FANS of a former Italian restaurant in York will soon be invited back to feast on steaks as new owners prepare to launch a fresh dining experience.

Work is underway to re-fit the former Jamie’s Italian ready for the opening of a new Tomahawk Steakhouse in April.

The new restaurant, off St Helen’s Square, will also include cocktail and champagne bars.

Tomahawk has seven restaurants in the region, including the Husthwaite Hotel & Steakhouse in Husthwaite, North Yorkshire. The company is also planning to open a steak restaurant and cocktail bar in Flemingate, Beverley in mid-March, while another outlet is planned for Harrogate, although the location has not yet been made public.

The Tomahawk menu promises ‘the finest Himalayan salt dry-aged steaks, Wagyu and other great local meat, fish and vegetarian dishes’. It also caters for children, gluten-free diners, vegans and vegetarians, with a range of Sunday roasts from £13.95.

Dishes are likely to include pork riblets, smothered in a Jack Daniels BBQ sauce or crab and lobster spring rolls with guacamole, smashed avocado and cucumber salad, sun-blushed tomatoes and pico de gallo salsa.

From the extensive steak menu, the signature Tomahawk 36 - 38oz ribeye steak is said to be perfect for sharing, alongside the18oz Chateaubriand. These are both priced at £59.95 on the Tomahawk website.

Stretching the budget to £62.50 per person, the Ultimate Wagyu Sharing Board features 10oz Sirloin, 6oz Ribeye, 4oz Fillet, 8oz Rump, Slow cooked Lamb Croquettes, half Lobster and a choice of four sides and two sauces.

The York venue was previously home to Jamie’s Italian until the celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s restaurant empire collapsed in May 2019 with the loss of 1,000 jobs.

Jamie’s Italian’s former sites were sold off by administrators, with a number picked up by rival restaurant chains.