Abdul "Jhual" Hafiz, the former mayor of Maldon and owner of Maldon Spice. Jhual feels it is more important to support local business generally than it is to just support his own.

He told Nub News: "More business means more people coming to the town, and that means more local people getting employed and more money circulating in Maldon.

"It's about what's best for the town – not just his pocket or my pocket."

Recently, Sami and Jhual collaborated on a campaign to support victims of record-breaking floods in Bangladesh. Together, they have raised over £9,000 and helped to rebuild 239 homes.