HIT noodle chain Wagamama will be coming to Southampton as part of a £7m revamp of WestQuay shopping centre’s food quarter, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The popular eatery will be one of three new “exciting” restaurant brands opening at the extended food hall, bringing about 100 new jobs.

The Japanese style restaurant will be joined by Pizza Express and another, as yet unnamed, restaurant chain.

The food quarter will be renamed “Dining at WestQuay”

as the shopping centre attempts to reposition its fast food food offer as “casual dining”.

Wagamama will open above McDonald’s in the existing food court.

The mystery restaurant will open opposite and the two will be linked by a new bridged walkway.

The existing roof terrace will be extended and covered with a glass atrium, having views of Southampton Water with all-year- round seating.

Pizza Express will replace Druckers Vienna Patisserie.

The new restaurants are expected to open in early November.

They will sit alongside existing tenants, including Nandos, YO!

Suhsi, KFC, Harry Ramsden’s, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s. Costa Coffee is also being refurbished as part of the revamp.

WestQuay’s owners wanted to “expand” and “refresh” the eating and drinking opportunities at the 11-year-old shopping centre Hammerson said the revamp, which was , is aimed at making WestQuay “the best place to eat in Southampton”.

It is hoped the changes will bring a five to ten per cent increase in footfall from shoppers.

The new restaurants could become popular with people heading to the nearby Odeon cinema at Leisure World.

The revamp has been designed by the team behind the giant Westfield shopping centre in London.

WestQuay general manager Andy Collyer said: “The refurbishments to the food terrace will be a very welcome addition to WestQuay, giving our shoppers far greater choice when it comes to dining out in the centre.

The £474m WestQuay shopping complex is half-owned by GIC, an investment arm of the Singapore Government, following a cash-raising deal in 2007.

Opened in 2000, WestQuay now takes about £27m a year in rents from its shops such as department stores John Lewis and Marks & Spencer.