Bench

*Hannah Hall (ex-The Pearl at Park Hill) has taken over as head chef, with Ronnie Aronica moving to an executive chef role.* Jack Wakelin, chef Ronnie Aronica and house baker Dan Ward are in expansive mood, but their original neighbourhood bar and restaurant in the Nether Edge district of the city is still on song, serving local ingredients with care and referencing the UK's current foodie scene – championing neglected cuts of meat, cooking with fire and adding some nuances inspired by Ronnie’s Italian heritage. Menus shift with the seasons; in the early part of the year, that might mean sausage and romesco ragù on grilled bread, chalk stream trout with blood orange and sea herbs or smoked leeks with white beans and Gorgonzola. And if you’re in the mood for a slab of red meat, the kitchen can deliver a hearty grilled sirloin steak with pickled walnut and green peppercorn sauce. After that, keep things traditional and local with a serving of Yorkshire forced rhubarb and custard or strike out with lemon tart and Italian meringue. Most of the action takes place around a polished slab of wood at the heart of the place (the titular ‘bench’), with an open kitchen counter and high tables offering views of Nether Edge’s street action outside. Staff are unfailingly helpful, exceptionally kind and attentive, without any airs or graces - ‘this is no pretentious interloper in humble Sheffield,’  as one regular noted. Readers are also quick to praise the inspired drinks offer, from ‘exquisitely crafted cocktails’ to ‘funky natural wines’ – all served in peak condition.