• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Hull
• Category: Food and Drink

Hull HU5 5BE

nboldock said
Excellent sandwich shop
Munchiz, luckily for me, is local to where I live so I have the good fortune to visit there fairly often. Sandwich shops are ten a penny in Hull (and everywhere else, come to that) but Munchiz is up there with the best of them.

It can get VERY busy (i.e. queues outside the door) especially on a weekend, and as such it can take a while to get served and fed, but it is worth the wait.

The food is not greasy, unlike many such establishments, as they only use spray oil on the hot plate and are sparing with it. The sausages taste meaty and the bacon is good and thick. Staff are very friendly and the shop has a selection of newspapers to read while you wait.

A "large" sandwich is just that and more - massive butties for less than £2 - just what you need on a Sunday morning. Yum.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Hull
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Hull HU3 6LD
01482 566228

nboldock said
Good local pub handy for the football
Halfway House is handily placed for the KC Stadium (only about 5 minutes walk) so naturally the best time to visit is either before or after a Hull City game. It doesn't get overly busy and service is quick and handled by friendly and capable bar staff and a dedicated landlord who has invested heavily in his pub. One of the big pulling points is the outdoor TV - the beer garden out back (where the smokers congregate, obviously) has a flat screen telly mounted a wall which is, I am told, waterproof! So you can watch the sport and enjoy the sun without missing anything.

Offerings at the bar are fairly usual, no guest beers or fancy continental beers, but prices are reasonable and the atmosphere is generally pleasant. There is a cheap pool table, dart boards, and an ENORMOUS television in the main bar.

Great pub for an after-match pint but also nice to drop in at other times. Nice to see a pub where the licensee will stop to talk to just about anyone. Recommended.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Hull
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Hull HU5 5BE

nboldock said
Lively local
The Hastings won't be to everyone's tastes but if you enjoy a good pint in a traditional(ish) local pub, it's well worth a visit. It can be a lively drinking hole, particularly when football is being shown on one of the many TVs in the main bar, but if a quieter drink is your thing, the lounge is free of tellies and music and is much more sedate. The staff are chatty and friendly and the landlord is also an amiable character who is always happy to chat with his customers.

It can be a little intimidating to non-regulars and one or two of the locals like nothing more than a good wind up (and if they don't know you, you're fair game) but get past this and the Hastings is a rewarding boozer - full of characters and good Yorkshire folk. There's a pool table and jukebox in the main bar and the usual pub goings on like quiz nights and DJs on a weekend.

The Hastings also does surprisingly good pub grub - you expect greasy spoon but you get decent nosh at reasonable prices. Give it a try and be pleasantly surprised.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Hull
• Category: Food and Drink

Hull HU3 4AA

nboldock said
Classy Indian food
I'm bemused by the previous review. I have been frequenting Golden Bengal for years now and can honestly say it is one of the best Indian takeaways in the area. All of the food is cooked from fresh, to order, so if you are ordering a delivery then be prepared to wait up to an hour because it can take a while. But, it is well worth the wait as this is Indian food of the highest quality. The beauty of having everything cooked from scratch is that they will happily tweak any dish to suit your tastes - if you want more heat, you can have it; if you want less spices, no problem. The staff are helpful and knowledgable and will help you choose a dish to your tastes if you so wish. The delivery guys are also very friendly.

Regular customers get occasional vouchers sent through the post, a genuine goodwill gesture (sometimes 10 or 20 per cent off!). Once when we had an item missing from our delivery (some chips), they immediately brought the missing grub and gave us some printed "Sorry Vouchers", which not only gave us a chuckle but gave us 20% off our next order.

A takeaway which not only delivers quality, but cares about its customers, Golden Bengal is excellent, authentic Indian food - and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Hull
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Hull HU5 3AG

nboldock said
Great bar, expensive food!
Zest has taken over where Pave left off (before Pave became an extension of the white shirt circuit) in providing a home for Hull's bohemian set who want to enjoy a pleasant drink in modern surroundings. A fine selection of bottled and draught beers is impressive - Becks Vier and Staropramen are just two of the continental tipples on offer - and they've an extensive range of malt whiskeys as well, for those with more refined tastes.

Live music is on offer from time to time and Zest is clearly a "cool" venue. There is a small but pleasant veranda at the front of the bar (perfect for the smokers) and the staff, both at the bar and on the door, are friendly and approachable.

