Summer never seems to last long enough and I fully intend to make the most of it and spend as much time outside as humanly possible.
One of the best things about a sunny weekend is lounging around in a beer garden, playing cards, eating fries, and sipping at a cool beverage. Normally, I head out of the city, to one of the quiet pubs just over the border into East Yorkshire. But I recently found myself much closer to home, in a popular Princes Avenue bar.
Garbutts Bar & Kitchen is a gastropub style dining experience, with a menu including haddock and chips, rump steak, burgers, poutine, crispy belly pork, mushroom stroganoff, and tagliatelle. A nod to Hull on the menu is its pattie ‘bon bons’, with come with chip spice. Drinks-wise there is a full range of classic cocktails from espresso martini to woo woo.
(Image: Hull Live)
On the bar, you will find the usual suspects: Birra Moretti, Madri, and Guinness. There was also a range of the sweet, fruity flavoured ciders that are popular nowadays.
It was around £6 for a pint which is pretty steep for Hull, but the atmosphere was pleasant, welcoming, and comfortable. Inside is tastefully decorated with navy blue paint and feature wallpaper.
Outside, the navy theme continues with the fencing. The floor is laid with faux lawn and fake plants are dotted around, creating a convincing illusion of a verdant garden.
(Image: Hull Live)
There are patches of sun even in the evening, but you can also find shelter in a cool spot if that is more to your liking. We had a mix of sun-worshippers and haters and managed to get seating that was half-in and half-out the shade.
Ordering food was done at the bar, you provide your table number and pay before it arrives. We were advised of how long the food would take and also which menu items were missing, which was helpful.
I thought it was a shame to not be able to try the buddah bowls – a salad is infinitely more appealing than usual on a hot day – but these were sold out, perhaps testament to how popular they were in the heatwave.
Ultimately, we ordered poutine, vodka tagliatelle, and some pattie ‘bon bons’. None of us had tried poutine before; it is a Canadian creation of fries, gravy, and melted cheese.
We had one poutine with chicken and another with deep-fried battered cauliflower, the vegetarian version. There were mixed reviews of the poutine: one said they would definitely order again, and the other said the pond of gravy made everything too soggy.
Gravy-drenching wise, it seemed to come down to a matter of personal preference. I found the mozzarella cheese a bit too bland; a more mature melting cheese might have worked better. Next to a rich gravy, mozzarella didn’t have much of an impact flavour-wise.
The vodka tagliatelle was pleasant and the pasta tasted very fresh. An absolute delight were the pattie ‘bon bons’ – they were mini enough to get a really crisp coating in the deep fryer and I loved the onion seasoning.
What set Garbutts Bar & Kitchen apart the most was the service; every single member of staff was just so friendly and helpful. Nothing was any trouble for them. It is well worth a visit and I am sure I will be back, especially for its refreshing oasis of a beer garden.