Sleek, chic and, almost, unique, Walters is the world-beer emporium of Hull city centre.

The Venue
Less than a year ago Alan Murphy took over this former restaurant, turning it into Hull’s leading modern international beer and wine mecca.

Encased in a sandstone building next to the Jaz Cafe, is this long, narrow, modern bar with slinky black vinyl chairs with wooden legs. Plastered all over the cream walls are album sleeves from the likes of The Beatles, The Clash and Pink Floyd.

There’s a wooden floor and big mirror at the end of the room, but otherwise it’s fairly minimalist without being too clinical.

Black seating hugs the sides of the room and there’s a shallow ledge opposite the bar where you can rest your glass of Cusquena while perched on one of the high black leather-topped stools.

The wine list is lovingly hand written in chalk on two blackboards. New LED lighting has been put in, and plans are underway to open a cocktail bar upstairs. So watch this space.

The People
Young local bank and office workers congregate here at lunchtime and after work, and there’s the odd real-ale head propping up the bar in the afternoon. It's fair to say more mature (and not in age) drinkers are attracted to Walters.

As a bar it pedals a sedate yet stylish atmosphere, and it means that those who enjoy a pint of something dark and bitter don't have to trek out to a village pub, or brave the delights of Wetherspoons, in order to get their fix.

The Food and Drink
On tap the varied list includes Erdinger, Beck’s, Liefmans, Magners, Paulaner, Peroni, Guinness, Stella and Stowford Press Cider.

There’s also no less than eight regularly changing guest ales, such as India Pale Ale from Canadian brewers Sleaman, Steerage courtesy of Stoke On Trent’s Titanic Brewery and last, but by no means least, the very foxy and deliciously delicate ruby red Vixen ale from Suffolk’s Nethergate Brewery, which is currently a bit of a star in the real ale firmament.

They've even produced a booklet listing all their bottled beers, broken down into countries. They include Coopers, Victoria, Fruli, Kwak, Leffe, Timmermans, Brahma, Carib, Harbin, Tuborg, Efes, Asahi, Cusquena, Castle, Singha, Michelob, Coors, Miller, Desperados, Paulaner, Steinhauser, Cobra and Dunkerton’s Organic cider among many, many others.

There’s a comprehensive selection of wines too, ranging from £11 to £45 a bottle and numbering around 20 whites and about the same number of reds. The Umbrian Castello Della Sala Chardonnay Bramito Del Cervo 2007 is a good pick at £17. Or else a Two Valleys Cabernet-Malbec-Merlot Linden Estate Hawkes Bay New Zealand 2001 is a little less at £14. There’s no food - with all those beers and wines to look after maybe it is asking too much.

The Last Word
A sweet shop of exotic beers and wines, Walters provides punters with constant stimulation.

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