Walking. Gossip. Travel.

Tag: Sheffield

  • Sheffield – Gardeners Rest

    Sheffield – Gardeners Rest

    This understated little pub was busy even in the afternoon, but the welcome was friendly and there was a relaxed atmosphere in the venue. It’s run as a community pub and that local feel was evident, no doubt essential after floods caused significant damage in 2007 and closed the premises for some time.

    The Porteresque from Hophurst Brewery, which was frankly, quite brilliant. Rich and long-lasting flavours of salted caramel in a beer, there can’t be many better flavour combinations. Although when a brewery finally gets around to launching a chicken bake porter, that might be the ultimate taste sensation.

    The bar billiards table, where Nathan managed to narrowly beat me, although it was strange playing on a table with different rules to what I’m used to. Liam and Ross powered to a 0-0 draw, one of the worst games I’ve seen, but I was fortunately happily distracted with the beer.

    Back to the service in the pub, which was impeccable, with the staff being interested in their customers and willing to answer questions. They were conversational, engaging, friendly and all the other elements which makes me like a pub just that bit more. And with everything else stacking up, this was my favourite pub in Sheffield. And indeed, one of my pubs of the year, being the fourth to be added to my list.

    All very lovely.

  • Sheffield – Devonshire Cat

    Sheffield – Devonshire Cat

    There was something of a Head of Steam or Brewdog feel to this pub, an informal bar which seemed to be popular with students, not least as it’s beneath a university accommodation block.

    A well put together choice of keg and craft beers, although the writing on the board was difficult to read in places.

    Of all the 20 or so pubs we visited during the weekend to Sheffield, this was perhaps my least favourite. Not that there was anything particularly wrong with it, indeed it seemed successful, but the noise was a bit loud and the beer just a bit too cold for my liking. The beer I opted for was the Yorkshire Blackout Nitro Stout, but I struggled to find any real depth of flavour to it all and I would have rather it had been served at something like cellar temperature rather than Yorkshire Blackout Extra Cold.

    I think that on reflection I’d have liked this more during the day, when there was likely a quieter and more relaxed vibe, as the food options looked interesting. It was though also one of the most expensive rounds of the weekend and this was before Nathan started to eye up some of the more premium craft beers.

    My favourite review on TripAdvisor made me love the pub more though, a customer complained about how many craft beers they had, noting with their 1/5 review:

    “Whilst for some it maybe a selling point, for me the fact I can’t even get a popular lager meant I was only drinking shorts.”

  • Sheffield – Kelham Island Tavern

    Sheffield – Kelham Island Tavern

    This is the only pub that has won the CAMRA national pub of the year for two consecutive years and it has won a host of branch and regional awards as well over the years. It was a derelict pub pulled back into use by Trevor Wraith in 2001, a perhaps unlikely location at first sight to have been saved, with the landlord only retiring earlier in 2019. Under new landlords, the pub has continued its policy of having around thirteen real ales available, with a mild and porter always on that list of options.

    We were delayed a little by a rather out of their depth group of customers who seemed to be already intoxicated and loud, being demanding and frustrating to the staff. However, once free of them, the atmosphere at the bar improved somewhat.

    The selection of beers, an excellent choice which is to be expected from a pub with such a positive reputation. I went for the Dead Disco from Chin Chin Brewery, which was fine but it was called a Mexican stout because of the chilli, and that element was perhaps just a little lacking. Anyway, a rather special pub and they have a collection of old Good Beer Guides and it was very lovely to be in such an award winning location.

  • Sheffield – Shakespeare Pub

    Sheffield – Shakespeare Pub

    This pub, which is now in the Good Beer Guide, has had a difficult few years involving closure and a substantial refurbishment before it reopened. But, it’s now an established and popular pub again, with an entry into the Good Beer Guide.

    This is a marvellous thing to see on the entrance into the pub, although perhaps Ross might have privately disagreed…..

    The kegs and casks list, all very clear and I like the title of Shakesbeers.

    The Milky Joe coffee milk stout from Ridgeside Brewery, an entirely acceptable beer with a pleasant flavour, although it lacked the depth of taste that I’d have ideally liked. However, still drinkable and it was at the appropriate slightly chilled temperature. The service was polite and efficient, with the staff being keen to help and offer assistance to customers.

    The external yard of the pub, where the stabling was once located for the horses when it was a coaching inn. The interior of the pub has been knocked about since it was opened in the early nineteenth century (although I had thought it was an earlier building, it had that sort of atmosphere), although I didn’t spend long trying to work out what went where. There are though several smaller rooms, with the whole pub having a real character to it, although I’d like to return when it’s quieter as I didn’t really get chance to have a proper look around the building. Another very deserved entry in the Good Beer Guide, which notes that this pub has served over 5,000 different beers over the last seven years.

  • Sheffield – Unit

    Sheffield – Unit

    Our choice of dining location for our first evening in Sheffield was the burger restaurant Unit. I think that it’s fair to say that it’s not in the most salubrious of locations, and Liam was unsure at first whether he had actually navigated us to the right place. However, inside this restaurant is on-trend, modern and the atmosphere was clean and comfortable. I quite liked the chipboard walls in the restaurant, although I understand that opinion is a little divided on this matter.

    The menu, which was of a limited size, usually a positive sign. The service here was excellent, with the staff member being engaging, attentive and helpful. The only time where we got marginally confused was when no-one told us to pay at the counter, rather than to wait at the table. But, otherwise, the whole process was seamless. There was a marginal problem that some of us, namely Liam and Scott, had eaten beforehand as they got over-excited, but we all managed to order and get through a main course.

