Bistro dining with Spanish flavour

One of the newest restaurants on the Scarborough block is Licorella in York Place.

It was formally Lazenby’s and the branding and furniture will be familiar to those who dined at the French-influenced bistro.

It is still smart and modern, clean and fresh with the chef ’s work island visible to diners.

What has changed is the menu, which now has a distinctive Spanish flavour with tapas on offer: meatballs, patatas bravas – spicy potatoes – and pimientos de padron – grilled peppers – included.

Alongside the tapas is a British/French and European menu – extensive and interesting.

We have been at lunchtime and evening and both experiences were excellent – great food eaten in a relaxed atmosphere with professional attentive service.

The evening outing with friends Lynn and Jo was a quiet birthday celebration so the boat was pushed out with nothing off limits.

From a starter menu – which includes two soups and charcuterie – Lynn chose lightly fried crispy whitebait served with aioli, £7.95, and Jo chose Licorella scallops on a bed of mixed mushrooms topped with seafood reduction, £14.95.

Having had the crispy, melt-in-the-mouth calamari first time around, I chose mussels a la creme, £9.95, which comes with a hunk of crusty bread to mop up the sauce.

There is a great selection of choices from the main menu.

Steaks, pork, lamb, burgers, fish and chicken dishes are all available. They all come in various ways including Thai style and Mongolian.

Lynn tucked into roasted leg of lamb served in its own juices with baby potatoes and mint gravy, £21.95. She swapped the new potatoes for chips without any problem.

Jo opted for pan fried sole cooked in butter, lime, parsley and white wine sauce served with a roasted potato slice and fresh sautéed vegetables, £20.95.

I kept it simple and delicious – sirloin steak, medium rare, served with chips and vegetables.

Licorella also offers house specials. Included is a seafood platter – minimum two people – full lobster, mussels , grilled prawns, smoked salmon wrapped with caviar and tartare sauce, £59.95.

Also a house special is surf ‘n’ turf – sirloin steak served with half lobster and garnish, £44.95.

The Spanish theme is continued with one of the dishes being seafood paella – minimum two people – Spanish rice with calamari, squids, mussels, clams and king prawns, £18.95 per person.

Desserts are rich and varied. They include Licorella vanilla crème brûlée, £6.95, and frozen berries with frozen yoghurt and hot white chocolate sauce, £7.95.

Jo and I went for chocolate fondant – crispy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside – served hot with a cooling vanilla ice cream.

It is, alongside the brownie, Lynn’s choice, the ultimate indulgence.

All the food was perfectly presented and tasty with the portions on the generous side.

The restaurant offers lovely little touches – a Russian potato salad as an hors d’oeuvre and a lemon sorbet palate cleaner between the starter and the main course.

The name has changed but the ‘L’ branding is still in evidence – and the standard of service and food remains exemplary.

Licorella is a great addition to Scarborough’s eating-out offering.