This is the new bar which has just opened in York city centre.
It is on Piccadilly, just opposite Spark:York – although it has a very different vibe.
The Hampton by Hilton Hotel café bar is welcoming diners and drinkers now, ahead of the official opening of the hotel later this month.
The light and spacious ground floor bar at the Hampton is part of wider plans to revitalise Piccadilly as part of City of York Council’s Castle Gateway redevelopment project.
Set next to a widened pavement to increase footfall, the café bar “reflects the area’s hip, modern vibe but is also comfortable, welcoming and family-friendly”, a spokesperson said.
It has a large elevated outside terrace overlooking the River Foss and Clifford’s Tower beyond. Inside are cosy hubs for friends to meet, plus bigger tables and workstations for out-of-office gatherings.
The bar offers hot drinks and snacks, plus wines, spirits including local York Gin, and beers from the Black Sheep Brewery. Meals on the menu include fish finger sandwiches, burgers, a curry of the day, plus a separate kids’ menu.
Inject new life
Ravi Majithia, director of Avantis Hotels, which has developed and will operate the Hampton by Hilton, said: “We want this café bar to inject new life into Piccadilly by providing an inviting place to stop off while shopping or sightseeing, to relax with the family, meet colleagues or to have a few drinks or a meal in the evening.”
“We’ve taken the time to think about what people really want from a café bar, providing workstations equipped with charging points, so battery power’s never an issue during those Teams meetings, as well as cosy seating and some quirky, attractive lighting.
“The open plan layout’s been carefully designed to accommodate a host of uses throughout the day; from banquette seating for smaller intimate groups to enjoy drinks, to long chaise-type seating for guest to lounge and relax. We think the resulting bar has a sense of intimacy and buzz not all hotel bars can offer.”
The 143-room hotel’s decor includes unique artwork featuring the history of York and its people, with accompanying explanatory texts.
“We want the café bar to encourage hotel guests and visitors to stay a little longer, play a little longer and generally relax and enjoy themselves,” said Mr Majithia.
Fifty new jobs, all recruited locally, have been created to operate the Hampton by Hilton Piccadilly, which is now taking bookings and will officially open on 25th May.