Arkadi Novikov, the Russian entrepreneur, has secured a site for his first restaurant outside of Russia in the heart of Mayfair, London.

Novikov plans to divide a 19,000 sq ft site at 50 Berkeley Street into two restaurant concepts, one specialising in Asian seafood and the other offering Mediterranean cuisine.

There will also be a Far Eastern themed bar under the same roof. All three concepts will operate under the Novikov Restaurant Group (NRG) brand.

The restaurant is scheduled to open for business in early 2011.

The Berkeley Street site had been vacant for the past three years after the previous leaseholder, restaurant group Hakkasan, chose not to proceed with plans to open a new restaurant on the premises.

Before Hakkasan entered into a new lease in 2006, the site previously housed the restaurant Café Grand Prix. Virtus Real Estate advised NRG on the lease acquisition.

Chef turned restaurateur Novikov founded NRG in 1992, opening his first restaurant in Moscow at a time when the up-market restaurant scene was in its infancy. Fifteen years later, the company had grown into a multi-million dollar restaurant empire with over 47 concept restaurants in and around Moscow showcasing 18 cuisines and employing over 14,000 members of staff.

The tycoon enjoys celebrity status in his native country, not least as a result of him hosting the Russian version of The Apprentice TV show, made popular by Alan Sugar in the UK.

The Berkeley Street restaurant, which has yet to be named, will be Novikov Restaurant Group's debut on the international restaurant scene, as the company looks to expand its brand into global markets.

Novikov said: "London is renowned for the diversity and quality of its restaurant culture, and is home to some of the best restaurants in the world.

"Also, as one of the great cosmopolitan cities, London was a natural choice as a location for our first restaurant outside of Russia. We are excited about bringing the Novikov experience to the UK and are confident we can bring a new dimension to the London restaurant scene."