I tried the award-winning brunch spot in Hull City Centre

If you said to somebody that Paragon Arcade is currently in its heyday, there would be little reason for them to disagree.

In one of the region's oldest and visually gorgeous spots, the 128-year-old Victorian building is now home to an abundance of the highest-rated independent businesses in the city in recent years. One of the first businesses to kick-start this revolution was Milchig.

The cafe is regularly touted as a go-to place to go for brunch and has recently been awarded the HullBid 2024 Best Food and Drink Award for this year. As someone who is partial to a weekend brunch in town for a treat, I just had to visit.

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Walking underneath the stunning glass roof of Paragon Arcade, all the units seemed to be heaving with customers, none more so than where I was heading. All the seating outside was taken, and a queue to get into the snug shop was backing out through the door. Thankfully, there was a seat vacant and most in the queue were just getting a coffee to go.

Straight from the off the place was aesthetically striking. The dark green and yellow colour scheme made it stand out, but oddly fit into its surroundings in the arcade. The place originated as a bakery but has since grown to become one of the most beloved cafes in the city, and it quite frankly was easy to gather why.

The menu had some great-sounding options, and I settled for the egg sarnie to be washed down with a vanilla iced latte - coming up to £13.10 - £9 for the sandwich, £4.10 for the brew. Pretty standard rates for a modern cafe in the city centre.

Even though the place was full, the well-drilled staff in the really small kitchen managed to get me plated up in an impressive time. The fried egg was seasoned with Middle Eastern seasoning Za'atar. The runny egg drizzling on top of the fried halloumi made the ideal pairing, and I'm unsure what they do to make their house mayo but it was delicious. The pickled pink onions offered a welcome tang to each bite. For a light brunch, it was everything you really need to a grand standard.

It's quite the sin the number of times I've walked by Milchig without popping in. After my first visit left me fed and watered, but also impressed at the efficiency of the staff, it's clear to see why this is so highly rated and now award-winning.

Milchig is open in Paragon Arcade Monday to Friday 9 am - 3pm and on Saturday 9 am - 4 pm.