Iranian entrepreneur Robert Tchenguiz and Icelandic bank Kaupthing made a 188 pence-a-share bid on Thursday for Spanish restaurant chain La Tasca. The offer values La Tasca, the largest UK group of Spanish restaurants, at £98.6 mln (EUR 145 mln), £2.6 mln more than the £96m bid agreed Wednesday by the company's board with Café Rouge and Bella Pasta operator Tragus Holdings.

Iranian entrepreneur Robert Tchenguiz and Icelandic bank Kaupthing made a 188 pence-a-share bid on Thursday for Spanish restaurant chain La Tasca. The offer values La Tasca, the largest UK group of Spanish restaurants, at £98.6 mln (EUR 145 mln), £2.6 mln more than the £96m bid agreed Wednesday by the company's board with Café Rouge and Bella Pasta operator Tragus Holdings.

'This changes things a little. We'll obviously sit down and have a look at the new bid. It shows the appetite for the business and our sector', said La Tasca's ceo James Horler. Tchenguiz said he believed the 188p a share offer was an 'excellent opportunity' for La Tasca shareholders. Private equity-backed Tragus stated that it was seeking a meeting with La Tasca's chairman John Barnes to gain a recommendation.