Residents have been left disappointed at the mystery closure of a plush Southend seafront restaurant.

Bourgee, in Eastern Esplanade, Southend, has been closed since Tuesday.

And a note on the door states it will be “closed until further notice”.

No reason has been given by the company for the restaurant’s sudden closure.

An automatic email response states the restaurant is “currently closed but will reopen shortly under new management”.

The restaurant, which also has branches in Southend Airport, Chelmsford and Bury St Edmunds, received a £100,000 grant from central government to open.

Customers who had future bookings have been told they are cancelled - with no indication of when they may rebook their planned visit.

And residents have reacted with shock to the news.

One resident, Laura Stearn contacted the Echo on Facebook to say: “I went there on Tuesday as had a table booked,there was a sign up on the door saying closed until further notice.

“A young lady came out and explained that they had received a phone call half a hour ago saying that they would be closed for a period of time. She was very polite bless her.

“Apparently they had been doing a lot of Groupon vouchers so I’m guessing business hasn’t been going very well. Shame as I’ve not eaten there before guess I won’t be now either.”

A statement on the restaurant’s Facebook page reads: “Please note our Southend venue is temporarily closed. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to those who have future bookings.

“In the meantime, our Chelmsford and Bury St Edmunds locations along with out Bites-Bar-Luxe Lounge at Southend Airport remain open and we look forward to welcoming you there.

“Of course, if you could like to book a table at one of these locations, please visit www.bourgee.com”

The company has been contacted for comment.

The Southend seafront restaurant was the first branch to open back in September 2014.

The £1 million steak and lobster restaurant was founded by entrepreneurs James Welling and Michelin-starred chef Mark Baumann.

It received a £100,000 grant from central government in order to open the first restaurant, which came from a fund intended to boost economic growth and jobs in the borough.