ExCITEMENT is once again building in the great drinking city of York as another watering hole is set to open this weekend. Kennedy's caf-bar joins the growing list of exciting, young and trendy bars that is earning the city the moniker 'the Notting Hill of the north'.

Nicely placed with entrances on both Stonegate and its younger sibling Little Stonegate, the bar is hoping to seize on the excitement growing in the caf-quarter.

Opening tomorrow, the bar will offer a range of drink and food designed primarily to attract the 'young professional'.

Drinks include Tetley's Smoothflow and Carlsberg through to wines and bottled products. Dishes range from the traditional - bangers 'n' mash and steak and ale pie - to the exotic: thai green curry and rib eye steak with red pepper provencale.

Supervising the whole caboodle is Karen Waugh, a familiar face to many York drinkers as she has been ensconced as manager at Harkers on St Helen's Square for more than five years.

Karen is looking forward to the challenge of running her own bar: no ties, no area managers, no once-every-five-years-refurbs and no asking for permission to speak to Bar Talk - just her and her customers.

"It is a great feeling to be able to make any decisions you want," said Karen, who named the bar after her four-year-old daughter, Kennedy.

"I am looking forward to running it the way I want and to be able to react to the needs and wishes of the customers as I see fit."

The bar has a beautifully chic and well designed interior, offering two floors of entertainment.

Downstairs is the non-smoking area which could well be used primarily as a restaurant, as well as the main bar.

Upstairs sees another bar and a conservatory and outdoor rooftop garden. The upper section will be open to the public, although may well be closed every so often for private parties.

The new bar, with behind-the-scenes help from the Roman Bath's Willy Leech, will see the employment of 28 full and part-time staff.

In a further boost to the York economy, city contractors undertook much of the conversion work.

Local handyman Steve Barrett has been working hard on the painting and decorating side while Sanderdale Builders have done great work too, according to Karen.

As the last minute preparations get underway Karen is looking forward to opening up to the public and offering York drinkers "something a little bit different".

u AS summer draws to a close, you might think there are few opportunities to sit in beer gardens in your shorts - but you are wrong, Bar Talk is alarmed to reveal.

On completion of a charity tennis match, there were at least two people clearly spotted in the beer garden of the Old Grey Mare, Clifton, with knees bared.

But they weren't cold. Why not? Because the boozer - which serves the most fantastic steaks Bar Talk has tasted for a while - is one of many to employ those amazing exterior heaters.

These crazy gas heaters can keep even the biggest of beer gardens warm in the depths of the winter.

Despite the September chill, the knobbly knees stayed warm, and even they were a good few feet away from the heaters.

However we must warn you - sitting too close to the heaters may result in a wicked tan.