A RESTAURANT owner is celebrating after his newly refurbished restaurant was awarded five stars for food hygiene.

In the last month Rahim Khani, 54, has spent more than £150,000 doing up his Italian style restaurant, Orsino, in Church Road, Hove.

On December 3, he was visited by a Brighton and Hove City Council environmental health officer who changed the newly refurbished restaurant’s hygiene rating from a one to a five – the highest restaurateurs can reach.

Mr Khani said: “I am thrilled we have our five star. It is what we are. The last rating taken in 2016 came as a bit of a shock, but I am glad we are back on the level we have always been recognised as by our customers.

“We have completely re-done the floor, the kitchen and the toilets. Part of the floor is fresh American oak and we now have a formal, quieter dining area, a more casual space for eating and a bar with seating if you just want a drink.”

Mr Khani, originally from Iran, studied at Brighton University. He opened Orsino in 1992, opposite his brother’s restaurant, Otello.

He said: “I have the same chefs, Kevin Ghordd and Giovani Napolitan who have been with me for about 30 years, and we always have great feedback on our food and service. I spent a lot of money on this place because I take pride in making it the best it can be. I look forward to welcoming more people through the doors to experience our family owned Italian restaurant where we have a bit of everything for everyone.”

A council spokesman said: “We are very pleased with the improvements the restaurant has made. It has come a long way from being one star for its hygiene to now being five star.”