'We haven’t reached our full potential': The Whitehall on the future after years behind scaffolding
The Whitehall has long been described as a “hidden gem” - and not always by choice
For almost three of its seven years in business, The Whitehall Restaurant & Bar at West Point has been literally hidden behind scaffolding, its 50-seat wraparound terrace swallowed by a building site just as it emerged from the pandemic.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, owner Fatjon Muca recalls the moment he realised how serious it would be.
“We opened in June 2019, operated for nine months, and then the pandemic came,” he said. “We reopened after that, and then in 2023, the scaffolding came.”
Muca and neighbouring businesses between Wellington Street and Whitehall Road were initially told the scaffolding would last a year. Instead, they were rendered nearly invisible for far longer.
For a business that relies heavily on outdoor space, those three lost summers were critical.
“We were fully covered. Nobody could see us. We tried social media, tried to stay on our feet. And luckily, we did. We kept powering through,” Muca said.
The scaffolding finally came down in August last year. This is their first full year trading with the building fully visible, and Muca calls it “a fresh start”.
“Hopefully we get a good summer,” he said. “But it’s not just the weather - it’s people being able to see us, not a building site. Nobody wants to dine and look at that.”
Inside, The Whitehall is marking the new chapter with a refreshed menu, building on its word-of-mouth reputation.
“Our reviews are very strong for food and service - they match, in my opinion,” Muca said. “We’ve always worked with fresh ingredients and try to cater for everybody.”
The à la carte menu is rooted in modern British favourites - raw dishes, an expansive grill selection including tomahawk, porterhouse and chateaubriand, plus salads, pizzas and pasta.
Meat is sourced from Sykes House Farm in North Yorkshire, which Muca calls “the best you can source in Yorkshire”.
“We’ve always had seasonal menus and daily specials,” he said. “We change ingredients with the seasons. In spring and summer, we keep meals fresh to suit the weather.”
Sundays, however, are where The Whitehall has made its name.
“How wrong could I have been?” Muca said, recalling early plans to close on Sundays. “Many days, Sunday beats Saturday on takings.”
The Sunday menu ranges from chicken, beef and pork porchetta to beef Wellington, 12-hour slow-cooked short rib and sharing platters.
“We don’t scrimp on quality,” he said. “Our motto is: buy the best, employ the best and deliver the best. If you don’t buy the best ingredients, the chef is not a magician.”
That focus extends to the business itself. Despite pressure to expand, Muca has chosen to concentrate on one site.
“Lots of people say, ‘Are you going to open another one?’ I’m like, no,” he said. “I want to make sure this one runs well. Keeping your passion focused in one place - that’s why we keep paying the bills.”
As the restaurant finally emerges from years of literal and figurative cover, Muca believes there is more to come.
“We still haven’t reached our full potential,” he said. “For now, it’s about giving this our full love and care, and achieving what we dreamed of when we first opened.”