The Hispanist in Kingston upon Hull, City of

Heard about this place by word of mouth, although have walked past many times without realising it was a restaurant. Small shopfront area downstairs and the restaurant is located upstairs. Initial impact, very welcoming from staff and decor/ambience was spot on. Very pleasing on the eye with a warm, welcoming feel. The seating is broken up into small sections so it feels cosy no matter where you are seated. I was admittedly very hungry when I went in so was slightly apprehensive about it being tapas style. I ordered to share with my wife the following: Individually: sourdough bread with chicken skin butter and ham croquettes (excuse the very simple manner in which I have explained those and the equally simple manner I will undoubtedly explain the others). The bread was warm on arrival which meant the butter melted into it nicely. The ham croquettes were also cheesily delicious. I will note at this point that they bring the plates staggered over time to allow you to eat and digest. This can be challenging when you are very hungry but allows time to enjoy the food and the atmosphere and a couple of dishes in my stomach was tolerant of this. From the main menu (3 plates for £25), we ordered a prawn kyev, lamb and some potatoes as our three dishes. All three dishes were nothing less than outstanding, the lamb was incredibly soft and fell apart on my fork and even the potatoes were another level, I could easily have been happy just to order three plates of those. We will definitely return here at some point, although I think next time we will have an evening visit to enjoy a glass of wine with it (very good selection). I am not sure I would go as a family as we have a fussy eater and the menu is limited (although I am sure, even he would have enjoyed everything). You may ask why I have not given it five stars. That is me being pedantic, I never give full stars for anything as I believe you can always strive to improve. It should not be taken as a mark against the restaurant or the staff… both were excellent.

Highly recommend. We couldn’t fault any of the dishes we chose and the cocktails and wine were excellent. Highlights were the sourdough with chicken skin butter and the tempura broccoli but to be honest it was all very tasty. Small plate/sharing concept ideal for couples or with friends. And very close to the City Hall for a pre theatre meal. Will definitely return.

Visited for a lunchtime treat with my wife and what a treat it was! A friendly welcome followed by utterly delicious food. Would thoroughly recommend the sourdough with chicken skin butter, the prawn Kiev and the honey chilli chicken. Veg options and dessert were scrumptious too. Everything cooked to perfection. Very reasonably priced for the quality and quantity too - and the place has a lovely buzz. We sat in a seat looking out over the arcade which was great for people watching. A proper treat!

Absolutely delicious food and wine, thoroughly enjoyed our evening. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, highly recommended.

What a gem, food and wine incredible. Staff very helpful and knowledgeable.

Consistently delicious exciting menus and warm efficient service. Would recommend to anyone, a real gem in Hull

My husband and I really enjoyed the fantastic and inventive tapas at this fine dining tapas restaurant in the heart of Hull city centre. Although pricey, the quality and unusual food was very good. Our particular favourites were the crab doughnut, the brocoli tempura and the blood sausage stuffed peppers. A few things could have made the experience five star. The music should be Spanish to improve the ambience. Also the front of house staff need to make it clear when people are ordering that they would be better ordering all the tapas they want at the beginning. We got mixed messages as were told this but then half an hour in when we decided to order a couple more dishes, that we could do this but the table had to be vacated within a two hour time frame. This made us feel as though we were being a bit of a nuisance. I get why as the restaurant is small and tables are needed for other diners, but surely two more tapas dishes being cooked and eaten by two people within the one and a half hours of the remainder of our sitting is acceptable. It's a shame because this is what we will remember about the experience rather than the fabulous food and wine.

I visited the Hispanist for the first time last night and absolutely loved it. The food was exceptionally good (clearly the work of a culinary genius!). The staff made it a very special experience; one that I can’t wait to repeat.

Had a lovely evening at the hispanist yesterday, the 3 for £25 plates left us stuffed! Really interesting and beautiful food. the Jamon Croquettas and the Brocolli were spot on.

Shared my 60th birthday celebrations with friends in the lovely private dining area. Very rustic setting which I found endearing . Food was executed and presented beautifully and was exceptional . I would highly recommend

Dreadful...not sure why it is good food guide unless evening menu is significantly different to lunch menu. Wine took ages to be served...they had to cool it down. Do they not have a fridge.? It was freezing cold ...had to keep our coats on. Food was average at best, chorizo in cider was the worst I've ever tasted. Prawn dish was ok. It was very expensive overall. Cappuccino luke warm . Will not be going back. Seriously very poor value for money.

