On our summer visit to Hull, we’d sat outside “The Minerva”:http://minerva-hull.co.uk/index.html on the banks of the River Humber enjoying the sunshine and a glass of wine. We’d seen people eating in the bar and decided to book for our first night on a December evening. Although I sent an email to make a reservation as advised on the website, I didn’t get a reply and so rang and was told it was better to phone.
We arrived at 7.30pm on a Tuesday and the bar was buzzing. The booking was found, so we ordered drinks and were shown to a table in a quiet area of the bar next to the fireplace and Christmas tree.
I’d already checked out the “menu”:http://minerva-hull.co.uk/menu.html and decided what I was going to eat: if you’re in Hull (and from the East Riding) it’s got to be fish and chips, although my partner opted for the slightly healthier fish pie. Both were generous portions and my fish was to die for: crisp, golden batter enveloping succulent, skinless haddock. The chips and mushy peas were equally delicious and the tartare sauce chunky. The fish pie, with haddock and prawns, was topped with fluffy mashed potato and accompanied by al dente broccoli and a slice of bread and butter. All we really needed was a pot of tea, but we had a bottle of wine, Santa Helena Sauvignon Blanc, instead. The meals were priced at £8.95 and with wine, the bill came to £33 which we thought was very reasonable.