Sheffield Restaurant Reviews (Page 60)

We phoned up at about 6PM on a Saturday evening and managed to get a table for 8:30PM.

Upon arrival we were greeted by the smartly-dressed doorman and shown to our table by a waiter. The restaurant is located in an old bank, which accounts for the high ceilings and marble. I'd guess that the Italian frescos on the ceiling are a more recent addition. All very tasteful. But who on earth had the bright idea to add neon lighting? (Pardon the pun!)

We ordered a half litre of house red wine for my boyfriend, and he still insists it's the best he's had. I was driving and so only had Diet Coke.

Although the restaurant was busy, our starters arrived promptly. My ribs were lovely but the sauce was just average. My boyfriend's calamari, although fresh-tasting, was just average as well. One minor complaint at this point was that his tartar sauce never arrived.

Our main courses also arrived fairly soon after our starters had been cleared away. I had lasagne al forno and found it delicious. My boyfriend's chicken ripieno was lovely, he said.

So far so good. We were both in the mood for something sweet and so when the waiter finally asked us if we wanted dessert, we asked to see the menu.

We opted for a chocolate dessert to share. It's a pity neither of us can remember the name. Not a big shock though, considering that it never arrived after 30 minutes of waiting!

In the end we gave up and went to the bar to pay the bill. The dessert had to be removed, so they had known at some stage in the evening that we had ordered it.

Poor service at the end spoiled what had been a nice meal and great wine. Based on this we are not in a hurry to go back.

We have 6 reviews of Rossi's.

Staff lovely. Food came out quickly. We ordered hunters chicken and it came with no bacon although it clearly stated it was supposed to come with bacon on the menu, so a little disappointed. Food was lovely nevertheless.

I would have given it 5 stars if the food was as it stated on the menu.

We have 5 reviews of Admiral Rodney.

Staying in the Royal Victoria again, I had a wonderful dinner last night at Cunningham's restaurant.

The menu changes every month and I took the chance to try the meal of the month. It was an exceptional 3-course Japanese-style dinner. Starting from the entree, I more than enjoyed every single bite.

I haven't had such a wonderful salmon - main course - for a while! Sort of a surprise desert: served in a box, it started with a light smoked scent opening it. Inside was an incredibly good green-tea ice-cream, chocolate cake, fruit.

And it was topped by very good service.

Starts to be a real first-class star restaurant, I highly recommend!

Good choice of wines!

And afterwards you can just go upstairs and enjoy the cosy comfortable bedrooms.

We have 2 reviews of Cunninghams.

I had my 65th birthday party on Saturday 22nd March with you for 12 people. We could not fault the service of the staff and they could not do enough for us.

The food was first class and plenty of choice. They even helped with the birthday cake and put an indoor sparkler on it, and also assisted with photos. We all said we will be back.

Once again thank you for a great night, it made my day.

We have 26 reviews of Monk's Bridge Farm.

Looked at the lunchtime special menu. The waiter said lasagne was today's special. Turned out not to be on the lunch deal, which we thought we were getting, even checking with the waiter, who conveniently had poor English when challenged about the bill.

And we had ordered starters and desserts, 2 of each, as there were four of us and we shared them. However, everything was full price, as we were indeed mislead by the waiter, who made no effort to correct this. Needless to say the bill was much more expensive than anticipated for what was, in effect, pretty mediocre food.

We have made it a point to bypass this restaurant on principal whenever we go to Centertainment and will continue to advise friends and family to do likewise. No wonder there was only one other table occupied.

Would have given zero stars if possible.

This is the first review of Bella Italia.

A great writer wrote that "all happy families resemble one another and each unhappy family is unhappy is its own way". My dining companion and I mused on this in The Everest over a prolonged and delightful meal. Good restaurants, we decided, of which this is one, we agreed, all offer a combination of food, seating, lighting, decor and service that work together to create ambiance, welcome, pleasure, familiarity - in short - happiness.

I felt happy in The Everest in one of their comfortable, cloistered, booths, though had we been a larger party the tables to the right of the restaurant also looked inviting. My interest was piqued as we explored the menu. Though it's long-established, since 1978, and the present owner and chef have been in residence since 1998, the menu is not old-fashioned or staid and includes innovative dishes and ones not often seen in a traditional North Indian (actually Kashmiri) menu.