We had booked in advance for our lunch. Had requested a table with natural light and that was delivered. Perfect. The greeting we received was warm and welcoming. Our table was upstairs. I'm OK with that if I take my time but if you can't do stairs then make sure you ask for a downstairs table. The toilets were on the first floor. Not sure if there were any on the first floor. The food was excellent as was the wine. Thoroughly enjoyed everything we chose. The only slight niggle was it really needed another couple of veggie choices. Did bring this up and was advised that had we told them at the time of booking they would have made more choices available. So if you have any special requests get them in when you book. Well worth a visit!

Outstanding, surpassed all expectations. Lovey food, nice setting and just different to the usual. Will be back! Such a range of dishes, did not disappoint one bit.

We went for the lunch deal for February- 3 plates for £25 we were spoilt for choice. We had to have the sourdough bun with roast chicken butter 😋😋😋 we’ve been drooling about this since we were here 15 months ago. None of the dishes disappointed. The belly pork had flavour & crunch, the leek dish was yummy, prawn Kyiv was some very skilful cooking & yummy flavours. We had 11 different dishes in total, washed down with lovely sangria. Throughly recommend dining here. We will be back

We visited on Valentines day for a 9 course tasting menu and wow we weren't disappointed. Each dish was so well thought out and executed. It was served at a relaxed pace, meaning we got to enjoy each others company and sample a fair bit of wine lol! The team were working very hard and the food was absolutely first class. Brilliant evening and will be back to sample the normal menu too.

An excellent tasters menu over 7 courses. Every dish was freshly cooked and prepared with just the right portion sizes. The sommelier Alistair was very knowledgable and the team provided friendly and efficient service. Will definitely return.

Absolutely amazing! The carefully crafted flavours, along with excellent cocktails, showcase the chef's talent. The knowledgeable and friendly staff are a credit to the Restaurant. Our favourites are the crab donut and beef dish (can’t remember the name) that was just heaven, favourite cocktail is the old Guatemalan. Perfect in every way, can’t wait to come back

Very fine tapas selection, cooked to perfection. An ideal light lunch. Good friendly service. Delicate clean flavours, each ate distinct and very we executed and presented

This was my first visit but won’t be my last. The food was fantastic with the exception of the belly pork which was beautifully presented but wasn’t rendered down enough for me. Also the soda bread was burnt on the bottom. That said the food I ordered was delicious and well designed as far as tapas goes. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Unfortunately we had to send our coffee back as it was very bitter and lukewarm. Such a shame as overall it was a great experience with mainly exceptional food. Would recommend and will definitely return.

Just amazing! Thank you so much for every detail. The food was delicious, the staff delightful, and the whole vibe is spot on. To top it all, Vichy Catalan in HULL. That just shows to what lengths you have gone to make this special.

Absolutely outstanding food as always. Brought my dad from Australia as he is a bit of a food snob and everything was perfect. Even the olives. Never tasted olives so good! Can’t wait to go back again. Perfect night sat next to the open fire in this cold January gloom.

Arguably the best restaurant in Hull. What a special place!! If you manage to book a table (they must be booked up all the time!) you won't be disappointed. Brilliantly executed, authentic Spanish food. The chef let's the ingredients shine. We had 7 or 8 dishes and each one hit the spot in a different way. I wish them all the best and will be booking again very soon...

The food is fabulous but that was where the great experience ended for me. Front of house needs a complete overhaul.

I’ve been to the Hispanist four times over the last twelve months and every time you leave thinking how is it possible for the food to taste that amazing! The wine list is brilliant, the staff are very helpful and the restaurant itself has a lovely atmosphere.

The family had booked between Xmas and new year for a break from Xmas food, little bit of confusion on booking mainly our error due to a large party. However they accommodated us fantastically and were warm and welcome throughout. The food, the moment it came out you knew you it would be good every item we tasted was sublime. The whole place was fantastic definitely need to go again.

Absolutely amazing food! Highly recommended.

Reality love this place been many times now, it's fantastic

Had a table of 7 booked; absolutely phenomenal food, great service, & great atmosphere. Will definitely be coming back

OMG! What an incredible restaurant! Everything we had was absolutely delicious! From the sourdough bread to the pork chop it was by far the best Spanish food we’ve ever eaten. Great friendly service and gorgeous wine, we had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Early Saturday afternoon lunch wonderful service. The food was outstanding. The cocktail I had was delicious. A wonderful experience thanksyou

Great selection of tapas excellently prepared & presented. Considering the prep that go into these, reasonably priced too. Food suitably complemented by great selection of cocktails & regular beers too.

