Category: Pubs

This month’s guide to pubs along bus and tram routes is focused on the City to Totley part of bus route 97, operated by First South Yorkshire. In the City Centre this runs from High Street, the Peace Gardens and Moorfoot before heading out onto London Road, Abbeydale Road and Baslow Road, terminating at Gillifield Wood – the county boundary! Arriving back in the city centre Eyre Street and Arundel Gate is served. Additionally TM Travel bus 218 runs from Sheffield Interchange and follows the same route from Moorfoot to Totley before continuing to Matlock. These buses are supplemented by others as far as Broadfield – First buses 75, 76 and 98 along with Stagecoach bus 87. Once in Totley, local bus M17, operated by TM Travel, provides connections to some other local pubs in the Dore, Totley and Bradway area during the daytime. A day ticket for First buses in Sheffield (FirstDay) costs £3.80 or a day ticket on all buses and trams in Sheffield (Citywide) costs £4.50. These tickets are sold by the bus driver.

City Centre

Bankers Draft

Large two floor Wetherspoons with a bar on each floor offering a selection of real ales at reasonable prices along with their usual food offering.

Church House

A nice bar run by Heineken with food available, a range of real ales offered from their portfolio which includes Caledonian Brewery.

Roebuck

Traditional City Centre pub, food available, live music nights held – see advert

Mulberry Tavern

Comfortable, traditional City Centre bar upstairs with real ales and pool table, live music venue downstairs.

London Road

Old Crown Inn

A classic pub with a modern makeover, three real ales are available which generally fall into the ‘local favourite’ category and bar snacks are served. Very busy with Sheffield United fans on match days.

Cremorne

Good beer range can be found in this long thin pub that could have its look described as ‘shabby chic’ where you will find football supporters and musos happily rubbing shoulders. Bar snacks available.

Picture House Social

Located underneath the old Abbeydale Picture House, you descend a staircase from an almost anonymous frontage into a smart lounge which is a modern and fashionable design with a nod to the building’s art deco style. Three real ales are available, additionally interesting bottled beers from both the UK and rest of world are featured with guest bottles listed on the blackboard, these are sourced via Hop Hideout. As well as the lounge containing the bar, there is a diner and games room.

Broadfield

Part of the Forum Group and nicely refurbished with a vague railway and alehouse mixed theme, when you enter there is a central bar with a dining area to the left and drinking area to the right. An extensive beer range is featured with something interesting always available and on the food side of things the pub is famous for its pies.

Millhouses

Recently refurbished and offering a selection of real ales and good food.

Robin Hood

Part of the Ember Inns chain with their usual homely interior design and food menu, the bar features 10 handpumps generally with a variety of 5 beers on at any one time, the other pumps being prepared for the beers coming up next.

Wagon & Horses

Part of the Flaming Grill chain, this place is mostly about the dining with burgers, steaks etc, however it does have a proper pub section. Beers are mostly well known national brands.

Jack’s Bar

Located under the Beauchief Hotel, this is a comfortable cellar bar, however if the weather is nice there is also a pleasant beer garden. The beer is from Thornbridge.

Cross Scythes

A gastropub with hotel rooms in the adjoining building and an artificial beer garden at the rear. Although much of the pub is a dining area where good food is served and staff look the part, those just popping in for a drink are still made most welcome. A choice of three real ales are available, including a changing guest beer. Walk from the main road down Hillfoot Road to reach the following two pubs:

Crown Inn

proper country pub with a selection of well known beers and home cooked food. Cricket Inn – a long established pub located next to the Cricket green (the pub’s beer garden is on the same field!). This is part of the Brewkitchen chain of gastro-pubs which is a partnership between Thornbridge Brewery and Richard Smith’s restaurants. Via bus M17 – board on Baslow Road, next stop down from Cross Scythes:

Dore

Devonshire Arms

Offers a range of around 6 real ales with a mixture of local brews and well known national brands. Large multi room pub with lounge, pool table room and an adjoining wine bar/bistro.

Hare & Hounds

Looks like a row of terraced cottages from the outside, the pub is long and thin with two rooms, one a comfortable room catering for diners enjoying the value for money menu, the other a more basic tap room for drinkers. Real Ales are normally Tetleys Bitter, Abbeydale Moonshine and a guest.

Totley Rise

Shepley Spitfire

Recently refurbished Greene King estate pub with a pleasant drinkers lounge, pool table area and separate dining area. Beer garden at rear.

