Birmingham's popular Metro Bar and Grill will relaunch next year as a pan-Asian restaurant, the Post can reveal.

The Cornwall Street venue, a firm favourite for city businesspeople, will be renamed Zen at Metro following a £500,000 refurbishment.

It follows a takeover by Paul Bassi's Brandasia Group, which also owns Indian restaurant Asha's, earlier this year.

Mr Bassi told the Post that Metro would continue to cater for business folk in the day, offering a similar menu, but at night would become a quality pan-Asian offer.

The bar will close for a month in the new year for a comprehensive fit-out to take place.

Mr Bassi said: "We accept the bar needs a complete fit-out but it would be commercially suicidal to do that during the busiest period.

"In January, it will shut for a month and reopen again as Zen at Metro. Metro is probably Birmingham's most iconic business bar. It is where deals have really been done over the last 20 years.

"But, as the economy stalled and deals weren't getting done, the bar lost a bit of its importance.

"Well, people are certainly doing deals again - I have been doing business in Birmingham for 30 years and I have never known such a vibrant economy. Now, Birmingham needs its iconic bar back."

Mr Bassi, who is also chief executive of property firm Real Estate Investors, said after investigating the market it became clear Birmingham lacked a quality pan-Asian option.

Restaurants like Nobu and Zuma have become popular in London but there is not presently an equivalent in the second city.

He said recruitment, including bringing in new chefs, had already begun under former Asha's manager Jaimon George who is a director of the new operation.

Mr Bassi admitted after years of securing deals in Metro it had become a passion to keep it going.

He said: "It is a labour of love. I would like to keep Metro going. Birmingham needs an independent,iconic, business bar. All the others are chains and they will come and go.

"We want Zen at Metro to be here in another 20 years. It will need a fit-out or two but we want Birmingham to have something like this."

Zen at Metro will open in early 2016.