A NEW restaurant in York is preparing for a 'soft opening' tomorrow - after overcoming a vandalism setback in December.

Yemen Heaven, set up by Mona Al Maflehi and her family, will open in Walmgate at 10am tomorrow - in the former premises of The Spread Eagle pub.

The restaurant was due to open in December, but this was sadly put on hold after tens of thousands of pounds of damage was done during a vandalism incident, leading to a fundraising campaign to help the "devastated" family.

During the incident, there was extensive damage, water damage, radiators were punctured, wallpaper was ripped off the walls, paint splattered on the walls, furniture broken and equipment broken. The roof at the back was also damaged.

But, the fundraising page managed to raise more than £21,000 to help the family repair the damages. Family friend and business partner Rob Foxon said the help was “magnificent” and they did not expect so much.

Now, the family has announced that Yemen Heaven will open tomorrow at 10am.

They shared this on Twitter: "Due to issues cause by the vandalism that are yet to be resolved, we have opted for a soft opening.

"We look forward to welcoming you and treating you and your family to a unique experience with our special Yemeni menu."

Mona, who is from Yemen and has lived in York since 2017, previously had a restaurant by the Watergate Inn. Then, she opened the Yemeni Heaven in Holgate Road. It closed due to Covid, leading to this new venture in Walmgate.