This is Hull and East Riding --Never before has there been so much choice when it comes to eating out in Hull. A few years ago, honest pub grub was probably the best you could hope for when heading to the city centre.
Now, there is a dazzling choice of fine dining establishments to choose from.
Food entrepreneurs are taking a chance on Hull and, for many, the gamble is paying off.
Kathryn Shillito, of Hull Bid, believes restaurants are an important part of the city's economy.
"We have published a dining brochure, which we hope to update and reprint shortly," she said.
"This has proved very successful and reflects the choice we have in the city.
"There is everything from really good café bars to high-end dining.
"There is a high-quality threshold with the restaurants in the city now."
Despite the economic situation, Ms Shillito believes people still want to treat themselves and dining out is one of the most popular ways of doing so.
"In these tough times, people are spending their money more carefully and restaurants are having to deliver something very good," she said.
"But, despite being strapped for cash, people are finding money to eat out."
Hull Bid is working with more and more restaurateurs, with Hull Marina becoming a popular dining area.
"We have most recently been working with the owner of 13 Bistro at Hull Marina, who is an experienced restaurateur," Ms Shillito said. These restaurants and bars are contributing greatly to the city centre economy.
"People are coming in for the day and then grabbing a bite to eat later."
As more restaurants open, so the competition increases.
This, in turn, is increasing the quality, according to Ms Shillito.
"Restaurants owners are very conscious its a tough market and there is lots of competition," she said.
"They are having to go that extra mile and have to ensure their service and quality of food is 100 per cent."
Thanks to the work of Humberside Police, Hull City Council, Hull Bid and local businesses, the city has been awarded the purple flag from the Association of Town Centre Management – official recognition the city centre is a safe and enjoyable night out.
This has helped encourage restaurateurs to open up establishments in the high-end market.
"I think the Purple Flag sends out a strong signal to potential diners they can come into the city centre and this has worked exceptionally well," Ms Shillito said.
"As well as attracting tourists and visitors, the number of restaurants also means people working in the city centre have somewhere to eat on their doorstep."
Councillor Steven Bayes is the portfolio holder for regeneration.
He believes having a good choice of places to eat both helps bring visitors to the city and keeps them here for longer.
"Attracting visitors to the city is important for our economy and this why the Visitor Destination strand of our City Plan is a key focus," he said.
"The impact on the economy is the spend for each visitor and having the right places to shop, eat and visit to increase dwell time in the city centre and therefore the amount people spend.
"Hull has seen an increase in places to eat in the past few years, both in our shopping centres and also in areas such as Princes Dock Street, where a number of café-bars are now well-established."
But Cllr Bayes also feels the proposals for further regeneration in the city can only boost the custom for restaurants and cafe bars.
As well as the Marina, he hopes more food outlets will open up in the Old Town and around Humber Street.
"With changes to the Old Town, such as the renovation of Trinity Square, and neighbouring projects such as the Fruit Market, cruise terminal and HMS Illustrious alongside some smaller projects, we hope to see more people visiting our city centre with more and new places to eat and shop," he said. Reported by This is 2 days ago.