‘It is a place Hull should be proud to have’
Unless you’ve been under a rock since 2017, you’ve probably heard of The Brain Jar in Hull’s Old Town. The cocktail bar and pizzeria has a beloved following and won and been shortlisted for many awards.
Earlier this month, Brain Jar bar manager Matt Smith was announced as a global champion at the 2025 Jameson Black Barrel Bartender Series. Judges were impressed with his velvety-smooth creation ‘Dead Bod’, a cocktail inspired by Hull’s iconic piece of graffiti art.
It’s just one of many accolades for The Brain Jar, but I’d still yet to visit. I decided to make amends on a mid-week night and ended up very glad I did.
When you walk through the door, the immediate feeling is of warmth and cosiness. The staff are friendly, the music is low-key and soothing, and soft lighting bathes you in an amber glow like you’re in a giant bottle of whiskey.
The tables are narrow and high, with stools the main seating, although you can also opt for squashy-looking sofas in the window. The cocktail menu is breathtaking in scope and I was almost overwhelmed by choice.
In the end, I went for a twist on an Old Fashioned which had Amaretto as well as whiskey. It arrived with an impressive flourish, a plume of smoke rising out of the ice-cold glass.
The flavour was sweet, smoky, and highly palatable. A glass of red wine went down equally well.
For starters, I decided to pick a couple of different bao buns. I’ve never had a bao bun before, and it is exciting to have these options at a restaurant in Hull.
These steamed buns were served open, which was a nice twist on tradition and made the presentation especially beautiful. The dough had a wonderfully fluffy texture and the fillings – hoisin field mushroom and Korean BBQ – were pleasantly savoury.
They did not last long, despite being a generous portion. For the main event, I picked a ‘Yazzmatazz’ pizza.
As a lover of spicy food, I was tempted by the combination of jalapeño jam, piquet peppers, caramelised onion, red onion, black olives, fresh rocket leaves, and yellow mustard and agave. When it arrived, the pizza was absolutely heaving with toppings.
The pizza had a perfectly cooked dough that practically melted under the gentle pressure of the pizza slicer. I was impressed with the quality of the ingredients and would say the overall flavour was sweet rather than spicy.
It was the perfect size for a couple sharing. I’d struggle with a whole pizza if I was eating alone, although staff assured me we could box up leftovers if needed, which was good to know.
For two people having two starters, a 12″ pizza buried in toppings, and two drinks of exceptional quality, I was expecting the bill to be around the £55 mark. Let’s just say it was cheaper by quite a margin.
There are plenty of vegan options, ‘high welfare’ meat options, and also a range of drinks for those who don’t drink alcohol. Based on my visit, The Brain Jar is a place Hull should be proud to have.
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