A Hull restaurant which was acclaimed as the best in the region in this year’s Remarkable East Yorkshire Tourism Awards (REYTAs) has now achieved national recognition with a place in the Michelin Guide for 2020.
As management at Tapasya@Marina celebrated the accolade with friends, Managing Partner Mukesh Tirkoti said the hard work will now continue in pursuit of a coveted Michelin Star.
Tapasya@Marina is the only venue in Hull to earn a Michelin Plate listing – and one of only two Indian restaurants in the whole of Yorkshire – which is awarded to the best non-starred restaurants in the guide.
The publication, which is the hallmark of fine dining quality, notes Tapasya’s location at the side of Hull Marina “looking out over the bobbing boats”.
It adds: “It’s a large place, split over two floors, and has an airy brasserie feel. Authentic Indian dishes are freshly prepared and full of flavour. The lunch menu is great value, the naan breads are delicious and high tea has some great twists.”
The guide also notes the restaurant’s accessibility to wheelchair users, the availability of vegetarian menus and the exclusive private dining room which can accommodate up to 30 people.
The Tapasya concept was launched in 2013 when Tapan Mahapatra, the company’s Director who is well known in the Hull area as an onco-plastic breast surgeon, partnered with Mukesh to open their first restaurant on Beverley Road.
The first Tapasya appeared in the Michelin Guide for 2018 and is now earning praise as Chowki, which opened earlier this year with a menu based around the Indian street food pioneered by the company at its stall in Trinity Market and at the Hull Street Food Nights.
Tapasya@Marina opened in November 2016, creating 30 jobs and 160 spaces for discerning diners, and has taken up the fine dining mantle, winning local and regional awards and now securing the Michelin Guide listing.
Tapan said: “We are delighted that the Michelin Guide inspector was so impressed with our restaurant and we see it as a reward for our commitment to creating a memorable dining experience.
“We have a unique location, we make sure the food is the best it can be and we have shown we can keep coming up with exciting new ideas. We don’t stand still. The first Tapasya on Beverley Road was a fantastic restaurant but we didn’t settle for that – we opened Tapasya@Marina and we are now serving the best in fine dining and in street food.”
Mukesh said: “This is very important and prestigious recognition. We are the only restaurant in Hull to achieve this standard and it is down to the hard work of everybody here.
“We have seven chefs who have all worked in Michelin Star restaurants. That means they know how good you have to be to reach that level. The listing in the Michelin Guide is a big step forward and now we want to keep improving.
“You don’t ask for a Michelin inspection – they find you. We are therefore grateful to our customers because their positive comments have helped us to get noticed and we hope they will continue to support us.”