Bradway

Old Mother Redcap

A fairly modern pub in a farmhouse style building next to Bradway bus terminus, inside the bar area is L-shaped and offers mainly fixed seating. The pub is owned by Samuel Smiths Brewery and offers all their own products at reasonable prices. Food served at most meal times.

Castle Inn

At the end of a row of terraced cottages above the railway cutting, this pub has three cosy rooms – tap room, lounge and restaurant along with a beer garden at rear. The three real ales change regularly and are mainly from breweries in Yorkshire and the East Midlands. Lunchtime meals are served daily except Monday, evening meals Tuesday to Saturday.

Still under the Stephens’ Empire (ahem, Reet Ale Pubs) umbrella, the Three Tuns has recently seen the promotion of Kate Major to Imperial Overlord, following in the footsteps of Emperor Andy himself. Under this new regime the first Major change will be our new Sunday opening times. From November 2^nd we will be open from 12-6pm for delicious, homemade Sunday roasts. With the well-known and well-loved cider pig sandwiches, halloumi burgers, bangers and mash, and changing specials board growing ever more popular, we decided it was time to venture into the Kelham Island Sunday lunch trade. Our food times during the rest of the week are remaining the same, Monday-Friday 11.30-9pm, Saturday 12-9pm. Another change is our new cider hand-pump, serving cellar cooled real cider on the bar to compliment our 6 rotating real ales. Blue Bee obviously show their beery faces a lot on our bar, with their regulars and specials making frequent appearances, but we are also excited to be able to showcase beers from other exceptional nearby breweries, such as Great Heck, Red Willow, Acorn, and many more. Finally, thank you to all who made it down to our Pub of the Month party in September, we all had a thoroughly good night, although the Friday lunch shift afterwards was fairly painful. However, we are not satisfied, we need more parties!!! Our first birthday is being celebrated on Thursday 6^th November, right here at the Three Tuns, and you’re all invited. Starting at 7pm, there will be beer, food, and even more sherbet than at PotM.

If you are not familiar with the micropub concept, it is basically a small pub based in a converted shop unit where the operating costs are low, there is no entertainment, food is limited to bar snacks such as cheese, pork pies, crisps and nuts and the drinks range is a limited specialist selection including cask ales. They offer a relaxed and friendly environment that is all about good beer and conversation. There are two notable established micropubs in Chesterfield – the Chesterfield Alehouse on West Bars and the Beer Parlour at Whittington Moor – both of which have been recent recipients of Chesterfield CAMRA Pub of the Season awards. Here in Sheffield, the closest we have is a pop-up Micropub in the form of the Walkley Beer Company which opens on selected weekends in a former florists shop with temporary tables and seats, 3 cask ales served on gravity and an interesting selection of bottled beers. There are plans for this place to become a more permanent fixture. However there is another on the horizon in the shape of  the Beer House. Planning permission has now been granted to convert a former e-cigarette shop at 623 Ecclesall Road, by Hunters Bar roundabout, that has been standing empty into a micropub and it is hoped to be trading by Christmas. The pub layout will see a bar area down the left hand side as you walk in, toilets at the back and a seating area in the middle. The bar will offer a range of cask beers and imported lagers. Behind this project is Chris Sinclair who owns the Dronfield Arms along with business partner John Harrison. You can follow progress on Twitter by following @BeerHouse623

Sheffield is home to a lot of very good real ale pubs, with a concentration of them along the tram route in the City Centre and Upper Don Valley (Blue route towards Malin Bridge and Yellow route towards Middlewood. Between Fitzalan Square and Hillsborough the two routes combine to give a tram every 5-10 minutes). The trams are now running a full service on these routes again following engineering work over the summer to replace some of the rails and for a two week period (29th September to 12th October) there will be some promotional fares to celebrate (maximum single fare £1.70, all day tram pass for £3, weekly tram pass for £10 or monthly tram pass for £31.50). The normal ticket prices are £2.20 maximum single, £4 for a Stagecoach bus & tram Dayrider or £13.50 for a Stagecoach Weekly Bus & Tram Megarider. So to celebrate both facts, here is a guide to some of the pubs along the tram route. It is not intended to be comprehensive as there are a lot of pubs and limited space – see WhatPub to find out about other pubs you could visit and Supertram for more information about the tram service.