Over a very decent glass of house wine and whilst nibbling on poppadoms with pickles - the perfect balance, with a notably peppery mixed pickle - we chose our selection of starters; an onion bhaji - one for the traditionalists, brinjal pakora - for the vegetarians - and chicken chat - for the jaded of palate.

Chat is a traditional street snack in Delhi, usually made of a mixture of crunchy cucumber, tomatoes, herbs and nuts or seeds or chargrilled meats. The Everest's chicken chat proved to be a delicious and beautifully-presented variation on this theme with a sizable portion of chopped chicken tikka, mixed with cucumber, tomatoes, fresh herbs and a spicy sauce nestling in a perfect puri. Steam floated out of the top as we widened our eyes and tucked in. The bhaji and the pakora came sizzling on a platter with roasted onions and peppers. Both were exceptional, with the pakora winning especial praise - delicate slices of aubergine, fried in batter, but so lightly done that you could almost convince yourself it was healthy.

We applied the same logic to the main course and ordered a Prawn Saag, Aloo Gobi and "North Indian Garlic Lamb" - something else not ordinarily seen on a Sheffield curry house menu. The one dish that our host intriguingly recommended was the rice - lemon and cashew, he said, was good. Why the rice, I wondered? When I tasted it, I knew why; beautifully cooked and mixed with cashews and - here's the innovation - small pieces of lemon flesh, it was a taste sensation - fresh, nutty and a perfect combination with the creamy spinach of the Prawn Saag. Eaten alongside the wonderfully garlicky lamb it truly was a moment to remember. The potato and cauliflower dish did what it should do - provided a reminder of good Kashmiri home cooking - essentially comfort food.

Our host explained that he and the chef worked on the innovations in the menu together. The rice dish was his especial favourite of which he was rightly proud. Spices were new bought and fresh ground for cooking, he said. I could tell. He has plans to re-decorate and update the place this summer. It is a little dated but I hope he doesn't do anything too radical, change those comfortable seats too much, or the lighting, or do anything to put the staff off from offering the unobtrusive but careful service that they did. I hope his mates still sit with him in a booth, eating a mutton broth that he probably should put on the menu. I hope his daughter still waves from round the kitchen door. Because, as we said, families - and restaurants - should be happy.

We have 34 reviews of Everest.

Let me firstly start off this review by saying WOW. I do not use this term loosely, either. I shall explain why momentarily.

Let me get my only criticism out of the way first though. Myself and two friends arranged to meet inside the restaurant. One of my friends arrived at the restaurant before us and had to enter and wait in the restaurant alone. The bar area is to the back of the restaurant and my friend had to walk through a very busy restaurant to get to it. Although the bar staff acknowledged that she was on her own and tried to engage in conversation, they were very busy dealing with the first sitting of business.

My friend therefore found herself standing at a high table with another person (who was also alone). The problem was that her drinks table was extremely close to a table of diners and she told me that she felt very exposed standing there... her actual words were "I felt like my butt was in someone's face". Obviously we found this amusing but, the actual point is that the restaurant is not really set out to deal with people only wanting a drink or who are waiting to be seated.

Now to the good bit and the WOW statement...

When we finally arrived, the bar staff acknowledged us and seemed genuinely happy for our custom. We stood at the said table for about 45 minutes (we actually arrived about an hour early) before we were seated.

We had already decided that we wanted to order from the set tapas menu but found that the prices were based on two people sharing so were a little put out by this... but not for long. Our waitress, Monica, was our saviour. Not only was she probably one of the most lovely, energetic waitresses we had ever met, but her product knowledge was unbelievable.

Monica made it her business to suggest dishes and to advise how much to order and we felt very safe in her hands. She also stayed to have a brief chat (even though the restaurant was very busy) and we again felt like valued customers. Monica also seemed to have little chats with all the other customers and regularly checked in with us to see if everything was OK.

So... the food... well, what can I say apart from WOW. Every dish was beautifully presented, piping hot and the taste was exquisite. Even when the food was starting to get cooler, it was still beautiful. I would also feel very confident that no matter what dishes were ordered, the experience would be exactly the same. The menu itself seemed to cater for everyone so, on the food alone, I would recommend this restaurant.

