RESTAURATEUR Clinton Pugh has revealed some eateries in Cowley Road are suffering from the ‘Westgate effect’.

Before the shopping centre opened in October city councillor Colin Cook warned that city centre restaurants would have to ‘up their game’ to compete with new establishments at the Westgate.

The new £440m shopping complex opened on October 24 and features about 20 new restaurants, including Lebanese diner Comptoir Libanais.

Some of the restaurants at the new complex are situated on a rooftop terrace, off a walkway providing extensive views of the city centre.

Mr Pugh, who runs Kazbah and Café Coco in Cowley Road, said it was difficult for restaurants in the road in East Oxford to compete with new dining establishments in the Westgate Centre.

He added: “The Westgate Centre is definitely having an adverse effect on restaurants in Cowley Road.

“With so many new restaurants in one place it is bound to have an effect.

“There are some good chain restaurants at Westgate but they are chains and I would urge people to think about who they are supporting – I would urge them to support independents.

“Café Coco is in its 26th year and Kazbah is 19 and we need customers to keep supporting us.

“There has been a drop in turnover over the past four weeks of about 20 per cent and I believe other restaurants in Cowley Road are experiencing the same thing.”

Mr Pugh, who ran the former Lemon Tree restaurant in Woodstock Road before he sold the building to St Edward’s School, said it was possible other factors were also coming into play.

He said: “It could be the winter blues, Brexit or the Westgate effect but takings are down and I would urge people to support their independents.

“All is fair in love, war and catering but it’s tough competition when so many Westgate restaurants are in one place.”

Tim Philips, manager of La Cucina in Cowley Road, which serves classic Mediterranean dishes, backed Mr Pugh's view.

He said: "We are still busy but there has been a noticeable Westgate effect, a slight reduction in trade.

"I think we can expect the effect to last for a little while until the buzz around the Westgate Centre goes – I'm sure business will start to pick up again in 2018."

Restaurants at the rooftop terrace include cocktail bar The Alchemist, Indian restaurant Cinnamon Kitchen, cafe chain The Breakfast Club, Pizza Pilgrims and Venetian restaurant Polpo, plus Sticks n’ Sushi.

There are also restaurants throughout the centre, including those at Westgate Social and at the new Curzon Cinema.

Film goers at the cinema are invited to use the cinema's cloakroom to store their shopping bags before enjoying a meal and seeing a movie.