Filling up on great food and an ‘exquisite’ pint in quirky Hull pub that’s packed with nostalgia

Hunger pangs struck during a recent weekday visit to Hull and were of the intensity that a quick cuppa and a sarni weren’t likely to provide a lasting fix.

So it was my partner and I decided on a pub lunch – but where to go? We were in the vicinity of a good few contenders (and stopped outside one to see what the special x2 meal deal was all about) but we weren’t convinced and continued on in our quest.

I had not long since popped into the Lion and Key, in High Street, with a friend visiting from away, after we took in some of Hull’s great (and, she couldn’t believe it, free-to-visit museums) and needed a spot of refreshment. My other half said he’d not been in the quaint-looking pub “for years”.

So, we took a chance on a table being free here. Many had reserved signs on them - not surprising, going by the praise that’s heaped on this place on social media for its meals – but the table offered to us wasn’t needed for about another five hours, so all was well.

We sat down, with what I have to say was an exquisite pint of pitch-black stout (Black Rose, from the White Rose brewery) and perused the menu. There was lots to choose from, with plenty of what you would expect from pub grub, but also many interesting and more unusual options.

I was drawn to the Lion and Key fish pie, which I do know goes down well with many customers, or the fish and chips, but ended up selecting off the specials-of-the-day menu. The back bean and sweetcorn burrito just sounded so appealing and different from what I’d normally pick.

My partner went for another of the specials, which was chicken, butternut squash and spinach curry, served with rice and with an extra side order of hand-cut chips. Everything arrived pretty promptly and there was plenty of it, in both cases.

My burrito was a tasty, toasted tortilla wrap filled with black beans, sweetcorn and peppers and a “spicy” (I’d say fiery) tomato sauce, with rice, mozzarella and buffalo sauce, and served with a dressed side salad.

The curry, in its sauce of creamy garlic, ginger and coconut milk with a fresh chilli kick, was a hit with my partner. Between us we Hoovered up the “proper” chips.

It was a great meal that we both thoroughly enjoyed, while taking in the quirky surroundings. The Lion and Key does not do minimal in its décor - there are curios in every corner, old posters and adverts mounted in frames and a ceiling covered in beer mats – and it’s the same story in its enclosed courtyard beer garden.

Something that made it an even better visit was the discovery that over-65s (not me, not yet) can enjoy a 20 per cent discount on all drinks and food, every day of the week. Being with an older diner knocked around four pounds off the bill.