A NEW restaurant has opened its doors in York city centre.

The Barbakan Polish restaurant in Walmgate has been shut since they moved out and in to new premises in Fossgate back in January, taking on the old Blue Bicycle to become The Blue Barbakan.

At the time Anna Witczak, who ran Barbakan in Walmgate for a decade before the move, hoped to see her old premises re-open as an ice cream parlour and patisserie called Two Cherries, but then along came the coronavirus pandemic, and her plans changed.

Now Anna is back and has opened a new restaurant called Bull and Co which specialises in steaks and burgers - what she terms ‘good quality fast food’.

She said the building has been undergoing an extensive renovation inside and out during lockdown and on Saturday, the restaurant, which under current restrictions holds 38 diners, was almost full.

She said: “I want to provide good quality fast food, because I think that’s really missing in York.

“I have a great relationship with fantastic local suppliers and I would like to thank Simon Baynes of Bishopthorpe who provide my fruit and vegetables as well as MK Butchers of Bishopthorpe Road who provide the meat and Haxby Bakehouse who provide our burger buns.

“It’s very important to me to support our local community, we all have to survive now.

We have had a good response since we opened, I really can’t complain. Saturday was absolutely perfect, we were almost full.”

Anna said wines at Bull and Co are provided by York Wines and beers by Pivovar.

The restaurant’s website http://www.bullandco.co.uk/ goes live in three days and in the meantime you can book by phone on 01904 848384.