{"id":287049,"date":"2025-07-24T04:56:35","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T04:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/287049\/"},"modified":"2025-07-24T04:56:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T04:56:35","slug":"9-of-the-best-things-to-do-in-sheffield","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/287049\/","title":{"rendered":"9 of the best things to do in Sheffield"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve lived in Sheffield for over 20 years and, when I\u2019m out walking the dog first thing up at Graves Park as the sun creeps up over the whole city, I never cease to be bowled over by its beauty. Visiting friends from London always marvel at the tremendous pubs (and the price of a pint!), and when so many cities have been lost to rapid gentrification with Identikit high streets, Sheffield has always managed to retain a distinct personality and character that I cherish. <\/p>\n

Sheffield is a magnificent city break and countryside retreat wrapped up in one. It was once known for its world-leading steel trade, which stretches back to the 14th century, hence its former \u201cSteel City\u201d moniker. There are plenty of leftover industrial buildings, with many now taking on new leases of life in culture or hospitality, such as food halls, markets, recording studios, restaurants and bars. But as one of Europe\u2019s greenest cities it\u2019s also bursting with public parks (more than 80), acres of woodland, and manicured gardens to explore. The incredibly hilly terrain, combined with its immediate proximity to the spectacular Peak District, which is only a ten-minute drive from the west side of the city, means that Sheffield is punctuated with remarkable views (Bamford Edge is gorgeous for sunsets \u2014 or climb nearby Win Hill for even more of a panoramic view). <\/p>\n

Sheffield has a longstanding history of pioneering music and culture, too \u2014 from bands such as Pulp, the Human League and Arctic Monkeys to the award-winning Warp Films, which produced 2025\u2019s huge TV hit Adolescence and many Shane Meadows films. It\u2019s a city that remains proudly independent and from caf\u00e9s to record shops, bars to vintage clothing stores, that independence is one of Sheffield\u2019s defining characteristics. And it\u2019s only two hours away from London by train, making it an easy day trip if you\u2019re short on time. These are my top picks for what to do.<\/p>\n

This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue<\/p>\n

1. Explore city centre greenery \"Sheffield<\/p>\n

The Botanical Gardens<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

Sheffield has long since distanced itself from the nickname \u201cSteel City\u201d and now proudly brands itself the \u201cOutdoor City\u201d \u2014 justifiably so. With about 22,600 acres of green space taking up over 60 per cent of the city \u2014 about 4.5 million trees and over 800 exquisitely maintained green spaces, including parks, woodlands, and public gardens, the city is spoilt when it comes to idyllic spots. Even the rivers of the city centre double up as places to paddleboard, canoe or kayak. <\/p>\n

Make sure to visit the pretty botanical gardens, home to 5,000 species of plants and, slightly bizarrely, a bear pit that dates back to the 19th century. If you\u2019ve got time to spare, swing by nearby Sharrow Vale Road, a buzzy little street full of independent shops and caf\u00e9s. Try the pastries at Tonco, a brew at Porter Coffee or some award-winning Mexican at Pellizco. Then stroll up to the sprawling Endcliffe Park, into Whiteley Woods and on to Forge Dam \u2014 you\u2019ll take in rivers, streams, woodland, parkland and end at a great caf\u00e9. <\/p>\n

Make it happen <\/p>\n

Brocco on the Park is a trendy boutique hotel overlooking Endcliffe Park, with an excellent restaurant.<\/p>\n

DC Outdoors has a range of guided outdoor activities, from introductory taster sessions to full weekend excursions and adventures. <\/p>\n

dcoutdoors.co.uk<\/p>\n

2. Dip into Sheffield\u2019s museums and galleries\"Site<\/p>\n

Site Gallery<\/p>\n

MARKETING SHEFFIELD\/VOX MULTIMEDIA<\/p>\n

Sheffield has several galleries and museums worth visiting. From family-friendly options like Weston Park \u2014 an interactive museum and gallery that covers local history, archaeology, zoology and more (free entry, donations welcome) \u2014 to contemporary art spaces such as Site Gallery (also free). The artist Pete McKee, a local favourite who has worked with everyone from Noel Gallagher to Sir Paul Smith, has his own shop and gallery in Leah\u2019s Yard, a beautifully restored grade II* listed industrial building that is now home to independent outlets, including a second art spot, the Yard Gallery. <\/p>\n

