It is hard to keep up with all the comings and goings on the restaurant scene.
Sadly, some old favourites have shut in the past 12 months – although their premises have not stayed empty for long.
Here is a look back at some of the restaurants and cafes we have loved and lost in 2023.
March
Source, Castlegate
This popular vegan eaterie closed just weeks after its owners Adam and Katie Lyons announced it was up for sale stating they were unable to run the business and sustain a “healthy family life”.
The restaurant had become a popular part of York’s eating out scene since it opened seven years ago.
In June, the site was taken over by fried chicken outlet Clucking Oinks, which had been operating out of Spark in Piccadilly, headed up by another husband and wife team Mike and Rachel Brand.
The Press popped in to review its menu and gave it a top review. Reporter Maxine Gordon said: “Have you ever tasted something so intensely delicious that you are lost for words?” referring to its chicken burgers.
Penny’s Bespoke Foodhouse, Walmgate
Penny’s, a family-owned business closed in March, so its owner could enjoy ‘new adventures.’
Indian eatery Masala Craft, which had closed last year at its site on King Street, moved in and opened up for business in the summer.
August
The Rattle Owl, Micklegate
Clarrie O’Callaghan opened her restaurant in Micklegate in 2013, helping redefine the street as a destination for serious good food.
Last year, the Micklegate favourite was named in the Michelin Guide and was visited by AA inspectors who awarded it two stars.
But it closed its doors in August with Clarrie selling the building to near neighbours and fellow restaurateurs Florencia Clifford and Hugo Hildyard of Partisan.The couple have since opened at the site, launching Brancusi in October.
Their kitchen is being headed up by James ‘Jim’ Gilroy, who previously worked for Partisan (and Bicis Y Mas in Walmgate before that) and now also runs the Food Circle market at Tang Hall Community Centre twice a week.
The menu features a mix of small plates and the restaurant has a bar licence, so people can pop in for a drink and enjoy a small bite to eat too.
October
The Wright Place, Walmgate
This venue has changed hands three times in the past year. Formerly Cave Du Cochon it became The Wright Place when married couple Lui and Steph Wright took it on in January.
The plan was to run it as a cafe by day selling coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and pastries and sourdough (all made in house by Lui).
By night, pizza and wine were on the menu – much in the style of the Cave du Cochon which closed in December 2022.
However The Wright Place closed on Saturday October 23 – but the two-storey building did not stay empty for long.
It was snapped up by Shiitakeya, the family-run take-away and eat-in, which first opened just a few doors down in Walmgate in 2019.
