A new café has opened in York promising the best coffee on foods inspired by generations of Italian heritage.
Massarellas opened in Feasegate earlier this week, adding to the city’s burgeoning café scene and something of a renaissance of Feasegate.
Masserella’s head of marketing Daniela Massarella told the Press: “We’re passionate about great Italian food and coffee, made with only the best ingredients, whether it’s your morning coffee, a leisurely brunch or lunch.
“York is our 8th Caffe Massarella store with other nearest stores located in Harrogate and Meadowhall.
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Daniel explained: “More than 150 years ago Giovanni Massarella and his brothers left the small town of Settefrati in central Italy.
“They couldn’t have imagined that their journey—originally bound for a new life—would lead them to England, where five generations later, the Massarella family still proudly upholds the values they brought with them: a deep love for food, family, and the land it comes from.
The cafe exterior (Image: Darren Greenwood)
“The family used to produce ice cream many years ago but is not something we do at the moment.”
The opening marks a return to York for Massarellas.
Daniel continued: “York is a fantastic city and we used to have a Coffee Shop (Ori Caffe) within John Lewis in York until it closed in 2021, so since then we have been looking for a suitable location in the city centre.
“The city’s unique blend of history, tourism, and a strong local economy was the ideal location for an independent family business like ours.”
As to the offering, she said: “We have a strong family heritage and focus on traditional Italian classics alongside modern café favourites so hopefully we have a wide appeal.
“We carefully source fresh, high-quality ingredients, often from artisan producers, to reflect our family’s tradition of using good quality simple ingredients.
The interior (Image: Darren Greenwood)
“Our coffee is our own blend and all our breads are made by Yorkshire bakery ‘Bakeri Baltzersen’.
And the location, Daniela continued: “We were looking for a small, yet historic street that was close enough to the hussle and bustle but somewhere that could provide a relaxing location for our customers.”
She added: “We only opened two days ago so very early days, yet but we have had a lot of interest especially from locals and some great feedback on the design, food and friendly team.”
“We do offer takeaways and also have a few dog friendly tables inside. We have just set up an Instagram page if anyone would like to give us a follow @caffemassarellayork.”
Dining and Cooking