Make it happen <\/p>\n

St Paul\u2019s Hotel & Spa is a well-located and stylish spot to base yourself, relax and unwind in between gallery visits. <\/p>\n

3. Go on an ale trail \"The<\/p>\n

The Brewery of St Mars of the Desert<\/p>\n

According to a 2024 report from the University of Sheffield, the city is \u201cthe real ale capital of the world\u201d. As an avid cask ale drinker I find this conclusion hard to refute. The city is home to 58 breweries, which produce about 1,800 different beers every year. It has a huge variety of alehouses \u2014 you\u2019ll be hard pressed not to stumble across a brilliant pub in the city \u2014 making it a smashing spot for a crawl. <\/p>\n

Begin from the train station at the Sheffield Tap, which features a former Edwardian waiting and dining room turned into a resplendent drinking space, complete with on-site brewery. Then head to the Rutland Arms (as well known for its chip butties as its beer) and up to the Bath Hotel, a cosy corner pub complete with a snug and original stained-glass windows. Hop on the tram to Kelham Island to the legendary, award-winning Fat Cat (which claims to have been Sheffield\u2019s first real ale pub) and on to Kelham Island Tavern (awarded Camra\u2019s Real Ale National Pub of the Year two years running). <\/p>\n

If you prefer the fizzy stuff then fret not: Sheffield is also a haven for craft beer. The Old Shoe is slap bang in the city centre and offers such an endless rotation of beers that the menu gets updated throughout the day. You can drink pints directly from the tank at Triple Point Brewery, Hop Hideout is a brilliant bottle shop and tap room, and the Brewery of St Mars of the Desert is a cute microbrewery and taproom hidden away on an industrial estate. At the beer hall Kapital you\u2019ll find fresh, unpasteurised Czech lager delivered directly from brewery cellars in South Bohemia every week. <\/p>\n

Make it happen <\/p>\n

Join Sheffield Food Tours\u2019 guided food and beer tour, which takes in five Kelham Island beer institutions, old and new, plus three food stops.<\/p>\n

sheffieldfoodtours.co.uk\/kelhamfoodandbeertour<\/p>\n

4. Check out a festival \"The<\/p>\n

The Fringe stage area at the Tramlines festival<\/p>\n

JACOB FLANNERY FOR MARKETING SHEFFIELD<\/p>\n

Whatever time of year you visit, chances are there will be some form of festival happening. In June hundreds of documentaries from around the world are screened at Doc\/Fest. Early in July there\u2019s Crossed Wires, known as the \u201cGlastonbury of podcast festivals\u201d, and at the end of the month the Tramlines music festival takes place (2025 features the triumphant return of Pulp as headliners). October has art and left-field music at No Bounds, the literary festival Off the Shelf and the film and music festival Sensoria. Year-round you\u2019ll find festivals spanning food, music, beer, wine, film, arts, crafts and more. Sheffield has become such a mecca for specialty coffee \u2014 amazing places include Mow\u2019s, Marmadukes, 2323, Albie\u2019s, Steam Yard \u2014 that it now has the annual multi-venue Sheffield Coffee Festival (May\/June). You can check the local events guide, Our Favourite Places, to keep on top of festival event dates during your trip. <\/p>\n

Make it happen <\/p>\n

If you want to be in the thick of the action you can\u2019t get more well positioned than Radisson Blu in the city centre. It\u2019s a hotel that blends Scandinavian design with natural materials and steel details to touch upon Sheffield\u2019s industrial heritage, with a lovely rooftop bar and restaurant. <\/p>\n