Let me just warn you... if you are looking for a quiet night out, do not come here. Even before the salsa dancing kicked in, the restaurant was loud and vibrant... everywhere was packed!

Having decided to go to Cubana, as we were requiring a night out, I’m not exactly sure what I was expecting in terms of how the restaurant was going to change into a night venue but within minutes. The restaurant changed from an extremely busy restaurant, packed with diners, into a salsa dancing rhythm room. The bar queue also doubled, too, as people started arriving to the restaurant, ready to hit the dance floor.

There were people who were quite clearly salsa dancers, to people like us who had never salsa danced in our lives. People danced in groups and everyone seemed genuinely happy to get involved in dancing with others, too. The music also included well known chart songs with a slight salsa twist. Both friends commented that they genuinely felt like they could be in Spain... apart from the cold weather outside.

From the start of the night to the end, I can honestly say that we loved it. This restaurant can easily boast one of the best nights in Sheffield, coupled with boasting about their amazing (and very well priced) tapas dishes and excellent customer service.

If you have not tried this restaurant yet then can I politely suggest you make a reservation?!

We have 14 reviews of Cubana.

My friend and I arrived at the restaurant and were greeted by very smartly dressed and polite waiters. We were shown to our table promptly, too, and our drinks order was taken. The table was set simply but charmingly and had beautifully-presented napkins.

For a Tuesday night the restaurant seemed quite busy. The waiter informed us that it was their "All You Can Eat" buffet night. For £9.99 you could order your dishes from the menu and it worked like this; for two people sharing you could start off by ordering three starters. Once you had finished those, you could then order three more starters or move on to your mains. The mains worked the same way, too. The mains consisted of a main dish e.g. a curry dish, a naan bread and a rice or chips. We of course chose this option.

Whilst we were choosing our dishes, the waiter brought us over a stack of freshly made poppadoms, served on a traditional looking serving platter. This was accompanied by an equally attractive pickle tray, each individual "pickle" tasting fresh and appetizing.

Now I don’t know about you, but for me, the test of a good Indian restaurant comes down to one thing and one thing only... how good their onion bhajis are. I can honestly say that this restaurant can definitely boast a perfect onion bhaji, each bhaji perfectly sized, perfect texture and perfectly crispy.

As starters we also ordered the Mirchey Chicken (which had a good kick of green chillies but may be too hot for some), the Prawn Puree (a very sweet tasting dish that looked spectacular on the dinner table - I will not say why) and the Tandoori King Prawn. Now, if you order any prawn dish from the buffet menu, you are charged an extra £2 per prawn dish. I would have to say that as a starter, you may not be happy paying an extra £2 for this dish. Although the three prawns were beautifully cooked and partly de-shelled, the actual taste was quite bland. On the whole though, the starters were all freshly-cooked and the onion bhajis made the starters for me.

For our mains, we ordered the Lamb Gucchi (medium spiced, mushrooms, peppers, onions and tomato), the Akbari Sizzler Chicken (tikka meat, onion, mushroom and garlic), Ghee rice (boiled white rice in Indian butter, nuts and sultanas) and a Shahi Naan (keema, garlic, onion, coriander and cheese).

With both meat dishes, you could tell that the meat used was good quality. There was not a taste of fat anywhere and each piece of meat was as succulent as the last, the lamb especially melting in the mouth.

My friend found the Ghee rice to be too rich. I could see her point but I think that the rice perfectly complemented the Akbari Sizzler Chicken, as this was not a curry dish. The rice with the Lamb Gucchi, however, could be a little too much. Let me clarify though, each dish was impeccably cooked and piping hot when served. I would also suggest for you "tikka masala lovers" out there to certainly try the Lamb Gucchi.

We finished our meal with Kulfi, (a traditional Indian sub-continent ice-cream) and tried both a mango and pistachio flavour. For those who have never tried Kulfi before, I would highly recommend it due to its rich flavour and creamy taste.

Through the meal, the waiters were extremely polite, professional and efficient. The restaurant was spacious and airy but still felt very comfortable and relaxed, albeit a little on the quiet side.

