HEAD SHEFFAlex Shaw is the chef at one of our favourite restaurants, COIN, in Hebden Bridge. We asked him to spend the day eating and drinking in Sheffield, he said YES.

From the Magazine | August 11, 2025

Sheffield, famous for the finest steel in the world, Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, The Human League, Richard Hawley, Sean Bean… But you knew that already. What you might not know is that Sheffield has a burgeoning food and drink scene. Among the old steel giants, run-of-the-mill sandwich shops, average takeaways and old pubs turned apartments, there are some hidden gems that Bother wanted to learn about. I took Sarah Hatton, formerly of Starmore Boss (more on them soon), and latterly Sheffield’s Tanaya Wine, to explore some of our favourite Sheffield haunts.

Alex Shaw

Bragazzi’s

A Nether Edge institution for over 20 years, this superb cafe is like stepping into Italy, but with a Sheffield accent. Matteo has ensured the place that bears his family name serves only the best coffee, courtesy of one of his alumni, Tom Wilkinson at Darkwoods coffee roasters.

There is a small selection of panini, not the nasty frozen-bread-through-a-press type, with bright Italian flavours on fresh, locally produced focaccia, liberally doused in excellent-quality olive oil. A selection of pastries and cakes are always available to go alongside your coffee.

We chose a whipped feta, peppers, basil, onion and mixed leaf sandwich, which had a lovely, light texture and fragrant flavour. A mascarpone-vanilla crumble tart was a perfect accompaniment to the best coffee this side of Florence.

Alex eyeing up the Darkwoods coffee in Bragazzi's

Delicious focaccia & tart for afters

MEAT!

Tonco

The bustling area of Sharrow Vale has started to overshadow its snobbish, long-standing rival, Ecclesall Road. While the former thrives, the latter’s row of shopfronts look more like broken teeth each time I visit.

Tonco is a big player in the shift in where to be seen. With an excellent mix of bakery, coffee, groceries and hot food, Tonco ticks a lot of boxes. The offering is mostly breakfast- and brunch-based, all made in house and served by friendly, chatty staff.

The potato rosti, fried egg and crème fraîche was a lovely texture, with a perfect egg and a rosti that Anton Mosimann would be proud of. An in-house pain au chocolat had a lovely lamination and buttery flavour, superb dipped in my rich, hot chocolate.

How to decide?

This was demolished.

And then this.

JH Mann

Owned and run by chef Christian Szurko, this is doubtless the best fishmonger in the city. Christian honed his trade at J Sheekey and The Ivy (when The Ivy meant something, not the pastiche of itself it has become). And he has taught me a few things over the years.

The shop is dominated by the chilled counter, brimming with excellent-quality fish, shellfish and smoked or cured fillets. There are a few bar stools to perch at, or you can eat at Christian’s restaurant, Native, on Gibraltar Street.

Stop off at JH Mann's.

Chatting to the expert.

Fishmongers finest. We can smell it already.

Starmore Boss

Two doors down from Mann’s, this Tardis of a shop has an incredible selection of booze. It’s a remarkable place, curated by Barry Starmore and Jeff Boss, both former employees of the sadly no more Oddbins. It’s home to one of the biggest selections of spirits outside the M25, and I’m told the biggest range of tequila in the north, just the thought of which makes me reach for the Rennies.

Wine is where their heart is though, and they do it superbly. Forget supermarket trash and treat yourself to a decent bottle. Having said that, I didn’t leave with wine, but a £50 bottle of 12-year-old Kilkerran Campbeltown single malt whisky.

Starmore Boss have you covered.

Can't resist a browse. Stocks up.

Kelham Island Tavern

Saved from dereliction in 2002, the tavern has been here since 1830. Once surrounded by saw makers, now by apartments, the Kelham has to be one of the most decorated pubs in the UK when it comes to accolades. It has won National Pub of the Year two years in a row, and Regional Pub countless times. Rightly so.

We drank an excellent couple of pints of award-winning Barnsley Bitter, a classic Yorkshire ale, delighting in the malty and slightly sweet, classic bitter hops, and feasted on a 1lb pork pie made by Watterall’s, just up the road in Neepsend. Watterall Bros are serious about their pies, declaring the recipe as a closely guarded secret. Obviously, no Sheffielder would be seen eating a pork pie without lashings of Henderson’s relish, and when we asked for it, there was no hesitation in bringing us a bottle. Perfect.

Get in ma' belly.

Nice slurp of Barnsley Bitter.

Don't leave your pie behind.

Two Steps

We ended the day in a traditional way. Two Steps have been serving fish and chips on this site for 130 years, and it’s likely the oldest fish and chip shop in the world. The name comes from how locals differentiated from other purveyors in the area 100 years ago. ‘Go to the one with the two steps.’.

The history is wonderful, and so are the chips. Everything is cooked in beef dripping, and Yorkshire fishcakes are always available here. I suggest you get one, in a butty, with a load of salt and malt vinegar, and a spoonful of mushy peas. Pure heaven.