A new cafe has opened in York that aims to be a ‘calm, tranquil’ haven in the city.
Oasis Café on Low Ousegate is the newest brunch spot in York, and will offer a tasty variety of sweet and savoury options.
It opened yesterday, transforming a building which stood empty for nearly five years, which was last occupied by Ebor Nails Beauty & Spa.
Dating from the 1830s, 13 Low Ousegate is Grade II listed. The building was repossessed by the landlords on 3 April 2020, weeks after the first Covid lockdown started.
Now it has a new breath of life, with a team ready to make it a part of the community in York.
Owner Idriss Abbaz is also the co-owner of Italian restaurant Enoteca on Bridge Street.
YorkMix chatted with Idriss to find out more.
“We saw a big uplift in modern independent brunch cafes that were doing really well all over York,” explained Idriss. “We felt like there was a place in the market for a new venture.
“We came up with the name of Oasis as we wanted to create somewhere that makes you feel like you are somewhere nice and warm and cosy.”
“We want to bring a calm, tranquil feel in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city,” added general manager Amy Phillips. “And good food and good company – that’s always a bonus!”
Idriss is keen for Oasis Cafe to become a part of the community. “It’s huge for me,” he said. “This is what I wanted for the cafe, because the restaurant is such an intense environment.
“But with the cafe you can do this. People can come in just for coffee, and they can become regulars – it becomes part of their day to day journey.”
Though the cafe opened yesterday (Sunday), it has already been “very, very busy – which is great. The feedback about the food and the feeling of the place is amazing – everybody likes it.”
The food on offer has something for every palate. Sweet treats include American-style pancakes (£8.45) with a variety of toppings to choose from, waffles (£9.50), French toast (£10), and Kunafa Pistachio Crepe (£10.45). Inspired by the viral ‘Dubai chocolate’, the crepe is filled with pistachio paste and Nutella.
Savoury options include salads, wraps, sandwiches, and traditional brunch options like a Full English, Eggs Benedict, and avocado on toast.
The drinks menu features a selection of hot and cold drinks, with coffee from £2. There are speciality coffees like a Matcha Latte (£4.50) and Tumeric Latte (£4.50), and smoothies such as Green Power (£5) and Tropical Boost (£5).
The cafe is currently open every day from 8am to 5pm, and 8am to 7pm on Saturdays. There are plans to extend the opening times in the future too, to give an option for people to go on an evening that doesn’t sell alcohol – “because of their religion, beliefs or culture.”
Oasis Cafe has created 19 jobs. “We are very hardworking people,” said Idriss. “Come on down and join us and let’s have fun – we need support as much as we can.”
To keep up to date with Oasis Cafe, visit their Instagram page here.
Gallery