5. Eat!\"Assortment<\/p>\n

Make J\u00f6ro your destination for high-end food<\/p>\n

For street food head to the enormous Cambridge Street Collective food hall, named best food hall at the British Street Food Awards in 2024, where you\u2019ll find food from around the world as well as regular DJ performances; Cutlery Works is another bustling street food hall. For more intimate offerings, Bench \u2014 centred on one long bench \u2014 is delightful, offering natural wines with small plates such as grilled Cornish octopus, red pepper and smoked garlic. No Name is smaller but packs flavour and character via its ever-changing bistro menu and relaxed bring-your-own-wine vibes. <\/p>\n

As for high-end dining, if you\u2019re going to have one blowout meal while in the city, J\u00f6ro is the place to visit. Located in a beautifully restored former paper mill in Oughtibridge, a village in the north of Sheffield (roughly a 15-minute drive from the city centre), its hyper-seasonal, modern European-style tasting menus combine local ingredients (Yorkshire-reared beef; the tips of nearby spruce trees that have only a two-week window for eating) with Japanese influence and dishes. It\u2019s a perfect combination of high-end food, such as braised pork belly with fragrant Thai broth and wild leeks or confit of Jerusalem artichoke and roasted chicken sauce, with a setting that is immaculately designed yet relaxed. There\u2019s no dress code and there are just 11 tables, all facing the open kitchen.<\/p>\n

Read our full review of J\u00f6ro at Oughtibridge Mill<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Make it happen<\/p>\n

With seven impeccably furnished apartments above the restaurant, J\u00f6ro also offers dine-and-stay packages, which include a delightful breakfast \u2014 featuring miso, banana and lime muffins, treacle soda bread, and salmon cured in citrus and kampot pepper \u2014 delivered directly to your room. <\/p>\n

jororestaurant.co.uk<\/p>\n

For a comprehensive insight into Sheffield\u2019s eclectic food scene, book a food tour of the city centre with Get Your Guide. This four-hour walking tour takes you to five top-notch restaurants and concludes with a visit to Bullion Chocolate.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Great city breaks in the UK<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

6. Dive into Sheffield\u2019s history and heritage \"Kelham<\/p>\n

Kelham Island Museum (on Kelham Island, a 20-minute walk from the city centre) celebrates 300 years of Sheffield\u2019s history and features what is considered the most powerful working steam engine in Europe \u2014 a loud and impressive thing to witness kick into gear (it gets switched on noon and 2pm from Thursday to Sunday). The museum traces the history of Sheffield\u2019s role in the Industrial Revolution, celebrates the significant role of women in the steel industry (keep your eyes peeled also for Women of Steel, a bronze statue next to City Hall) and plunges you into Sheffield during the Victorian era. It even has its own on-site pub. The museum is free to enter but welcomes donations.<\/p>\n

If architecture is your thing, then we\u2019d recommend booking a resident-led walking tour of Park Hill. It\u2019s Europe\u2019s largest grade II listed building and has stood as a towering brutalist housing estate since 1961. It was also the setting for the award-winning musical Standing at the Sky\u2019s Edge. The estate has been polished up; while you\u2019re there, don\u2019t miss South Street Kitchen for a Middle Eastern brunch or the Pearl for cocktails and small plates. Most importantly, take the opportunity to explore the vast walkways, take in the views and learn the history. <\/p>\n

A 40-minute drive away (there\u2019s also a bus service) is Chatsworth House, home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and one of the UK\u2019s most beautiful stately homes, located in spectacular grounds that stretch over a 1,000-acre park.<\/p>\n

Make it happen <\/p>\n

Why not turn your stay into a heritage experience too? Sexton\u2019s Lodge is located in the grade II* listed Gatehouse to Sheffield General Cemetery and is furnished with original pieces, lighting and antiques from the 19th century. <\/p>\n

Shearings offers an excellent, fully guided four-night tour of the Peak District, featuring a visit to Chatsworth, with Sheffield as your base.<\/p>\n

