Bangladeshi restaurant to open at former Harvilles site in Fossgate, York (From York Press)

Bangladeshi restaurant to open at former Harvilles site in Fossgate, York

8:08am Friday 19th March 2010 in

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A TASTE of the sub-continent is coming to York’s “best foodie street” with the opening of a Bangladeshi restaurant.

Mumbai Lounge is to open in Fossgate in the premises left vacant by the closure of Harvilles.

Restaurateur Rokib Ali, 40, of Bradford, promised that it would offer something a little different from the standard curry menus.

Mr Ali, who is married with two daughters, said: “It’s a good site and I want it to be a really upmarket restaurant. The menus will be limited and there will be more home-style food.”

He said that wherever possible dishes will be cooked at customers’ tables and the restaurant will have silver service.

The building is currently undergoing an expensive refit, although Mr Ali declined to say how much it was costing.

But he said: “It’s going to be modern with an ethnic touch.”

Mumbai Lounge will also have a separate wine bar where people can just have a drink, and a private room downstairs for parties.

The venue is due to reopen on Monday April 12.

The new restaurant will add to the already diverse eateries in Fossgate and Walmgate, where people can dine on Italian, Argentinean, Thai, Polish, Chinese and British food before browsing in one of the delicatessens. Fossgate came third in the national Google Street View Awards to find the Best Foodie Street.

Harvilles, the popular art deco themed restaurant, closed suddenly last week resulting in the loss of 20 jobs. The closure came within a week of the closure of the Lamb & Lion Inn, in High Petergate. Both businesses were owned by Chris and Emma Watkins, who cited the closure of the Lamb & Lion as a major factor in the demise of Harvilles.