Best restaurants in Hull

Best restaurants in Hull at a glance

Pipe and Glass - Special occasions
Butler Whites - Special occasions
Thieving Harry’s - Casual dining, cheap eats, kid-friendly
Ambiente - Special occasions, cheap eats
Whites - Special occasions
Gusto da Gianni - Casual dining, cheap eats, kid-friendly
Roots Rum Shack & Kitchen - Casual dining, cheap eats

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 30-day-aged steak with ox tongue fritter, hollandaise and chips, roast guinea fowl with Jerusalem artichoke and pancetta, and rump of Yorkshire lamb with barley, eber and broad bean risotto. Mains from £23.50.

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Butler Whites
Special occasions

Situated in the city's historic Fruit Market, this offers 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 is the charred asparagus with crispy duck egg or the Tuscan mussels with wine, garlic and herbs. Mains from £18.

Thieving Harry’s
Casual dining, cheap eats, kid-friendly

Located in a cleverly converted former shipping merchant’s office in the Fruit Market, Thieving Harry's offers a short menu of burgers, sandwiches and breakfast offerings. It’s all mighty tasty and available with great coffee or intriguing beers. Probably the coolest place to eat in the city, with the best views over the marina. Burgers from £11.

Ambiente
Special occasions, cheap eats

The fourth in a Yorkshire mini-chain, Ambiente offers 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. This is a good spot for a long lunch with lots of little dishes and sampler flights of sherry. Tapas from £4.50.

Whites
Special occasion

With just a handful of seats and no menu, Whites offers by far the best tasting menu within a 40-mile radius. Chef-patron John Robinson offers up a four- or nine-course tasting menu that changes daily, and you won’t know what you’re eating until it's delivered to the table. The spectacular food encompasses all cuisines and is exquisite and complex. Four-course menu (Wed-Thurs), £40; nine-course menu (Wed-Sat), £75.

Gusto da Gianni
Casual dining, cheap eats, kid-friendly

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 Redolfi trained – and the fish is particularly good. Nothing is complex here, but it’s all wonderful. Pizza from £12.95

Roots Rum Shack & Kitchen
Casual dining, cheap eats

Hull’s first Caribbean restaurant is also the best place to get ribs. It also offers a mean curry goat and spicy pasties, best washed down with a 'dark & stormy' cocktail. The place is 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 £10.50.

Foodie places to try

Dope Burger

The city’s best burger is served from a scruffy-looking unit next to the train station. You need to try the black & blue burger (featuring steak and treacle) with sweet potato fries.

Fish and chips

The original Hull street food, there are plenty of fish and chip shops to try around the city. Locals add chip spice to everything – it’s a Hull invention found on the counter of every single chippy.