South Yorkshire Restaurant Guide

“Still one of the best”, Tom Lawson & Alistair Myers’s ambitious, small upstairs dining room, ten minutes from the city-centre (and named for its main architectural features) is a “Sheffield gem” combining “excellent service” with “brilliant” modern British cuisine. “The ‘Experience’ label (used to describe its more elaborate weekend menus) is a tad pretentious”, but that’s the only complaint.

“Sitting up at a bar in Doncaster Fish Market may not sound like the last word in fun”, but this brave two-year-old “is the kind of place that is usual in Barcelona and Lisbon, but a wonderful gift to my part of the world”, with its zingy small plates of fish curries and top quality seafood; “let’s have some more like this!”

“Sheffield’s best Italian” – “this small, family-run, city-centre fixture stands out for its delicious, authentic food and friendly atmosphere” – and is “packed from early on Fridays” for good reason: “genuine Italian bustle and lots of classic dishes served very much to standard”.

“Such a great addition to the Sheffield scene” – Luke French & Stacey Sherwood-French’s “extraordinary conversion of a shipping container” provides some “outstanding” cuisine with its selection of ‘hyper-seasonal’ small plates, available also as part of ten-course (£65) or twelve-course (£75) tasting menus: “the food’s so exciting… the opposite of style over substance”.

“Very cheap Mexican near the station” – you can “always taste something new” (besides burritos, tacos, nachos et al) at this well-established cantina, which also now has a Sharrow Vale Road sibling.

Maurizio Mori’s long-established Italian (est. 1996) has earned its local popularity with “good food that’s consistently authentic” and “staff and an atmosphere that help improve your day”.

“Quirky, high quality and a refreshing change” – this “Kiwi-influenced” joint in “trendy, old factory premises” (a former silversmiths) in the Cultural Industries Quarter is “good for coffee, lunch or just a good vibe any time”. Approaching its 10th anniversary, it now has two offshoots: Westfield Terrace and Kommune in the old city centre.

Classic pub dishes are supplemented by more unusual specials from chef/partner Richard Smith at this inn on the edge of the Peak District – with ‘Bertha’, a British-made indoor charcoal oven, put to good use. “Great beers” from local craft brewers Thornbridge – partners in the pub – complete the picture.

2018 Review: Tessa Bramley’s comfortable Victorian country house dining room has been an edge-of-town fixture for over 30 years – and, despite up-and-down reports on the service and cooking fronts in recent years, won consistent praise this year for “exceptional food in a lovely environment”. It’s had a recent makeover too.