A charming new French cafe has opened its doors in Sheffield, bringing a little je ne sais quoi to the Steel City.
Aux Bon Vivant comes from Zara and Pierre - partners in both business and life - and is promising all-day drinking, dining, and deli.
The new Campo Lane business opened its doors at the tail end of 2025 and has already become a local favourite, thanks to its varied offering and Pierre’s exceptional cooking.
As you enter the cosy space you’re faced with a huge deli counter, packed with meats, cheeses, fresh French sandwiches (including a 10/10 jambon-beurre), and pastries, including enormous flaky croissants and homemade tarts.
So far, so French - and that continues with the decor of the main restaurant, which features pendant lights made out of wine boxes, a wall of wine, and plenty of personal trinkets.
Even the gravel outside is French - Pierre has arranged blue, white, red pebbles beneath the windows.
Inside Aux Bon Vivant
The couple, who welcomed a brand-new baby boy into the world around the same time they opening the business, want Aux Bon Vivant to feel like a welcoming home for everyone who pops in, whether you want to sit with a coffee and get some work done, or while away an afternoon eating hearty food with a great glass of wine.
The plan is to recreate the French village way of life here in Sheffield, with welcoming hospitality that extends all the way to the end of your meal when Pierre comes at you brandishing a gigantic bottle of Chartreuse.
As for that menu - it centres around a traditional plat du jour, dreamt up by Pierre based on whatever the best produce he can get that day is.
Expect French favourites like galette, French onion soup, and an almighty croque monsieur, where top-quality bread is layered with ham, cheese, and bechemal sauce.
When we popped in, Pierre also served up whole roasted onions stuffed with pork and herbs, and a phenomenal gnocchi dish with a mushroom cream sauce, baked so the edges are all delightfully sticky.
Pierre says the restaurant is all about 'generous food, simple, and everyone can understand what we're doing'.
He added: "We're not chasing the trends, we need to be more home comfort.
"You come, you enjoy, you relax. It's like a break on your day, and after you can restart."
Aux Bon Vivant is now open on Campo Lane, serving coffees and pastries through to takeaway lunches and full bistro meals.
Tramlines 2026 has officially wrapped up, and dare we say it might have been the best one yet?
Well, that’s it folks. One of the biggest weekends of Sheffield's musical calendar has been ticked off, and what a time we had.
First of all, the weather was a far cry from three years ago where Hillsborough Park turned into an actual swamp, and instead we were slapping on the sun cream before heading into the crowds.
The lineup, in true Tramlines fashion, was full of indie royalty from The Courteeners and Blossoms to Wet Leg and The Royston Club.
One of the highlights, though, was Fatboy Slim who was booked as the festival's first ever DJ headliner on the Friday night.
Images: The Sheff
Performing to a sea of sh*t-shirt wearing ravers, his set was filled with iconic tracks and unforgettable beats which reminded us why he really is one of the rave scene's biggest legends.
It wouldn't be a festival without at least one surprise guest, and our favourite had to be Rick Astley rocking up to join Manchester's own Blossoms on the main stage on Saturday night.
This special moment secured it as one of our favourite sets of the weekend, you just can't not love Rick Astley (especially when he's sporting an all-white suit) and it's safe to say Blossoms are truly at their very best right now.
Wolf Alice reminded everyone exactly why they're one of the UK's very best live bands, delivering a set packed with atmosphere, plenty of leather and enough energy to keep the crowd hooked from start to finish.
Images: The Sheff
Then there were The Courteeners, who once again proved why they're one of the country's most reliable festival headliners. As soon as Not Nineteen Forever rang out across Hillsborough Park, thousands of voices took over, creating a proper goosebump moment.
Elsewhere, Wet Leg brought their trademark quirks and infectious anthems, while The Royston Club continued their rapid rise with a set that left plenty of people convinced they're destined for even bigger stages in the years to come.
Of course it wouldn't be Tramlines without celebrating the city's own music scene. Sheffield's musical heritage was on full display throughout the weekend, with local talent dominating the bill including indie band Cruz who performed to a packed out crowd on The Leadmill Stage.
Away from the stages, the atmosphere was exactly what Tramlines has become famous for.
Thousands of friendly people soaking up the sunshine, grabbing a pint and enjoying some properly good live music. The fancy dress competition on the Saturday just showed how great the city's community spirit is, it's not often you bump into a group of six women dressed as tomatoes.
We left with the inevitable husky voice and achey legs, but also with a real buzz and love for the city. Another year, another absolute belter. Roll on Tramlines 2027.
Two brilliant Sheffield pubs have been named among the best in the UK
Daisy Jackson
Two fantastic pubs in Sheffield have just been named in the top 20 in the entire UK.
A comprehensive new list of the top 22 pubs in the country has been published by Time Out, which spans the length and breadth of the country looking for the watering holes that nail a ‘convivial atmosphere, charming staff, charismatic decor and, above all, a varied selection of well-kept, well-served drinks’.
And it was not one, but two of our city's boozers that caught the eye of experts, one praised for its 'rugged charm' and the other for its impressive real ale selection.
While the top spot went to The Peveril of the Peak in Manchester, Sheffield's own The Rutland Arms came in at a very respectable seventh place.
Time Out celebrated the pub's 'glorious' tiled exterior, the unpretentious interiors, the jukebox, and its small plates and chip butties.
They wrote: "There is a rugged charm to this low-key but excellent Sheffield pub that has been my go-to for many years.
"After entering its gloriously yellow tiled art deco exterior, you are welcomed into a place, filled with various nick nacks, that has no time for pretentiousness or fancy adornments.
"Instead the Rutland Arms focuses on the bare necessities: superbly curated beer, delicious food (it’s as famous for its knockout small plates as it is its chip butties) and a stacked jukebox. It’s always lively, with a nicely tucked-away beer garden, and it’s a rare kind of pub that is bursting with personality."
Across town, Time Out also singled out Kelham Island Tavern as being one of the best in the UK.
The list said: "Tell a Sheffield native that the Tav is your favourite pub and watch an expression of quiet admiration wash over their face.
"Perched on a street corner on the city’s man-made islet, this gem was rescued from dereliction in 2002, and boy are we glad to see it still standing.
"With no less than 13 ale hand pumps and an ever-rotating list of beers from the country’s best brewers (including co-owner Josh Jepson’s signature blonde), Kelham Island Tavern is to Sheffield’s pub scene what barley is to, well, beer.
"Not a fan of real ale? Take a trip to the Kelham Island Tavern and come back to me."
Daisy Jackson -
26th January 2026 
