Gastropub, the word can sometimes fill me with fear. The worst are cash-ins with no love of food, middle range is full to the brim with either pretentious overpriced offerings or clearly overstreched establishments who are jack of all master of none types. Occasionally though you happen upon a pub that cares about its food, drink and ambiance and performs excellently in each.

The Cricket Inn, Totley, South Yorkshire (just outside Sheffield) is one, a lovely little gem on the outskirts of Sheffield.

We we seated at a table by the fire, very welcome on this damp fresh spring evening, and had a short agonising time over starters (always my favourites) until we realised we could have a bit of everything to share. Local mini sausages, real pork scratchings, fish goujons, whitebait, spare ribs, home made bread and dips with chips arrived on a wooden board and in little aluminium pails - gorgeously presented and a real delight to eat, all washed down with excellent red wine (the ladies) and well kept ales (the gents).

Main courses also didn’t disappoint with bold flavours, pies, cheese topped fish, and big portions - so large in fact I couldn’t finish mine (unheard of, I assure you).

No room for pudding I’m afraid but they looked to be carrying on the great strong cooking coming out of the kitchen, if the treacle tart that wafted past me was anything to go by.

All in all a real delight, so if you ever find yourselves on the outskirts of Sheffield in need of some good grub…

4.5/5

The Cricket Inn
Totley, South Yorkshire
S17 3AZ
0114-236 5256

Tags: sheffield pub, sheffield restaurant

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 at 4:18 pm by urban foodie and is filed under Kid Friendly, Not London Eating. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.