Just one month after opening, Trattoria Maria in Sheffield city centre has made it onto the coveted Good Food Guide.
When it was announced last year that the masterminds behind Bench and The Pearl, two award-winning Sheffield venues, were setting their sights on opening an Italian trattoria in the city centre we couldn't believe our luck.
Maria, located on Wellington Street in the new heart of the city development, is a homage to owner Ronnie's grandmother and a nod to his southern Italian heritage.
It's a space unlike anything in the city, a small but perfectly-formed space complete with counter dining where you can watch the magic happen.
Images: The Sheff
And magic really is happening, because the food is nothing short of brilliant.
But it's not just us who think so, as Maria has got the attention of The Good Food Guide - an established guide to the very best pubs, cafes and restaurants across the UK.
Getting a spot on the guide just four weeks after opening is truly an impressive feat, here's what the guide had to say about Maria: "The quaint name (and Nonna namesake) contrasts the very urban setting of this new arrival from the team behind beloved Bench.
Images: The Sheff
"On a particularly uncharacterful street in Sheffield's 'Heart of the City' development, the exterior is all flat walls and fogged windows, while inside it's one big room which gets buzzy and loud of a weekend evening.
"There are real gems to be found among the antipasti - stracciatella and caponata with very soft focaccia for dunking or superb saffron and cuttlefish ragu arancini - while the southern Italian sunshine dominates the pastas and secondi."
Announcing the news to Instagram, Maria said: "we are delighted to announce, after just four weeks, we have been listed in the good food guide.
"we are super proud of the whole team for this achievement after such short period of time. congratulations to you all."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves, congratulations Maria and the team - an accolade very much deserved.
A Sheffield neighbourhood has been crowned one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the UK by Time Out Magazine.
Every year we wait with bated breath to see which UK neighbourhoods make the cut of Time Out's annual list of the world's coolest neighbourhoods.
But, the UK is just so damn cool that they've made us a list of our own.
In their recent guide of '11 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the UK', they set out to decipher the very best places to live in the country that are flourishing with new openings, community spirit and simply oozing 'coolness'.
Images: The Sheff
And a Sheffield neighbourhood made it onto the list - obviously.
Crookes is infact the only Yorkshire neighbourhood to get a shoutout, and to be honest we're hardly surprised.
We love it for its fantastic foodie offering, bustling independent scene and great people - but let's see what Time Out had to say.
Daniel Wray, contributing writer for Time Out said: "Once considered purely a place for students, Crookes has undergone a shift in its development and demographic in recent years, quietly and subtly morphing into a wonderfully self-contained neighbourhood that is now a go-to food and drink hotspot.
"Much like Sheffield, this little suburb is not flashy or fussy – it’s an under-the-radar residential area – but it packs a lot of punch for its size."
Images: The Sheff
He then goes on to describe his perfect day out in Sheffield, highlighting spots like Crumb, Pom, Tanaya Wines and Crookes Social Club.
He finishes by suggesting: "Crookes is excellent year-round, but perhaps try a June visit during Sheffield Wine Week when Bole Hills is home to a buzzy outdoor wine festival."
Daniel, we really couldn't agree more.
You can read the full list of the UK's coolest neighbourhoods here.
Inside Proof – Sheffield’s new bookshop, bar and cafe all rolled into one
Clementine Hall
A beloved Sheffield bookshop is back but this time, there's booze.
You may remember back in January when Novel sadly had to close its doors due to circumstances beyond the team’s control.
Since opening in Crookes in 2024, co-owner Katie and the team had experienced ongoing intimidation and harassment, eventually leading to the decision to close the much-loved bookshop and bar indefinitely.
It was a heartbreaking turn of events for a business that had quickly become a much-loved part of the Crookes community.
Images: The Sheff
At the time, it felt like it might be the end of Novel but thankfully, it wasn't. Because Novel is back - but not quite as you might remember it.
Introducing Proof, your new bookshop/cafe/wine/beer bar.
It's basically everything we love in this world rolled into one, and we're big fans of it along with the rest of Crookes.
Of course the book selection is just as brilliant as it was at Novel, with shelves stacked with some of the hottest books around, all hand-picked by Kate, so you know you’re in safe hands when it comes to the reading recommendations.
Images: The Sheff
Great coffee is on hand courtesy of Cloud so you can settle in for a brew and a browse, but if that won't quite cut it they've also got a selection of natural wines and beer on offer. Genuinely, what more could you want?
Just grab a brew, pick up a book and settle in for a while. Is this one of the coolest new openings to hit Crookes? We reckon so.
They're open Fridays and Saturdays 12 - 10:30pm, so make sure you swing by and welcome Proof back to Crookes.
Clementine Hall -
18th May 2026 