If you like all-you-can-eat-style dining, I would definitely recommend this restaurant and I know it would definitely exceed the expectation when comparing it to the usual partially warm food that you can usually expect from a buffet-style restaurant.

The food from this restaurant speaks for itself and I would suggest that you try it out.

We have 35 reviews of Bay of Bengal.

All I can say is outstanding, food is absolutely beautiful and worth every penny!

Can't wait to come back!

We have 19 reviews of Smoke Barbecue.

We booked a little last-minute for a birthday celebration. They said that they were very busy but would try to fit us in and confirmed our reservation for 8:30PM.

We arrived and, as we had been informed, the restaurant was full, with only a couple of tables free. Luckily one of them was ours and we were seated straight away.

We were given menus immediately and also the specials menu shortly afterwards. We ordered our drinks and although the waiter said he was going to bring an ice bucket for the wine, it never materialised. Not a big problem, but when tables around us all had wine buckets, it was a little disappointing.

We placed our food order, and our starter arrived promptly. The calamari was lovely and the only complaint would be that there was a very stingy amount of sauce to accompany it.

Our main courses arrived quickly after our starter had been cleared away. We had been asked if we wanted to order any side dishes but we had, maybe naively, assumed that this meant extra chips etc... Unfortunately the chicken dish (pollo alla valdostana) was exactly as described on the menu and did not come with even a small dish of vegetables, as you might expect.

We would both describe the main courses as rather bland. The pasta had no real sauce to it and the only extras apart from the spaghetti were a splash of garlic oil, the chili and clams. The chicken dish, although nice enough, was nothing special and rather dry.

For the first time that either of us can remember, we ordered a dessert in order to leave without still feeling hungry. We opted to share baked vanilla cheesecake, as we are both fond of them. It could only be described as dry and flavourless. My boyfriend couldn't even face more than a few mouthfuls of it. The £3 cheesecake from Morrisons is far superior.

At this point in the night we were going to give our experience at Piccolino either 2 or 3 stars out of 5. We then waited over 25 minutes for a waiter to offer us coffees or our bill, but unfortunately we were never once approached. In the end we asked a random member of staff for our bill, and once we had received it we got tired of waiting again and took it to the front desk to pay.

Service had deteriorated as the evening progressed. To be fair to the staff, they were very busy and we couldn't necessarily blame them as such, but the management should have more front of house staff on hand on busy Saturday evenings.

Our bill came to just under £65 for 1 starter, 2 main meals, 1 dessert, the cheapest bottle of wine on the menu, and a glass of lemonade. Nobody minds paying for good food, but this was not. The portions were small and quite honestly tasteless.

Unfortunately due to all of the above we would not eat at Piccolino again.

We have 10 reviews of Piccolino.

A booking for a Thursday evening was made through Cosmo's website and there were no problems, they were expecting us when we arrived.

Even for a Thursday night the place was absolutely packed, and there was a short wait before we were shown to our table. Our friendly waitress took our drinks orders and explained that we could go straight to the buffet counters whilst our drinks were on their way.

We ordered a couple of bottles of wine and our waitress explained that the cola was a "bottomless" glass, which we were to fetch and refill ourselves. The cola was not a well-known UK brand (not Coca Cola or Pepsi) but was just as nice. We asked for some tap water and received five glasses that we were to fill from the soft drinks station.

There was a great selection of foods from around the world. off the top of my head I recall English roasts, Italian pastas and pizzas, Spanish risotto, sushi, and lots of different Indian, Chinese and Thai dishes. There is also a "live cooking" station but we didn't want to queue for it.

The quality of the food was impressive for an all-you-can-eat buffet. Unlike other buffets, all the foods were covered and stayed hot. We never saw anyone replenish any of the dishes, and there were a few that laid empty. But that's not to say that there wasn't plenty of choice to go around.

The desserts were small, which we enjoyed because it was possible to try a few different things. We commented that everyone seemed to have 6 or more desserts on their plates!

At £13.99 per person we all agreed that it was good value for money and the quality of the food was adequate.

Comparing it with other all-you-can-eat buffets it would have got a 5-star review except for the fact that we did find the food quite greasy (OK you do expect this to some extent) and the BBQ ribs were more gristle than meat.