Sheffield Station

Blue and Purple tram routes The tram stop is linked to the railway station by the station footbridge, on platform 1B you will find the Sheffield Tap, a ‘World Beer Free House’ located in the restored Edwardian refreshment rooms. It also has its own on site brewery that can be viewed, producing a range of ales under the ‘Tapped Brew Company’ banner. On the bar you will find 11 handpumps – 10 dispensing a range of real ales including Tapped Brew Co, Thornbridge Brewery and guests, the remaining handpump is for cider. There is also a massive range of craft beers on keg and bottle. Also nearby: Rutland Arms (Brown Street), Old Queens Head (Pond Hill), Showroom Cafe Bar (Paternoster Row), Howard (Howard Street) and Globe (Howard Street)

Castle Square

Blue Yellow Purple At the heart of the tram system, Castle Square tram stop is also home to the Bankers Draft Wetherspoons pub. A range of reasonably priced real ales are available across two bars (one upstairs and one downstairs) and food served all day. At the rear of the Bankers Draft (Accessible via passageways by Argos or Pizza Hut) on Hartshead Square is the Dove & Rainbow, a rock pub also featuring real ale and real cider along with a pool table and pinball tables. Show your CAMRA membership card to get a discount on the beer. Also nearby: Mulberry Tavern (Arundel Gate), Cavells (High Street)

Cathedral

Blue Yellow Purple From the tram stop, walk across the Cathedral forecourt and down the footpath at the side onto Campo Lane, cross over to Paradise Square and walk down the road that passes diagonally along the top of the square and you will come to the Three Tuns, an unusual long thin triangular shaped pub that is smartly decorated but with a relaxed, friendly atmosphere. six real ales feature including at least one from Blue Bee Brewery (which is owned by the same people) along with Westons Cider and home cooked food. Also nearby: Wig & Pen (Campo Lane), Church House (St James Place)

City Hall

Blue Yellow From the City Hall tram stop, keep walking in the uphill direction to the traffic lights then drop down the passageway at the side of the Maida Vale music bar (which also offers real ale) onto Trippet Lane where you will find a cluster of three venues. The Dog & Partridge is a proper old fashioned multi-room pub that has benefited from a recent refurbishment, a choice of local beers are on the bar and during food hours you can get ‘Irish Tapas’. Always a warm welcome from the landlord and staff here and show your CAMRA membership card to get a discount on beer. Also offering a traditional pub environment is the Grapes, just a few doors up, then across the road is Dada bar, run by Thornbridge Brewery. This is a fairly quirky place with a bar serving two rooms – a relaxed front room with windows and art and a darker back room that feels like a miniature night club. Most nights there are either DJs or live music there to entertain. On the bar, although craft keg dominates, there are four handpumps serving quality real ale – at least two Thornbridge casks with guest ales often available plus cider. Also nearby: Museum (Orchard Street), Bessemer (Leopold Street), Waterworks (Division Street), Benjamin Huntsman (Cambridge Street), Henry’s (Cambridge Street), Sportsman (Cambridge Street).

West Street

Blue Yellow This is a very lively part of Sheffield with countless places to eat and drink. However if you aren’t up for the party atmosphere on the main West Street drag, there are more laid back civilised places on parallel roads! Closest to the tram stop is the Wick at Both Ends. During the day quality food is served with table service and a laid back vibe and in the evening there is usually a DJ on and a livelier atmosphere. Three real ales normally available on the bar and look out for ‘after work social’ discounts. Walk further up to the junction and turn left and on the edge of the West One complex you will find the Hop, a two level bar run by Osset Brewery featuring a large range of their beers plus guests. During the daytime pie ‘n’ peas are available, in the evening there is entertainment with a programme of live music, pub quiz, games nights and more. CAMRA members discounts are available Sunday to Thursday. On the other side of West Street, just up from the tram stop is the Cavendish, a craft beer bar aimed at students with an outside drinking area too, however round the back of here on Pitt Street is the Red Deer where you can escape the riotous crowds of West Street and stumble into what feels like a nice country pub in the middle of the City. There is a good beer range here, food, friendly service and beer garden. Discounts on beer are offered to CAMRA members. Also nearby: West Street Live (West Street), Varsity (West Street), Beehive (West Street), Green Room (Devonshire Street), Forum (Devonshire Street), Common Room (Devonshire Street), Old House (Division Street), Great Gatsby (Division Street), Bungalows & Bears (Division Street), Frog & Parrot (Division Street), Bowery (Fitzwilliam Street), Devonshire Cat (Wellington Street).

