ONE of York’s most anticipated restaurants is getting closer to opening in York city centre.

Monday, 14 July 2025 13:35

By Alice Kavanagh

Giggling Squid, a popular Thai chain, is starting to take shape with decorators inside the building on Sunday (July 13).

The group, which now has more than 50 restaurants across the UK, put in a bid to take over the former Banks Music Room shop in Lendal last February and has been advertising its opening on Instagram for the past few weeks.

They are known for their ‘Instagrammable’ interiors including pastel floral wallpaper, frames decorated with flowers, and intricately tiled floors – things that look like they may be implemented in the York location.

Whilst there still appears to be work to do, the walls of the building have been covered in blue floral wallpaper and the floor at each entrance of the shop has been tiled with a pink, white, and brown pattern.

Founded by husband and wife Andy and Pranee Laurillard, the Giggling Squid website says that the couple ‘wanted to bring the buzz of Thai mealtimes to the UK’.

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