Overall we would recommend Cosmo and would go back again.

We have 22 reviews of Cosmo.

I get a bit nervous and anxious when going to new places, but I have to say that my visit here was excellent. I went for lunch with my Aunty, who visits regularly.

I felt so welcome and a very warm friendly atmosphere upon entering. This place is a good size, with added quite areas. Very clean and well-maintained. The ladies are a good size and are keep excellently clean, which is quite a rare find these days.

I had a vegetarian meal, which was made to order and didn't wait long before a kind young man, who had offered me a complimentary drink whist waiting for my order, came again to tell me as soon as it was made. I then added the vegetables, which was a very good generous portion, along with gravy and sat to have my meal. It was served hot and could tell it was all fresh. I totally enjoyed it.

I will definitely be visiting again and would highly recommend it.

We have 30 reviews of Fairways Inn.

Last night I visited Cosmo in Sheffield for the first time. I have to say that I was a little reluctant to visit an "all you can eat" buffet-style restaurant who have quite bold philosophy statements. Cosmo claim to make their customers feel valued, to exceed expectations with their banquet of freshly-prepared food, to entertain on their live cooking stations, and to be the best casual dining experience, whilst still retaining a best value for money experience.

I have experienced eating at a lot of restaurants in my time and I have to say that not only do Cosmo live up to their philosophy statements and possibly exceed them, Cosmo is officially Sheffield's new "Food Mecca".

I should not have liked this restaurant, as I tend to find that buffet-style restaurant food is usually cold unless you manage to be lucky and get the food as soon as it is served. At each food station all of the food is perfectly stored and is kept piping hot. Each cuisine type has a decent range on offer, too.

Imagine as a child watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and how your eyes lit up when they went into the Chocolate Room... this was me looking at the dessert station. Each dessert individually presented like little sweet gifts.

The whole restaurant is beautifully presented, with a cool and contemporary feel but yet still feels comfortable. This is the perfect place for after work food and drinks with friends and family. Possibly not recommended if you are wanting a romantic evening with your partner... unless you are serious foodies!

A price of £13.99 is a fair price considering the fact that you would easily eat a three course meal there.

The staff are also attentive and will clear your plates quickly. All very friendly too.

Brilliant experience.

We have 22 reviews of Cosmo.

Lovely place and great staff, but very overpriced, not even a salad with the lasagne. Burger was average but had to pay extra for coleslaw. Diabolical!

Will not be returning.

We have 26 reviews of Mama's & Leonie's.

Service was good and the food lovely. Had a carvery. Well worth the money. Really busy. Would definitely go again.

We have 43 reviews of Elmwood Farm.

We went to this place last week and found not much choice. The curries were just a paste on sauce and all the chicken was on the bone - the cheapest you can get.

Not as good as the last owner of the building. Not a good night out. There are a lot better places to go and get better food.

We have 9 reviews of Aagrah.

Food slow, cold and tasteless.

Sat down at 8:20PM, served main course at 10:10PM. Barely warm. Returned to kitchen.

Rude waiter asked me if the food was now hot enough for me - I had demonstrated cold food with my finger in it.

Final offering frankly tasteless, as was my wife's.

Avoid.

We have 9 reviews of Lokanta.

Went 14th February 2014. Have been to the two previous locations over the past 22 years and yet again the place is great.

Nice service, not rushed from one course to the next, even though it was busy. The food, from starter to main, was fantastic. Would recommend to any one.

The same owner still, and meets his customers in the restaurant and nothing is too much trouble.

Will be going again soon.

We have 12 reviews of Amraj.

Absolute perfection, your day-to-day restaurant dishes are all cooked using the same base stock, these dishes are all cooked individually. There are none of your "high street" dishes, just a whole range of tantalizing, authentic recipes that have your taste buds screaming with joy.

At £11.99 per adult and £5 for under 10s you get a lot more for your money than anywhere else. I am very fussy as to where I eat and this place has gone to the top of my all-time favourites.

Try it, you won't ever regret it.

We have 19 reviews of Mirpuri Dhera.

At first glance at the menu, I thought it was expensive. After finishing the meal it was worth the money! It was all lovely from the starter to the desert and I would definitely return.

We have 6 reviews of Sette Colli.