Was passing and just decide to try the Hispanist Lovely food and a nice atmosphere sat beside a log fire 🔥on a freezing afternoon Highly recommended

Simply stunning food, excellent wine and really friendly, knowledgeable staff. But don't take my word for it, book this wonderful little restaurant your self, you won't be disappointed.

Visited here for lunch today whilst shopping for Xmas. The best tapas meal we’ve ever had. Wonderful flavours and clever ideas by the chef. Crab donut, Serrano ham croquette, roast chicken skin butter on a crusty roll were just a few of our choices and all amazing. The king prawn Kiev was my favourite. Will definitely return.

Location is nice and cozy, ambiance was lacking as the music was loud enough to inhibit normal conversation (without taking loudly). Ate from dinner menu. Food was good (olives, carrots, couple of meats) but they were out of a few items. Cocktail menu was not being served so had to pick from a more limited side menu. Red wine was good but served me the dregs from the bottle. Table was sticky like it wasn’t properly cleaned. Ground floor entry tile and stairs felt greasy underfoot like they needed to put some soap in the mop bucket. Your experience may vary but mine was lacking.

We selected 4 tapas and asked the very pleasant waiter to recommend one. Croquettes,Prawn Kiev.Belly Pork,Potatoes in a Garlic Mayo,Grilled Leeks. We were blown away by the intense glorious flavours. they were fantastic. the portion size is large tapas and with a chocolate desert we...

Was recommended by friends when visiting Hull and glad we came. One not to miss!

Really great experience, amazing food definitely worth a visit!

Fantastic food, lovely little place that came recommended and I would definitely come again. Brilliant service with knowledge of the offerings, lovely sangria to go with the fantastic tapas

All servers were friendly & great knowledge of the menu. Delicious food. Patatas Bravas was the best I’ve ever had, better then any I’d eaten in Spain. The meat cooking was awesome, melt in the mouth. Thank you

Fell upon this place and what a delight. Fantastic food and a lovely attentive waitress. People who complain about the prices clearly have no understanding of the overheads in running a restaurant or the cost of quality ingredients. Don’t pass by this place, go in...

First time trying this place tonight and we will definitely be back. The size of the portions was just right. We had alot of the vegetable dishes and both the fish dishes. The crab was beautiful. Service was brilliant and all very reasonably priced.

This is quite the best tapas restaurant I have found outside of Spain; and in fact one of the best I have found full stop. Every dish was full of flavour. As my dining companion said “not one bum note” We had the crab doughnut,...

Amazing little place, went for the 1st time with my daughter. The waitresses was attentive and very friendly. Her knowledge of the menu was excellent. The food was incredible and the king prawn Kiev was that good I took 2 home for tea with my wife

Perfection on a plate in the form of beautifully crafted tapas from a meticulous chef who is obviously passionate about his food. A group of us ate here and all of us left singing the praises of this little gem of a restaurant.

Best restaurant in Hull. Completely unique food with an extensive wine selection. The city needs more places like this.

Not anywhere else like this in Hull. Food is unique, creative and extremely tasty. Just a shame we were the only ones in on a lunch time. Is it expensive? Yes, but absolutely worth it and a million times better than any other tapas place locally. Great vegetarian options too - will definitely be back

Chanced upon this place by accident and sat outside in the beautiful covered arcade to watch the world parade by with, I hoped, an acceptable tapas and a cocktail. Could not have been more pleasantly surprised by the sheer quality of both. I can't comment...

Incredible yet again. For any foodie, especially those who love Spanish food, you will not get any better anywhere in the UK. It's that good. I have just come back from the food capital of Europe, San Sebastian and the food at the Hispanist is...

Arguably the best food in Hull. Very impressed with every dish we had and loved the cocktails.

Lovely little tapass restaurant

Came for lunch menu, service was slow and item was missed from order. Waiter was apologetic. Drinks were really nice and well made. However the portion sizes for the lunch menu should be doubled as it really is a rip off given each item is...

What an amazing little find. The food is really innovative, unusual, and tasty. If you're looking for big portions, this won't be for you, but if you fancy trying something fresh, delicious, and different, then visit this lovely little restaurant

Whenever we get the chance, which is never often enough, we like to go to the Hispanist. Why, because it is a delightful restaurant, always welcoming and always delivering delicious small treats. A restaurant that plays with the flavours of Spain, from small plates like...