7. Sample some local produce <\/p>\n

Sheffield\u2019s most famous food export is Henderson\u2019s Relish, a delicious sweet-and-spicy condiment that\u2019s been produced since 1885. If you arrive by train you\u2019ll even notice a towering orange bottle of it painted on the station\u2019s wall, and its secret recipe is still splashed on various dishes today. I\u2019d heartily recommend sloshing it on your chips at the Rutland Arms. <\/p>\n

Local products also worth trying include honey from the Sheffield Honey Company, coffee roasted by Foundry and Dark Woods, and the lip-tingling hot sauces from Khoo\u2019s. Or sip on Birdhouse tea at their city centre teahouse before sampling Bullion\u2019s bean-to-bar craft chocolate. <\/p>\n

Make it happen<\/p>\n

Fancy experiencing something else unique to Sheffield? Why not stay in a houseboat hotel in Victoria Quays. <\/p>\n

8. Explore the neighbourhoods\"Shops<\/p>\n

Shops on Sharrow Vale Road<\/p>\n

ALAMY<\/p>\n

Central Sheffield has plenty going on \u2014 this is where you\u2019ll find the best theatres, galleries, bars and restaurants \u2014 but the city does not revolve around it. Sheffield is a pocketed place made up of idiosyncratic little neighbourhoods that developed from villages or hamlets as it grew (the city is made up of 28 wards). There\u2019s Kelham Island, which has become a buzzy food and drink hotspot and is full of atmospheric riverside beer gardens (I love the wonderfully wonky and junkyard-esque outdoor space at the Gardeners Rest), street food markets, bakeries (Depot is fantastic), taco joints (try Pi\u00f1a), independent coffee spots (Gaard), pubs and live music venues. <\/p>\n

If you like things a little slower and quieter, head southwest to leafy Nether Edge, where you\u2019ll find the aforementioned Bench and the Broadfield pub for some of Sheff\u2019s heartiest pies. Other self-contained neighbourhoods that offer an alternative to the city centre include Ecclesall Road and Sharrow Vale Road, a 20-minute walk from the city centre, where you must try Sheffield\u2019s oldest Indian restaurant, Ashoka. Or head up the hill to Broomhill for lunch at the superb caf\u00e9 Bon, then a quiet pint in the Itchy Pig micropub before dinner at Bambukat. <\/p>\n

Make it happen<\/p>\n

For a quieter and more tucked-away place to stay head to the Florentine. Located in Fulwood, it has a large sun terrace ideal for a peaceful drink and is walkable to both Broomhill and Ranmoor \u2014 both quiet areas offering plentiful food and drink options. <\/p>\n

9. Head to the Peak District \"Winnats<\/p>\n

If you want to get even further into nature, then nip into the Peak District, a 20 to 40-minute drive \u2014depending on where you end up \u2014 from Sheffield city centre. Few cities have such immediate access to remarkable countryside and it\u2019s a must for anyone visiting. Parts of the national park are accessible via train, bus and car, meaning options are plentiful for long walks, bold hikes, climbing adventures, mountain biking or casual strolls around picturesque villages.<\/p>\n

Make it happen <\/p>\n

Walking is thirsty work, so combine it with the national park\u2019s best pubs on a seven-hour Peak District pub tour. You\u2019ll visit pretty villages and stop off in six pubs, with plenty of sightseeing opportunities along the way.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Best hotels in the Peak District<\/b><\/a>
\u2022 Lake District v Peak District: which is better?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n

Have we missed anything? Add your suggestions in the comments below<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I\u2019ve lived in Sheffield for over 20 years and, when I\u2019m out walking the dog first thing up…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":287050,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8817],"tags":[748,393,4884,1620,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-287049","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sheffield","8":"tag-britain","9":"tag-england","10":"tag-great-britain","11":"tag-sheffield","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114906437040931288","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287049"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287049\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/287050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}