INSIDER The top places to eat in Hull, 2017’s UK City of Culture

Hull is the UK City of Culture in 2017, which makes it a must-visit destination this year. From ine dining to excellent ish & chips, there’s plenty to discover

Pipe and Glass

Chef-patron James Mackenzie has taken a moribund village boozer and – using the best local ingredients and an imaginative approach to British classics – transformed it into a Michelin-starred pub. Dishes include braised crispy lamb shoulder, green lentil dhal, cardamom carrot & samphire bhaji, and fillet of English beef, ox tongue fritter, watercress Waldorf salad, pickled red onion, Béarnaise sauce & chips. Mains from £12. pipeandglass.co.uk SO

1884 Dock Street Kitchen

This has the feel of a NY steakhouse – big-boy steaks with no-nonsense chips. It also has a theatrical bent, so while the deliberately minimalist menu will leave you wondering how the nettle is utilised in their East Yorkshire rabbit terrine, Scotch quail egg, pickled baby vegetables, tarragon mayonnaise & nettle, the waiting sta! will deliver the answer with a practised flourish. Mains from £17; steaks from £29. 1884dockstreetkitchen.co.uk SO

Butler Whites

This is one of the key openings in the newly revived Fruit Market and o!ers good posh grub for less. The food is classic British with hints of the Med, but by the time you visit, the experimental chefs could just as easily have moved on to Japanese fusion. Recommended are quail Scotch eggs with pickled beets & prune jam, or chargrilled tender octopus with marinated black bean salad & avocado salsa. Mains from £15. butlerwhites.com SO

Thieving Harry’s

Located in a cleverly converted former shipping merchant’s o"ce in the Fruit Market, there’s a short menu of burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, a couple of salads and some breakfast o!erings. It’s all mighty tasty and available with great co!ee or intriguing beers. Probably the coolest place to eat in the city, with the best views over the marina. Burgers from £7. thievingharrys.co.uk CD, CE, KF

Ambiente

The fourth in a Yorkshire mini-chain, Ambiente o!ers traditional and imaginative tapas alongside a sensational wine and sherry cellar. It also has a Josper oven, which adds a smokily charred touch to dishes like bistec de arrachera (dry rubbed skirt of beef with BBQ roasted onions & chimichurri). A good place for a long lunch with lots of little dishes and sampler flights of sherry. Tapas from £1.95. ambiente-tapas.co.uk SO, CE

Whites

With just a handful of seats and no menu, chef-patron John Robinson o!ers by far the best tasting menu within a 40-mile radius. There is a choice of a four- or nine-course menu, and you don’t know what you’re eating until it is explained in intricate detail when it arrives at the table. The spectacular food encompasses all cuisines and is exquisite and complex. Do the nine-course taster for just £50 per head. whitesrestaurant.co.uk SO

No 6 Kitchenette

Despite the familiar bare bricks, basic tables, sharing boards and imported beers, this place has the distinct advantage of not only serving little dishes (like baked Capricorn cheese with pesto crouton), but also some of the best pizzas in town. If you’ve any sense, you’ll go for the Rubens, as it features pastrami, Dijon and crème fraîche, as well as the master stroke of cider-pickled red cabbage. Pizzas from £7.50. kitchenette6.co.uk CD, CE

Gusto da Gianni

The city’s best Italian features the usual classics, but the specials board is where the place really shines. The cuisine leans toward the north of Italy – where chef Gianpaul Rodolfi trained – and the fish is particularly good. If it’s available, have the pan-fried cod cheeks on braised lentils with a caper & parsley sauce. Nothing is complex here, but it’s all wonderful. Mains from £8.95. gustodagianni.co.uk CD, CE, KF

Roots

Hull’s first Caribbean restaurant is also the best place to get ribs. It o!ers a mean curry goat and spicy pasties as well – drink Dark & Stormy with them. It’s usually busy with a younger crowd attracted to the cocktails, so be prepared to feel a little crushed, but if you sit back and enjoy the music, you soon get into the atmosphere. Mains from £7.50. rootsbarhull.co.uk CD, CE

Kardomah94

Local businessman and cultural enthusiast Malcolm Scott has turned an empty citycentre o"ce block into an artistic haven, with rehearsal spaces, a theatre-cummusic venue and restaurant. The food is extraordinary: vast thin-crust pizzas, voluminous salads, and generous meat and cheese sharing boards. Pizzas from £9.50. kardomah94.com CD, CE, KF