Wine night heralds launch of new menus at award-winning restaurant

Director of 1884 Wine & Tapas, Deborah Spicer, looks forward to the next wine night.

AN award-winning restaurant has entered the New Year by unveiling exciting new menus and another in its series of ever-popular wine nights.
1884 Wine & Tapas Bar will serve up a succession of culinary delights over the last weekend of the month, with the wine celebration on Friday 25 January and the launch of a new menu the following day.
The previous wine event in November attracted a near-full house to celebrate some remarkable Riojas. The next will sharpen the focus on the Rioja Alavesa sub-region and the iconic Marqués de Riscal winery.
For just £55 per person the restaurant will serve a glass or sparkling cava on arrival followed by five courses punctuated by wines carefully selected to complement the food.
Deborah Spicer, Director of the restaurant, said: “Our suppliers are keeping their recommendations under wraps until the big night but as ever diners can expect to try some bottles that are not available anywhere else in our region, with some special surprises as well and plenty of tips and insight from our visiting expert.”
An array of reds and whites will be presented to accompany a menu which includes cured meats and cheeses, sea bass and salmon and duck breast and sirloin, with bespoke vegetarian and vegan options available at a reduced price.
The changes at the restaurant, which sits at the corner of Hull Marina next to Humber Quays, will also see the introduction on Saturday 26 January of three-tiered tapas, with a shake-up of the Set de Tapas menu.
Deborah Spicer, Director of the restaurant, said: “Set de Tapas is a bit of a compilation album featuring some of our favourite dishes and it’s proved very successful since we introduced it more than a year ago.
“It’s still available during lunch and dinner service seven days a week but we’ve now created more manageable portions with an eye on lighter lunches and smaller appetites.”
The large tapas presents a dozen different dishes for £35 per person, which sometimes proves a challenge for people watching the time or their waistline, so the chefs have created lunchtime specials of a pequeño portion of six dishes for £18 and a medium option of nine servings for £25.
The main menu has also been overhauled with the increase in variety available from the fishmongers reflected in the introduction of a “catch of the day” in a seafood section which also includes wine and citrus battered prawns, classic calamar and hot smoked salmon croquettes with winter slaw and Hollandaise sauce.
Duck breast with winter slaw and black cherry glaze, and spiced, rubbed sirloin have been added to the meat dishes and the famous hanging skewers now feature lamb marinated in garlic and rosemary in addition to the options of chicken, chorizo and new-recipe sausages.
Deborah said: “As ever we have a good range of vegetarian dishes as well. We will also prepare speciality vegan alternatives to all our menus if people advise us in advance of their requirements and we are currently working to expand that side of our cuisine.”
The wine night will start at 7pm on Friday 25 January and bookings are already coming in. To find out more please visit the website at www.1884wineandtapasbar.co.uk or call 01482 216306.