The Hispanist

Following a quick shopping trip i decided to pay a visit to the hispanist. i should mention that this visit was entirely on the spur of the moment and i did not book before my visit. as you walk into paragon arcade, the restaurant offers a gentle distraction from the main street. i've always enjoyed paragon arcade for several reasons, nostalgia brings some good memories of walking through here and the hispanist is a very welcome addition to these. i peered tentatively through the window and saw the chefs in their whites, busy hustling and weaving between each other with the urgency that first service brings. if you've never worked in a kitchen before, you'd probably never notice the synchronicity of movement and sublime ballet that service on a busy night brings. that's passion for producing great food. i begin with appreciating this and the effort that goes into the prep work to make this menu happen. hannah one of the attentive foh members organised a seat for me at short notice and recommended some dishes for me to sample. throughout my meal, she was professionally pleasant and attentive and i felt valued as a customer. what i had.... chorizo ibÉrico: cured ibÉrico chorizo ferreros de morcilla: blood sausage | roast hazelnuts | black apple butter setas: wild mushrooms | rosemary | garlic | toasted sesame seeds | gremolata | jerusalem artichoke crisps each one of these dishes were absolutely amazing. the tastes were deliciously complex and exciting which made me say wow! quite a few times during my experience eating here. if you've never been here, please do pay it a visit. you'd be missing out on an unforgettable experience if you didn't. i'll definitely book and go back for a more in depth experience with this food.

What an experience. a first class service by our waiter wes, stunning decor and surroundings in the beautiful arcade. and the food! - each bite was packed with the most amazing flavours, using what you could tell were the best quality ingredients. 10/10, can’t wait to return and try more of the menu!

We were looking for a fairly quick bite to eat before a concert at the city hall and thought that a tapas restaurant next door would fit the bill. what we were not expecting was a culinary adventure with dishes that would grace a michelin starred establishment. as soon as the first dishes arrived – tomato toasts and iberico ham croquettes – we realised this was no run of the mill tapas bar. but these were quickly surpassed by the vegetable dishes of english asparagus with green tahini sauce, leeks with black garlic and a potato terrine to die for. but the pièce de resistance was the king prawn kiev, which was not only a work of art but also tasted divine. if we had one small criticism it was the pairing of this last dish with mango which we found too sweet and jarred with the garlic butter inside. our waiter was excellent – knowledgeable, attentive and very accommodating knowing the time constraints we were under. overall, a truly memorable experience and we left pleasantly full but regretting we didn’t have time to linger longer over chef nick’s exquisite creations.

Living in spain, i am very well acquainted with tapas. our meal at the hispanist last night takes tapas and elevates the dishes to extraordinarily high levels of taste, flavour combinations, presentation, elegance and sophistication. the service was very friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. this was a relaxed and wonderfull experience. i can honestly say that this was one of the best and most enjoyable meals that i have had, in a very long time ... thank you.... we will definitely return

You can't have an experience like this anywhere else in hull. each dish arrives as ready and was absolutely insane, you can tell they use good quality ingredients and the presentation only adds to the experience. so excited to see what additions have been made as they use a seasonal menu. the only disappointment from the night was that there wasn't a dessert on offer which would have been an excellent way to finish. overall, still one of the best places i've ever eaten.