Now called The Charles Boutique Hotel and Dining, the fine-dining destination closed its doors in June, with the new-look restaurant to reopen with a new chef at the helm, and a few changes in store.

The restaurant's closure came on the tail of its former head chef departing for Knights Cafe and the sudden resurgence of coronavirus in the state in June.

General manager Jamie Pascoe said while he had long planned to give the restaurant a makeover, the worsening COVID outbreak in Sydney gave him a push into doing it this year.

"I did think that we were going to go into full lockdown and on that Saturday they announced the new restrictions and masks and I thought 'no one is going to dine'," he said. "I thought I would take time to reset. We had this strategic plan for a while and I saw a gap and thought this was the time."

During the closure, the restaurant has been redecorated, with a big focus on natural light and a brand new outdoor area for the warmer months.

"Downstairs we've created the courtyard, where before and after dinner you can relax with a cocktail," Mr Pascoe said. "It will open up in September and go right through to May."

A new drinks and wine menu will have a hyper-local focus, with the restaurant aiming to source the majority of its products from local breweries, distilleries and wineries, while for the menu, the restaurant has secured the talents of Wagga chef David Obudzinski.

Formerly the head chef at The Union Club Hotel, Mr Obudzinski trained at hatted Melbourne restaurant PM24, and worked in various fine-dining restaurants across metro areas before returning home to Wagga.

He is hoping to turn the combined accommodation and dining venue into a destination for visitors to the region by producing an almost entirely locally-sourced menu.

"Moving back to Wagga I always had my sights on a fine-dining restaurant [as] that's my training," he said. "When Jamie and I got in touch it was too good an opportunity to pass up, so here I am."

Mr Obudzinski said his aim is to see Wagga take its place as a foodie destination, by drawing on the "food bowl" that is the Riverina, with Mr Pascoe claiming none of their main ingredients "come from further than 150 or 200km away".

"The biggest thing that I focus on is the region, sourcing everything locally," Mr Obudzinski said. "Refining the service style, the food, and promoting Wagga Wagga as a food destination."

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