A FORMER Exeter city centre restaurant site known down the years for a succession of eateries offering up-market dishes, fine wines and authentic Spanish tapas is on the verge of a new chapter.

A planning application has been lodged with the city council to turn 14 and 16 Mary Arches Street into nine rooms in a home for multiple occupation (HMO), with commercial units retained on the ground floor along with bin and bicycle storage.

Most recently the site has been occupied by a hairdresser and the Exe restaurant. It was formerly the Margoux restaurant and, before that, the Forn tapas bar.

The site, which was formerly the Mulberry Suite of the St Olaves Hotel, has been unoccupied since 2024.

The applicant, locally-based Belmoor Properties, says the proposal would have a neutral impact on its location, preserving the character of the surrounding conservation area. It would provide “an appropriate design that would assimilate with the surrounding townscape”.

The building was home to the Spanish restaurant Forn, which opened in 2014 and underwent a major revamp in 2018 before closing later that year.

As the Margoux Restaurant and Wine Bar it sought staff with “charisma and charm” and opened in 2020. Just two years later its success meant a relocation to Bedford Street, only for that expanded venue to close in June 2023 blaming the ongoing impact of the pandemic and high costs.

Most recently the Mary Arches Street restaurant was known as Exe, which became known for its upmarket menu which featured guinea fowl, venison and crab. It also hosted regular events and was available for private hire, including weddings.

It closed for good in August 2024 when its lease was put up for sale.