With a number of new restaurants going after gourmet tastes, one restaurant which has been globally recognised for its prowess in this area is moving to establish a new niche for itself that goes against the high end trend.

La Coquille at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute will close on Sunday for a major revamp that will see it reinvent itself from the gourmet venue that it has been for the past eight years to one that brings back old-fashioned bistro type food in a relaxed atmosphere with a revamped lounge and a plan to serve food into the early hours.

?Everyone is upgrading lately. Everybody wants to be high end and everyone wants to put some form on their food. I did that and that is enough so we are going a little bit backwards,? said Serge Bottelli, executive chef and manager of La Coquille.

The revamp comes as a result of a number of factors not the least of which is to change the perception of La Coquille which will be renamed from a slightly out of town destination that most people plan to visit well in advance to one where people will feel comfortable dropping in at lunch, dinner or later hours with or without a reservation.

The move is also a good fit for parent company MEF since the more informal level of dining will fill a gap between the company?s family restaurant La Trattoria and the higher end restaurants such as Caf? Lido and Little Venice.

?Bistro food is straightforward food without too much fluff. No frou-frou. It is straight good food, steak, home made French fries, mussels, not too much preparation,? said Mr. Bottellli who adds that the change also comes in recognition of a new professional demographic in Bermuda and expense accounts that are not as big as they used to be.

?It is the trend of what the young executive wants. They are not as flamboyant as the CEO of a company who is now 55 or 60 years old who will go and have a full meal and champagne and a bottle of wine.

?Now you can sit next to somebody anywhere in town or the world and the gentleman might have a burger, a diet coke, French fires and he has a portfolio of $50 million sitting next to him.? said Mr. Bottelli.

The new bistro restaurant will not see any actual construction although the lounge and restaurant area will be completely redecorated in a less conservative style. This will suit the target market of ?contemporary sophisticates? young professional aged 25 to 35 who have disposable income and want somewhere to go other than what is available in Bermuda.

The bistro will also do as the French do and offer the same menu for lunch and dinner as well as options to choose smaller cuts of meat for those who wish to eat less. While the restaurant will still carry bottles of wine in the $200-300, bottles in the lower priced margin will be the norm.

The lounge will also receive more emphasis with a plan to attract a happy hour and later hour crowds with its food menu as well as drinks that are a ?little bit out of the ordinary.?

?The idea is you can have a full meal here sitting down the way we are. It is a meeting place on East Broadway. That is the idea to have. We are not in town but we are in town,? Mr. Bottelli said. Montreal is his muse for the new concept.

?I love Montreal and the idea is that after a certain hour of the night the music starts to change to a different beat and they have a lot of people at the bar and people dancing but without a dance floor,? he said. ?I want you to finish your work at 5, come over here, have a few cocktails and then when you fell like having dinner you can move to the table or I can serve you small plates (of tapas),?

The bistro, which will also offer takeout service, will open towards the end of this month.