    I went for the Buff Ting chicken burger and this was way above average, well presented, a fair portion size and all at the appropriate hot temperature. The chicken was tender and moist, with the coating being rich and flavourful. The gherkins were battered and complemented the meal well, with the fries being firm on the exterior and slightly fluffy on the interior. The salad elements added texture and the mayo added flavour, with the whole meal representing good value for money. I was the only one of the five of us to go for a chicken burger, but I’m reliably informed that the beef burgers were also excellent.

    I have to admit that I failed to notice at the time that the promised coleslaw wasn’t served with the burger, something I’ve only realised as there are several other complaints on-line about this made against the restaurant.

    A tempting range of ice creams were at the front counter. Unit isn’t licensed, so there aren’t any alcoholic drinks, with their dining atmosphere being somewhere between a fast food outlet and a restaurant, although it was spacious and table service was offered.

    Overall, all very lovely, failing solely on missing the coleslaw from the meal which is a little bizarre since it seems to be such a common complaint made against the restaurant. The restaurant is also doing well as there have been 150 reviews for them on TripAdvisor and they haven’t yet picked up a 1 out of 5 star, which is quite an achievement in itself.

  • Sheffield – Bar Stewards

    Sheffield – Bar Stewards

    Excuse Scott in the above photo, he’d just had two half pints of beer in under an hour. This micro-pub opened in 2016 in what had previously been a boarded up row of shops.

    The keg and cask beer list with what I thought was a well curated choice of options.

    The bar of this micropub and shop, which is relatively small in size, but it has a quirky and laid-back feel to it. My only comment is that it is a micropub, as if it wasn’t listed in the Good Beer Guide, I might not have visited it because initially I thought it was primarily a shop. The service was efficient and the staff members seemed knowledgeable about the beer options, although I’d have been rather surprised if they hadn’t been.

    This is the Festive Star from Northern Monk brewery, which confused me for a while as I couldn’t work out what the taste was that I wasn’t getting. It transpired to be cinnamon, probably because that’s not a flavour that I’m used to in beer. When I realised what it was (only after Nathan had told me) it made much more sense and had a very Christmasy feel. This is certainly a beer which would go brilliantly well with a Festive Bake from Greggs.

  • Sheffield – Crow Inn

    Sheffield – Crow Inn

    Formerly known as the Sleep Hotel and the Old Crown Hotel, the Crow entered the Good Beer Guide in 2019. The building has a rather more murky past, as a drinker was murdered here in 1859 when sitting in one of the pub’s snug areas. It was also a pub used during the Chartist protests and also suffered during what are now the infamous Sheffield Gang Wars in the 1920s.

    The local media reported the 1859 murder:

    “About ten o’clock on Monday night James Lindley, saw-grinder, was shot while sitting at the Crown Inn, Sheffield. The ball entered his left temple and lodged behind the eye. He is expected to die. Lindley had previously been shot at, and attempts had been made to blow up his house, and he has now, no doubt, been shot for refusing to join the Sawgrinders’ Union”.

    The union was also known as the Ratteners and was a violent organisation, it attempted to destroy residential and commercial buildings, with violence and injury being commonplace.

    Anyway, enough of the history of the building and back to the present. The selection of keg beers was well measured and interesting.

    I had some difficulty photographing the pump fronts as it was busy, but I had the Praline Stout from Lost Industry brewery. This was excellent, although I notice that some on-line reviews don’t agree, with a depth of taste to it and a flavour of sugar and nuts (the beer I mean, not the on-line reviews).

    The pub was welcoming and the staff member at the bar was friendly and efficient, with the prices being reasonable. It was busy during our visit, but we were able to find a table after a while, and the atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming. A well deserved entrant into the Good Beer Guide.

  • Sheffield – Smoke

    Sheffield – Smoke

    For our second evening in Sheffield, we went to one of the better reviewed restaurants in the city, Smoke, which specialises in BBQ food. The signs for this chain are perhaps slightly ominous, as they’ve closed two of their three outlets and this is the only one remaining. However, it appeared busy when we entered and there was a relaxed vibe and atmosphere.

    Although we had changed the booking size to five, the restaurant still thought we were six and they seated us a high table. We were fortunate that it was five of us, as the table didn’t really hold six comfortably and it seemed a bizarre placement from the manager as it would have verged on being uncomfortable. However, for five, all was well.

    The service was attentive and polite throughout, with the staff member being knowledgeable and keen to help. It all contributed to the relaxed atmosphere in the restaurant and other groups seemed to be enjoying their experience.

    There’s a nice touch of free glasses of popcorn.

    The biggest problem, for me anyway, about the restaurant is that their beer choice seems poorly collated in my view. Byron do this as well, a selection that seems to be disjointed, with a few mediocre options and no dark beers at all. It’s like having a wine menu with two poor white wines, four good white wines, one rose and no red wine. So, I had water. What was marginally more irritating is that they had a decent beer on their on-line menu (which transpired to be from a previous year), but that didn’t appear on the menu in the restaurant.

    The chicken was excellent, the exterior was crisp and flavoursome whilst the meat itself came off the bone. The chips were twice cooked and weren’t greasy, whilst the onion strings had a crunch to them but they still maintained the texture of the onion. There was a BBQ sauce available on the table which had been prepared for the restaurant and this was rich and added to the proceedings. The portion size was perfectly reasonable for the £13 that was being charged and the food was well presented.

    Overall, the food was well above average and represented decent value for money, so we felt that we had chosen correctly. The downside was the beer as I can think of few US restaurants that would offer such limited options and it’s also lazy to have a different menu on-line to what is in the restaurant. But, the service was friendly, the wait time was minimal, the environment was on-trend and the food exceeded my expectations, so I’ll forgive them the beer.