University of Sheffield

Blue Yellow Just across the road from the tram stop, next to the Sainsburys Local, is the Harley Hotel. The hotel  bar is home to the Twisted Burger Company until 10pm then the bar continues until the early hours with live music or DJs. A couple of local real ales are available. Walk up Glossop Road a little further and you come to the University of Sheffield Student Union. There are two bars with real ale – Bar One which is the livelier bar and Interval which is a more relaxed café bar. Interval is accessible to the general public during the daytime and normally offers the more interesting beer range. If you leave the tram stop in the other direction after crossing the road, up past the University’s Information Commons and turn left at Brook Hill Roundabout you will come to the University Arms. This is a public house open to all that is operated by the University and has recently reopened after being refurbished over the summer holidays. This pub offers a relaxed, traditional atmosphere, a nice selection of beers and a proper beer garden. Also nearby: Bath Hotel (Victoria Street), Swim Inn (Glossop Road), Doctors Orders (Clarkson Street)

Shalesmoor

Blue Yellow Right on the tram stop – well around the corner anyway – you will find the Wellington, a two room pub that hasn’t changed in years. This is the tap for the Little Ale Cart Brewery. Look out for evidence of humour from the staff and regulars. There is a beer garden at the back. On the other side of the roundabout from the tram stop is the Ship Inn, another pub that hasn’t changed in years. A selection of local ales and friendly service features here. Keep walking along the dual carriageway past the Ship and when you come to a small block of shops and cafes, turn left onto Bowling Green Street and this will bring you out alongside two real ale pubs. On your right is the Kelham Island Tavern, CAMRA’s current Yorkshire Pub of the Year and on your left is the Fat Cat, which was one of Sheffield’s first multi real ale free houses. The Fat Cat is also the tap for Kelham Island Brewery. Both pubs offer a great range of beers, a traditional multi room pub atmosphere and a well tended beer garden. If you walk past the Kelham Island Tavern back to the main road, cross over onto Gibralter Street, you will come to Shakespeare’s. This has a large ever changing beer range, multiple rooms including upstairs live music venue and beer garden at rear. Also nearby: Harlequin (Nursery Street), Riverside (Mowbray Street), Milestone (Ball Street)

Infirmary Road

Blue Yellow A short walk from here are a couple of pubs that are brewery taps. You need to be on the other side of the road from Tescos at the City end of the platform and walk down Bedford Street, past the bus depot onto the main Penistone Road. Cross at the traffic lights and walk straight across onto Rutland Road and when you come to the next crossroads you have a choice of turning left to the Gardeners Rest, the tap for Sheffield Brewery which is one of the few pubs with a bar billiards table, the pub has three rooms including a snug, lounge and conservatory plus a riverside beer ‘garden’. The Gardeners also has an ever changing range of guest beers and in known for getting in new and rare ales. Alternatively carry on up Rutland Road, under the railway arches and on the right you will see the Forest, which acts as the tap for Toolmakers Brewery.

Bamforth Street

Blue Yellow Walk away from the tram stop in the Hillsborough direction and downhill via Bamforth Street, at the bottom on the left you will find the New Barrack Tavern, a multi-room roadhouse owned by Castle Rock Brewery of Nottingham featuring their beers plus guests and reasonably priced food. Live music and comedy clubs often feature at the weekend and the more discerning Sheffield Wednesday football supporters and Sheffield Eagles rugby supporters have made this pub their home on match days!

Hillsborough

Blue Yellow Here, conveniently located on the outbound platform, you will find the Rawson Spring Wetherspoons pub with the usual good value range of beers and food housed in a converted swimming baths.

Malin Bridge

Blue Yellow A short walk along the one way system from the tram terminus is Champs, a sports bar with real ale and snacks available.

Leppings Lane

Yellow This is the tram stop near the Sheffield Wednesday ground, however on a nearby back street (Catchbar Lane) is the Riverside Cafe & Bar on two floors. Downstairs is an excellent little bistro, however upstairs is a bar with three locally sourced real ales and a terrace overlooking the river and football ground! Note the bar only opens at the weekend. From Middlewood tram terminus there is a bus link to Deepcar and Stocksbridge and from Malin Bridge tram terminus there is a bus link to Stannington, there are more pubs in these places however that is another article in itself…