A new restaurant has opened in York's city centre.

Motto Sushi has taken over number five Feasegate, after the distinctive building's former custodians Patisserie Valerie moved on. 

The cake shop and café left York after a troubled few years, which saw the company enter administration.

Now, as of Monday (November 18), the building has a new look - as a sushi restaurant.

The former Patisserie Valerie in Feasegate (Image: Newsquest) Speaking in the newly refurbished 2,000 square foot site, owner Michelle Ma described her journey from Inner Mongolia in China to York's high street.

"Before I came here I had a business in China," she said.

"I then went to Japan to learn how to make sushi and then I started going to lots of countries in Europe.

"Over five years, I went 66 times, after some time I chose to come to England. I had to close my shop because of coronavirus, so I came here."

Motto Sushi, Feasegate (Image: Harry Booth) Michelle and her business partner Xianqi Lin are the restaurant's chefs, and they boast a large front-of-house team.

Michelle added: "York is fun, it's very good. I like traditional cities, I don't like the big buildings, here there's history, things have been here for a long time.

"There's not too many sushi places in York. I believe I can make the best sushi here in York.

"Everything here is handmade by me or my partner here, so I believe we do a good job. If you want to try traditional Japanese sushi in York, come to Motto Sushi."

The entrance to Motto Sushi (Image: Harry Booth) Originally coming to York for her wife, whose studying for a PhD in the city, Michelle and her team are hopeful that Motto Sushi will become a hit.

Derived from the Japanese word for more, Michelle said that the name 'Motto' was chosen to symbolise the effort she and her team put into their food.

With more than 100 covers, Motto Sushi will be open from 11am-11pm, seven days a week. It will also serve alcohol.

For York, the new restaurant could spell the beginning of a revival for the street of Feasegate, which has seen several shops closed at any one time in close proximity.

It joins Howden Insurance - which has moved into the former BHS department store - as the latest addition to the street.