Lovely little premises in the Paragon Arcade in Hull. Delightful staff. The choice of different pinchos is great and the quality superb. Authentic Spanish tapas too. Definately at the top end of Hulls dining options.

We finally made it to the Hispanist tonight and weren’t disappointed! The food was brilliant, every dish was lovely and I couldn’t recommend this restaurant highly enough!

Absolutely superb food, cocktails and sangria. Just the most lovely evening meal with friends at The Hispanist. The quality of the food is second to none. Highly recommend.

The food was amazing. Really good set up.

It's quite simply the best tapas / pinchos food outside of London.What you have is an unbelievably talented chef serving outstanding, innovative dishes. Will you find restaurants with better surroundings, yes. Could the service be a bit slicker, yes. But if it's food you love...

Another fantastic set of dishes, a cut above the other “Tapas” bars in and around Hull.

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.

Lovely small Spanish tapas restaurant in Hull. Excellent for date night or night out with friends. Reasonably priced and excellent service.

My friend suggested we hop on the train and try The Hispanist. No driving = a liberating lunch. Why not I thought? I just wish I'd found this place before. Bloody marvellous. OK not cheap but oozing quality and innovation. Good vibe, nice sound track....

Had a great Fri lunch here. Very nice location. Food and ambience were excellent as was the service. Decent wine list too.

What a wonderful evening! The food was fantastic!! Most things on the menu tried and not one bad meal!! Each one so tasty and made you want more!! The TERRINA DE PATATAS was our favourite! However the ERIZO: KING PRAWN “KIEV” has to be tried...

Really really good food. Not a fan of Spanish food before. But this restaurant change my mind. Recommend to everyone. The best restaurant I had in hull.

Absolute gem of a place, fine dining tapas of the highest quality. The prawn Kiev in the picture was amazing.

Food was great, if a little small on portion size. Really tasty, high quality - can’t complain at all. Service however was dire. Had to ask for some water 3 times, drinks took forever to come and we were never offered any more throughout our...

Beautiful, amazing tapas! We visited the restaurant on a busy Saturday afternoon. We ordered 8 dishes between two! Every dish has its own personal taste! The king prawn Kiev is outstanding and very well presented. We also loved the broccoli, that is no normal vegetable!...

Was interested to see what this place was like as a member of our party had been before & loved it. Well I’m not sure why as I can honestly say we won’t be returning. The food tasted ok, but I felt like I needed...

Absolutely amazing food and drink! This restaurant is just the best. Never tasted such fantastic food, beautifully presented and so tasty. The team there are attentive and friendly. The restaurant is the right size to have a great atmosphere without getting too noisy. We took...

First time in the restaurant, and was well impressed. Good food, good wine, good ambiance, good staff, what more can I say.

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.

If you are looking for a nice place to eat and spend special evening, sadly, I suggest you look somewhere else. Our experience wes disappointing. Our drinks arrived after the first dish was served. Then I have ordered a glass of wine that didn't arrive at all (we asked to cancel that drink while having last dish). One person told us it was because the barman called in sick, someone else said they had a new waiter. It doesn't matter what was the real reason, there is no excuse for such poor service. Food unfortunately wasn't any good too, out of 7 dishes 2 were good. Monkfish lacked sharpness (no salt or lemon), very blant, very disappointing. Mushrooms on the other hand were too salty. And the organic lemonade! Wow, you be the judge! on the picture. And the cutlery... If you want to create fancy feel you should look at quality. The Hispanist had nothing to do with quality. So if you are looking for that special place, go to real restaurant, fine dining won't cost you much more as The Hispanist isn't cheap...

Been here a few times and it's a really great place. The menu has changed in that time but always has something that's vibrant and interesting and seasonal. At the moment the txuletas are on and while they are pricey (for Hull!) they are a...

Been here a few times and it's a really great place. The menu has changed in that time but always has something that's vibrant and interesting and seasonal. At the moment the txuletas are on and while they are pricey (for Hull!) they are a rare and special treat. Some of the mainstays like the morcilla and hazelnut ferreros are wonderful tapas (are they original to here? Never seen them before). Also the desserts are really inventive and the sweetness is well-judged Some criticism, hopefully helpful: i think the dishes sometimes come a bit too fast, I think the service feel like they have a bit too much to do and drinks can take some time when it's busy. I'd also like the option of some carafes of wine rather than glasses and bottles and - bottles of specialist sherries (35/50cl?) would be really good also. Keep it up!

