Why are there no Michelin-starred restaurants in Sheffield? A guide to fine dining in the Steel City

Sheffield’s relationship with the Michelin Guide is a complicated and somewhat frustrating one. It was a sad day when the latest Michelin Guide was released in 2024, as the northern city was once again fated to walk home empty handed. The truth is that its so-called walk of shame wasn't a new experience for Sheffield, which hasn’t laid claim to a Michelin-starred restaurant for nearly 10 years. The last restaurant to be awarded a coveted star was the Old Vicarage at Ridgeway back in 1998, and despite holding onto it for a respectful 17 years, sadly it lost the title of the only Michelin-starred restaurant in Sheffield back in 2015. Since then, it’s had no such luck on the award front.  

It’s not all empty pockets though, as there are still a handful of restaurants in Sheffield that hold a special mention in the Michelin guide. These restaurants have each earned a Michelin plate, so not quite a star, or even a Bib Gourmand which is the second-best prize to the much-coveted star. But still, you’re probably doing something right if Michelin says so. 

The question now: is the calibre of Sheffield’s dining scene to be judged by its seeming lack of top-class restaurants? Not in our book. To discount an entire city’s restaurant offering due to a shortfall in fine dining destinations would be culinary treason of the snootiest kind. We at SquareMeal value everything from hole-in-the-wall cheap eats to white tablecloth establishments – including everything in between. And Sheffield’s dining landscape is not to be sniffed at. In recent years, its offering of plant-based restaurants has snowballed to accommodate for the growing trend for vegan eating – that's why we compiled this essential list to the best vegan restaurants in Sheffield. And if pizza and pasta are more your thing, you’ll be delighted to hear there are a surprising number of Italian restaurants in Sheffield, too. 

But we’re here to talk about Sheffield's very best restaurants, the cream of the crop if you will, and for that we must look to the below places. We’ve rounded-up the restaurants in Sheffield with a Michelin plate, which signifies a very good restaurant. And let’s be honest, ‘very good’ by Michelin’s standards is probably very, very, very good by anyone else's. Take a look.  

Joro 

What: The Michelin Guide describes Joro as ‘a simple but stylish place’, where its ‘tasting menus have a strong Asian base and feature some unusual combinations', while using British ingredients. While its plates might say fine dining, the atmosphere at Joro is relaxed and welcoming to create an accessible dining experience. Ingredients are hyper-seasonal and responsibly-sourced, with examples being BBQ katsu pork belly, line-caught Cornish turbot with Yuzu and dashi creamed sea leeks, and Highland wagyu knuckle with wasabi mustard and watercress. Having moved to a big new site at Oughtibridge, Joro now offers rooms for overnight stays as well as a bar and all-day terrace. 
Where: 294 Shalesmoor, S3 8US
Book now: Joro

Old Vicarage 

What: Ah yes, the restaurant that fell from grace. We’re only joking, because the Old Vicarage is still an award-winning restaurant that serves really excellent food. A large part of its charm lies in its name; the restaurant is indeed located inside an old Victorian church house, although anything typically traditional about this spot ends with the building it's housed in. Its innovative, modern menus – choose from the prestige menu or the short dinner menu – see locally-sourced ingredients cooked and crafted with meticulous attention to detail. Examples of dishes include salt-baked Jerusalem artichoke braised with ginger beer and thyme vanilla, hazelnut and herb garden oil; and roast deer with truffles, pommes anna and caramelised chestnuts. A matching wine flight is also available.  
Where: Ridgeway Moor, S12 3XW
Book now: The Old Vicarage

Rafters  

What: Blowout tasting menus don’t get much better than the ones on offer at Rafters, which includes four and six-course menus (vegetarian option available), as well as a kitchen table menu to be shared. The Michelin Guide describes the food here as ‘modern, richly flavoured dishes; cooked with enthusiasm and served with pride’. Look out for Highland wagyu with coal, beetroot and blackcurrant; Scottish venison with parsnip, blackcurrant and kale; and apple cake Filey Bay whisky, toasted almond and dill.  
Where: 220 Oakbrook Road, S11 7ED
Book now: Rafters

