A NEW café bar has opened in York city-centre.

The Fossgate Social, at 25 Fossgate, promises to be a haven for coffee drinkers by day and beer aficionados by night.

The old Chico’s Café has been restored by sister-and-brother duo Sarah and Michael Lakin, who have given it a chic, urban look, including a bar and furnishings made up of salvaged scaffolding boards.

On the bar, drinkers can choose from Brooklyn Lager, Camden Pale, a rotating beer from Thornbridge and Aspall’s Cider, all of which will be served in schooners (two-thirds of a pint). Breweries represented in the bottle will include Timmerman’s, Anchor and Goose Island.

It is not the sort of place you will go for a huge drinking session, Sarah is at pains to point out. Instead, quality products in small quantities are the aim.

They seek to emulate bars such as The House of The Trembling Madness and Sotano, and are proudly independent. Tapas-style light bites, using local produce, will be available to accompany the drinks.

Those after something non-alcoholic will be able to enjoy the output from North Star coffee roasters in Leeds, courtesy of a fine piece of Italian machinery behind the bar.

Sarah and Michael have completed their cellarship training to ensure the beer is well handled, and have created around eight jobs in the process of their renovation. Once it has found its feet, we’ll come back for a fuller look.

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