The only issue with Zest is the cost of the food (available until late evening) - it is very, very expensive and frankly, you don't want to pay so much money for fancy tapas or burger and chips. Don't bother. Just stick with the liquid refreshments and you'll leave happy.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Hull
• Category: Restaurants

Hull HU5 4QD

nboldock said
Good cheap carvery
West Bulls is an extremely popular food pub and for good reason. It is very, very cheap for the carvery (from which you can choose any or all of beef, gammon or turkey) which is a part self-serve affair with plenty of veggies to choose from. The chefs are fairly generous with the meat portions and the Yorkshire puddings, then you help yourself to veg, gravy, sauces etc. There is nothing revolutionary here - if you've been to any carvery, you know the score - but with a plateful of food for less than a fiver you really cannot go wrong. It's good hearty fayre and I guarantee you won't leave still hungry! Bar prices are also reasonable and the staff are friendly and helpful. A good cheap, clean venue, well worth dropping in. You're likely to go back again.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Hull
• Category: Bars and Pubs

Hull HU5 4HF

nboldock said
Reasonable pub grub
Recently refurbished and relaunched, The National is now a major food pub. In its first stages, it seems to be a cut above many of the "pub restaurant" clones to be found all over Hull and indeed any other big city. A large menu is to be found here, with something for everyone, including the now compulsory "light bites" for those with a smaller appetite. The major thing here though, is the price. Prices are very, very cheap - and portions are very, very big! Main meals can be had for as little as £4, and even a hefty steak won't set you back any more than single figures. It is standard pub fayre on the whole - nothing too challenging - but the food is tasty and given the prices, fine value. Bar prices are also very competitive.

Service is sometimes a little slow and the bar staff don't always acknowledge you as soon as they should. This is annoying and should never happen in a pub of this size, but despite this the National is well worth a visit for a meal which certainly won't break the bank.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Hull
• Category: Nightlife

Hull HU5 2RU

nboldock said
The best music venue in the North?
The Adelphi club has been on the go for over 20 years and continues to promote established and new acts from Hull and beyond. The Adelphi plays host to rock music, indie, folk, reggae, soul, funk and everything in between. The legendary open mic nights which take place every Monday are free to attend and can swing from the sublime to the ridiculous, but are always worth checking out. Run since day one by local music guru Paul "Jacko" Jackson (his brother Jim is the sound tech), the Adelphi is a local treasure which has played host to innumerable bands which went on to greatness - The Stone Roses, Pulp, The Housemartins, Levellers, Inspiral Carpets and Franz Ferdinand, to name just a few. An intimate venue, the Adelphi (a converted end terrace house) holds only a few hundred people but is all the better for it.

The staff are friendly and the bar hosts several guest real ales on a rotating basis.

A wonderful venue, with no frills (at last time of visiting, the gents toilet had no walls on the only cubicle!) but an atmosphere which simply CANNOT be bettered, the Adelphi is a genuine institution and a fixture of the music scene not only in Hull, but in the UK as a whole.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Hull
• Category: Take Aways

Hull HU1 2JA

nboldock said
Classic chippy!
Bob Carvers is often the butt of jokes in the Hull area but the reason this traditional fish and chip shop has survived so many decades is because, quite simply, it's damn good. There is a sit-down restaurant upstairs where you can enjoy your cod from a plate, but Carvers is best enjoyed out of the paper whilst strolling the streets. Carvers patties are legendary, and whilst it's true that their chips are certainly not fat-free, this is traditional fish and chips at its best. They know how to do it and they never change. Nothing fancy, nothing pretentious - just good Yorkshire grub, served as it should be, without frills. Look it up if you're in the area - Carvers is the original and the best.

• Added: 1st of September 2008
• Area: Cottingham
• Category: Restaurants

Cottingham HU16 5SX

nboldock said
Upmarket hotel and restaurant
Lazaat's is a plush hotel and restaurant on the outskirts of Cottingham, near Hull. Food is modern Mediterranian and Asian and is of a very high quality. The level of service is what you would expect from a top-end restaurant - friendly, smiling waiters, only too keen to provide that extra special touch. Prices are quite expensive but not prohibitively so, and to be honest it is worth the expense. The menu is complimented by an extensive and impressive wine list.

Lazaat is also a hotel and has a number of small but well appointed rooms. Again, prices are not bottom end but are reasonable considering the quality of the accommodation.

The only downside is that Lazaat is quite remote, which can result in an expensive taxi ride for even the most local visitor!

Overall though, a great venue for a night out with that extra special touch. Recommended.