Wow, what an experience. The food was amazing and the service was excellent. The chicken butter was fabulous. Will definitely return.

The place itself was lovely, nice surroundings, friendly staff, however the food was very disappointing. Food was served before our drinks, which was odd. Have eaten tapas before so we knew what to expect in terms of size so we ordered 4 dishes each and dessert. We were served with plain thinly sliced chorizo and dry bread, no oil or dressings...so very dry, the chorizo could have been from a supermarket, was nothing special about it at all certainly not worth what we paid. The roasted peppers came with anchovies which we were not expecting and tasted as though they were from a jar rather than made by the chef considering the prices expected better, didn't taste great. Menu was confusing. Felt like we didn't get what we asked for and dishes expected to be hot were cold and this spoiled it. There was only one dessert available, which was nice but again nothing special. Overall it was disappointing as the menu didn't live up to its expectations, after all the good reviews felt like a let down.

We visited this restaurant at the weekend, the staff was very pleasant and very attentive. We ordered 7 dishes between 2 of us and each dish had amazing flavours. We will deffo be returning. Thank you for a great night!

A beautiful restaurant in the heart of hull. Food was outstanding and well presented. Thank you we will be returning

I cannot rate this place high enough! The atmosphere, the music, the wines and the food were all perfect.

Great night. Food was amazing staff where great. We will and are returning.

I'm loathed to write this review as we had a fab visit a few weeks ago. But this time it was different. Arrived promptly as per our booked time and stood awkwardly in the doorway waiting to be acknowledged. We were blanked by the chap...

Excellent food,great wine surprised the mrs with a day out and popped in for lunch,everything was perfect and tasted amazing

Small premises on Paragon arcade. Spanish and South American dishes- they are FAB ! Quality fresh ingredients. All very well presented. Cocktails are also very good. Delightful staff- that moustache!

The Restaurant is near Bonus Arena. each plate boast the best eats in Hull and East Yorkshire. Must visit whilst in Yorkshire

The food was unbelievable we ordered most dishes on the menu the steak,jumbo prawns,and the rid was to die for loved it thanks for a lovely night Hispanist will be back soon

Always impeccable experience - food and customer service! I love the fact there’s always an excuse to come back given the new menu - this one is amazing as always. I’d by far say it’s one of my favourite dining experiences anywhere.

Went here for my Birthday meal and I wasn't disappointed, everything about the night was wonderful. The Food is absolutely top notch, the service was prompt and the staff were very pleasant and knowledgeable. I highly recommend this Restaurant, as does my partner

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.

Fabulous food that tastes as good as it looks, the flavours were amazing, hard to pick out the best but the tomatoes were the most flavoursome we’ve had in a long time and the crab was great too. The back room upstairs looks fabulous, we...

Best food in Hull I've experienced in 30 years. An adventurous menu, that is influenced by catalonia nights but also is suited for the passers by of Hull. I asked for 6 plates of the chefs choosing and each plate that came was better than the rest. I'd highly recommend leaving it in his hands as he knows what's best that's for sure. The crab inked hot dog like plate was incredible. I've never had or seen that before, even in Barca so that was highly creative. My girlfriend accompanied me and she has never had a real tapas experience before but we will be going back more often now as she's hooked. Very friendly staff and helpful in regards to description of the plates that arrived and also were very good at advising which cocktails and wines would match the plates. Thank you for a fantastic night to celebrate my girlfriends promotion and we will be back very shortly!

Highly recommend. Lovely tasty food presented beautifully. Wine was gorgeous too and the staff very professional. Loved it.

Food is delicious and the staff are wonderful 😊 definitely recommend

Exquisite!! Absolutely lovely place with high standards, enjoyed it all the waiter was great , great ambience. Will definitely go again

Visited last night, really impressed with the food here. The tomato and ponzu was stunning. The lamb shoulder fantastic. However once our main course was served we didn’t see a single waiter/waitress for the rest of the evening. No check back, didn’t come to clear...

The Hispanist is truly a gem. Absolutely everything on their menu is exquisite. The simple setting and the beautiful food is addictive. It’s food of the quality that I would expect to find in London or other major city but in an environment that’s is...

Absolutly lovely. Pre theatre wine and drinks. Ordered 8 dishes between x2. 100% recommend the chorizo stew and the houmous with bread. Negative: I did check with the waitress before ordering and she assured me that the octopus was fresh not frozen but sadly I...

Brilliant food & staff, lovely atmosphere 😀

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!