THE future of eating out has arrived in a Kent city with Bytes – the UK’s first computer-controlled bar cafe.

Situated in St Peter’s Street, Canterbury, it features touch-screen monitors on tables from which diners can choose their food and drinks.

They just press the screen, sit back, and wait for the staff to bring their orders to the table.

Manager Andrew Wharton said: "People love the idea. It eliminates the uncertainty and the time it can take to order food and drinks, plus you don’t have to worry about trying to catch the waiter’s eye."

Bytes is the brainchild of Mr Wharton and his business partners, Heath Clay and Natalie Thorne. They believe the concept could represent the future of the catering industry.

Each monitor contains a full menu, which allows customers to make choices on all aspects of their orders, including how they want their food cooked, or whether they want ice in drinks.

A running total also shows how much has been spent and on what items.

In addition, the monitors have games installed on them and will soon be hooked up to television channels.

Mr Wharton added: "The touch-screen monitors are very user-friendly, but we can just provide the usual waitress service if people feel they don’t want to use them.

"We are not aware of anywhere else doing this, except perhaps Japan, so this is a first for this country.

"We chose Canterbury for the first restaurant, but we are thinking of five or six."