Minerva

I have to be quite honest and say that Hull is not my preferred choice for a day out, and there's nothing personal about that. It's just that I was born in Lincolnshire, for many of whose inhabitants the construction of the Humber Bridge was not necessarily seen as an advantage.

So when I heard about The Minerva, I began to wonder if this was the time for a reassessment. Close to the city centre, next to the river and marina, I nevertheless did not allow myself to be influenced by the fact that it has the smallest room in any pub in Britain, though I cannot believe that includes a gent's loo in a waterside hotel in the East Midlands that shall remain nameless.

But when I heard about their giant haddock, chips and mushy peas, and their Humber pie, a noteworthy blend of prawns, haddock, salmon, tuna and crab topped with cheesy mashed potato, I was prepared to think about surrender.

I suppose the thing that took me beyond tipping point was the ever-available Timothy Taylor's Landlord, without any shadow of doubt one of the finest real ales in Britain today. And that's only one of the several available.

Hostelries of old used to be for the convenience of their customers. The Minerva is one of them that still is.