Sustainable York bistro Fish & Forest reopens next week in new, bigger premises, having moved from its original address on Micklegate. Founder Stephen Andrews has taken over the ground floor of the former 1331 Bar and Grill in nearby Grape Lane, which was run by his parents.

A self-taught chef, Stephen launched Fish & Forest as a pop-up in 2018, moving into Micklegate two years later. The outfit is highly rated in the 2024 Harden’s guide, notably for its “fresh and excellent fish“.

The new premises features a bar area, communal table and courtyard, while artist Dan Cimmermann has painted one of the walls with a giant mackerel. His work will also be on sale.

Stephen said the menu will be expanded with new starters, to offer diners more choice: “While I have loved our time at Micklegate, the new premises will allow me and the team to push ourselves to the next level and be bolder in what we do.

“We’ll still be serving seasonal and sustainable fish, predominately from UK waters, game from local estates and forest foods. We haven’t changed our concept, just enhanced our offering.

“Everything we serve will be 100% prepared and made by us, cured in-house and butchered in-house. I am honing in on sustainability, where the fish comes from, what meat we are getting.

“At Fish & Forest’s core is high-quality food that is reasonably priced. It’s why we offer an a la carte menu – and you don’t usually see this level of quality unless it’s a tasting menu, but they are out of reach for a lot of people. We want our guests to experience something special, but without breaking the bank.”