1884 Wine & Tapas Bar – Freedom Quay, Wellington Street West, Marina, HU1 2BE.
In the midst of Hull’s marina, 1884 Dock Street Kitchen sits above most restaurants in the pecking order, in the surrounding area.
Its classy décor and spectacularly modern, British food is the reason so many of Hull’s diners wait months for a chance to try their extensive Ala Carte menu.
However, their newly opened sister restaurant has given Hull’s Marina a little sprinkling of the Mediterranean.
After hearing raving reviews from a handful of people, I was desperate to go and see what all the fuss was about – however if 1884’s refined style was anything to go on, their menu was not going to be the typically rustic food that you would expect at your everyday tapas bar.
Still, this does not mean their food would not be a triumph, rather it would be a fusion of delicately stylish plates, with some added Mediterranean flair (or at least that what I had envisaged) and I was pretty much bang on.
Having eaten at El Toro’s down Princes Avenue, on more than one occasion, I was interested to see whether or not 1884 would compete with their extensive menu by matching the dishes, plate for plate.
This was not the case, (as I had expected) as the menu at a glance seemed slightly limited with a small selection of tapas, a choice of paella and meat skewers to choose from, the approach taken by 1884 Wine & Tapas was clearly quality over quantity and I myself am not one to argue with this philosophy…
I would sooner choose from a menu with only a handful of delicious dishes, rather than be stuck for choice over a wide range of sub-standard snacks – however, I could understand some people’s disappointment at this ‘smaller’ menu.
Aside from the food, the feel and atmosphere of the place is quite obviously stunning.
Like I said earlier, the reputation of the already established 1884 Kitchen is as stylish as you get in these parts if you ask me, and they have certainly injected this feel straight into their tapas bar.
The layout is intimate, yet spacious; with seating in the middle and fitted couches hugging the back wall opposite the bar. This is a perfectly thought-out structure that can accommodate a decent amount of diners in such a small place, considering this used to be a café.
Furthermore, the lighting is sultry, and the open-kitchen gives the floor a little sneak-preview of the kitchen’s lusciously fragrant, Spanish scent. Basically it oozes class and style, which is exactly what we’ve come to expect from the 1884 team.
WHAT TO EAT
Now like I stated earlier, the menu is hardly an extensive list of traditional Spanish dishes; however it is stunningly beautiful and really delivers in both style and taste.
The waiter very kindly, recommended two, to three dishes each (we opted for two) which was some sound advice, leaving just enough room for a desert.
But, this isn’t the typical bread, olives and oil to start with kind of place. This is fillet of beef, scallops in paprika and that sort of high-end thing. It is delicious, but not so authentically rustic.
After ordering for five, with a couple of bottles of wine, the plates came bit by bit. This seemed to be the best way to approach the meal, as the table was not the biggest for five hungry customers and we thought the empty plates would be cleared once they were wiped clean.
However, this did not happen. Yes, the plates came at a steady pace and came one after another, but this was a matter of minutes apart, meaning the table became slightly clustered and cramped.
The first few plates were; ‘Smoked paprika potatoes’ with a healthy dollop of Spanish aioli. This was followed by, ‘Calamari’ and ‘Tequila Prawns’ – all fantastic.
Each mouthful was an explosion of Mediterranean loveliness, without leaving a heavy, oily taste on the pallet. The batter coating the prawns was light and crispy and the calamari was coated in a subtle hint of paprika.
The ‘Fore Rib Beef’ and the ‘Scallops seared with mixed pea salad’ were next. Again, delicious – the beef was beyond tender; it literally melted away in your mouth and the scallops were cooked to perfection, accompanied by a fresh salad of peas, chickpeas and olive oil.
The rest of the meal was made up of the ‘Meatballs, with herbs and spices in a rich tomato sauce’ to finish off the tapas dishes. We then opted for the ‘Seafood Paella’ which was said to serve two and finally the ‘Chicken Skewer in a garlic and herb marinade’.
These last three didn’t quite live up to the high standards of the earlier mentioned dishes; however they were of course pleasant all the same.
The paella (in my opinion) lacked the warm, hearty feel of an authentic Spanish favourite, the chicken skewer was a little on the mundane side and the meatballs, well they were standard meatballs.
WHAT TO DRINK
Obviously being a wine bar, the selection of wine is as extensive as you’re going to find. The prices range from the affordable, to the higher-end prices shall we say. But all of the drinks on offer are extremely well chosen by the 1884 team.
We decided to go for sweeter sparkling champagne, to compliment the rich tasting dishes. This worked perfectly, and almost cleansed the pallet without being too sharp and still only cost £27 for a bottle, which was in fact one of the cheaper bottles on offer (number two in their sparkling wine list).
OVERALL
As expected 1884 Wine and Tapas bar is already one of Hull’s most stylish and sophisticated eateries, however this time they have managed to encapsulate a lighter-side of the ‘fine-dining’ game.
The friendly, relaxed atmosphere paired with their refined menu gives diners a different tapas experience to that of El Toro, that has opted for a more traditional approach to their food.
Without overdoing the whole ‘sangria and a sombrero’ Spanish feel, 1884 have managed to retain their well-established reputation by simply playing down the whole ‘themed’ idea of foreign cuisine.
The layout and look of the bar is a mirror image of their Dock Street Kitchen and this continuation of class is a welcome edition to this type of eating experience.
The prices are at first slightly concerning considering this is (after all) a tapas bar, though on reflection they are completely justifiable, given the fact that out of myself and four others at our table, not one of us had a bad word to say.
The food was light, tasty and perfectly presented and the 1884 team were accommodating and insightful, without being too much.
For the above reasons, I believe that we can expect big things from Hull’s new premier wine and tapas bar.
I can safely say that I will most certainly be heading back for some more high-end tapas – just this time I will wait for the sun to shine, so I can take advantage of their sheltered tables out on the Marina front.
Images: @1884wtb
http://www.1884wineandtapasbar.co.uk/
01482 216306
Hullture Hub 