A STALWART of York’s restaurant scene will leave the city next year - but is welcoming new occupants of his former venue.

Silvano Scanu,who first came to York in 1976 and has owned a number of restaurants in the city, has sold his Micklegate restaurant and plans to take himself overseas.

Silvano, originally from Sardinia, previously worked as a professional chef in hotels around Italy before coming to York, and said: “I love my job, for me it’s very important. The years I’ve been doing this, I know how to do it well, I’ve proved that to myself in York and Leeds, but I need a break.

“My young brother died earlier this year at the age of 45, and I haven’t had chance to grieve properly about that.

"A few years ago I lost my mum and this time I want to have a break and really look at myself and what’s going to make me happy. I’m a happy person, but I want a break - and I can always open another restaurant another time.”

Silvano said he was helping the owners of Vaqueiros, the Brazilian Rodizio restaurant which has taken over the Micklegate site.

He then plans to take some time off over Christmas, visit Spain in the new year, and is in talks with an international company to work in the Middle East in executive consulting roles at their hotel kitchens.

York Press:

Silvano said: “I’ve spent 40 years in York, so I’m going to keep my house and just try and see something different. I don’t want to just walk away.

“This type of restaurant is very fashionable now and I think the food is quite good, beautiful meat carved at the table, and I think they will do well. It’s a change and people will take time to get used to it, but it’s a beautiful restaurant and they produce nice food so I think they deserve a chance.”

York Press:

Richard Beal and Eduardo Caetano are partners in the new restaurant, and Richard also owns another restaurant in the city, now employing about 40 people.

Eduardo said: “We’ve already got quite a lot of bookings, Silvano’s got a very good clientele and when they phoned to book tables, he was recommending us to them and letting them know what we do.”

Richard said: “It’s a lovely location and I think Micklegate is really up and coming street again, with a lot of interesting things going on in the area, and it’s a vibrancy that we would like to add to.

“We were looking to open something completely new here, it’s a completely different way of presenting food and serving it. We’ve already had customers who’ve said it’s one of the best meals they’ve had in York.