A NEW tapas bar is all set to reopen in York when lockdown restrictions ease this week.

Trio mezze and tapas bar initially opened in mid September in Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate - the shortest street in York, between Colliergate and Pavement in a former hairdressers, but had to close just weeks later when the second national coronavirus lockdown was announced.

The building was previously occupied by Mali Unisex Hair Salon, which has moved several doors along Colliergate into new premises opposite Barnitts.

One of the bar’s two owners, Taylan Ozer, who also runs Slice of Heaven takeaway in Burton Stone Lane, in Clifton, said Murat Bozok - who is on Turkish Masterchef and has worked with the likes of Gordon Ramsay, designed the menu which includes the likes of arancini balls, olive tapanade bruschettas and garlic shrimp.

Mr Ozer said: “The menu brings together tapas and mezze dished from Turkey, Greece and Spain. Murat Bozok who does Masterchef in Turkey and has worked with Gordon Ramsay in London designed the menu, so no one else has this menu anywhere else in the UK.

“We don’t use frozen food, everything is fresh and locally sourced using the best local produce.”

Mr Ozer said he hopes the bar will be able to do about 40 covers and they will be open from Wednesday (December 2) this week from 12 noon-11pm seven days a week.

Mr Ozer’s co-owner, Mehmet Simsek, already runs Trio Patisserie next door at 3, Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate, and they have been planning their new venture for several years with an initial plan to open in the Spring which was thwarted by the first lockdown.

To book call Trio on 01904 651868 or click here.