Fischer's at Baslow Hall

What: This one's located about a half hour drive outside of Sheffield, but is well worth the trip if you ask us. Set inside a stunning country house hotel, the restaurant is led by head chef Adam Thackeray who has devised a menu using homegrown, sustainably produced ingredients sourced from local producers and handpicked from the kitchen gardens. Diners can enjoy the exquisite tasting menu in the main dining room, or Michelin recommends eating at the 'Kitchen Bench' to really soak up the action. 
Where: Calver Road, Baslow, DE45 1RR
Book now: Fischer's at Baslow Hall

The Bull's Head Holymoorside

What: At this point in the list, we're moving further out of Sheffield, but still comfortably within an hour's drive, to the Derbyshire village of Holymoorside. Don't let the cosy village pub feel of The Bulls Head fool you, the chefs here - headed up by Great British Menu veteran Mark Aisthorpe - are truly innovative. The Michelin guide particularly recommends the wild seabass 'cooked to perfection with a delicious crispy skin', but the pub's tasting and a la carte menus are always changing based on the availability of local produce.
Where: New Road, Holymoorside, S42 7EW
Book now: The Bulls Head

The Peacock at Rowsley

What: Located in Rowsley on the south-eastern edge of the Peak District National Park, hotel restaurant The Peacock will transport you straight back to the seventeenth century, with mullioned windows, antique furnishings, and roaring fireplaces. The restaurant offers contrasting menus for lunch and dinner - expect traditional fare executed to perfection for lunch, such as battered haddock and chips or goat's cheese and spinach pie, while dinner is more innovative. Expect dishes with interesting flavour profiles using the best of local produce, such as pork and eel ravioli or stone bass with tapenade, fennel and octopus.
Where: Bakewell Road, Rowsley, DE4 2EB
Book now: The Peacock at Rowsley

Stones Restaurant Matlock

What: Situated on the picturesque bank of the River Derwent, Stones serves what the Michelin guide refers to as 'unfussy, modern British dishes' with 'the odd Mediterranean touch'. You also shouldn't miss the tranquil riverside terrace, but wherever you're seated in the restaurant, enjoy a constantly evolving seasonal menu, including such delights as pan-fried hake fillet with pesto-crushed potatoes or roasted carrot and whipped feta tartlet. There are also dedicated tasting menus, with full vegetarian and vegan alternatives.
Where: 1c Dale Road, Matlock, DE4 3LT
Book now: Stones Restaurant Matlock

Restaurant Lovage by Lee Smith

What: From the mind of Great British Menu regional finalist Lee Smith, Lovage is a modern British restaurant that prides itself on its casual countryside vibe, decked out in wood-panelled walls and exposed beams to complete the look. The Michelin guide praises its 'chatty, informative team' and their enthusiasm explaining the menu, highlights of which include beef tartare with oyster mayonnaise and duck with buckwheat, cherry, kohlrabi, and citrus sauce. There's also a lunchtime 'market' set menu, for an unbelievably affordable £23. 
Where: Bath Street, Bakewell, DE45 1DS
Book now: Restaurant Lovage by Lee Smith

The Blind Bull

What: A little further into the Peak District National Park lies The Blind Bull, on a site that has been a public house since the twelfth century (Britain's fifth oldest!). If the stunning views of the moors from the conservatory weren't enough, there's the concise and well-considered menu, which includes interesting uses of local produce such as smoked eel carbonara and whole brill with nduja butter, as well as more traditional dishes such as venison pie with mash. The Michelin guide is particularly complimentary of the vegetarian offering.
Where: Little Hucklow, Buxton, SK17 8RT
Book now: The Blind Bull

There's plenty more where that came from. Take a look at our list of the best restaurants in Sheffield.