West 10

Following a change of ownership, this much-loved ‘bar and kitchen’ in a well-heeled Sheffield neighbourhood is definitely on the up. Chef Scott Philliskirk honed his skills in some well-respected local kitchens (including Rafters at Riverside House), and his creative flair shows in a 'blind' menu (five or seven courses at dinner, three at lunch) which showcases superlative local produce and the season’s most interesting flavours. Philliskirk works in a minuscule kitchen, so the restaurant's sourdough bread is from the excellent Crumb bakery in Abbeydale Road – although the white truffle butter that comes with it is whipped into a smooth, salty quenelle in-house. To start, there's usually something torched in a tart – in our case, caramelised onion and broccoli with thermidor espuma, 22-month Parmesan and the thinnest of pastry. The chef's family is from Aberdeen, so he presents us with a tattie scone accompanied by fermented celeriac, butternut squash purée, roasted squash and curry oil. Our salt-aged chateaubriand was dry-aged to silky, melting tenderness in a tiny cabinet within sight of the dining room and arrived in company with soy mushrooms, mushroom-glazed hasselback potato, sorrel emulsion, beef tartare, pickled onions and gravy. When it comes to the sweet side of things, there might be an 85% chocolate crémeux with blackberries, honeycomb and oat crumble or a ‘cheeky slice of battenberg’ – gorgeous sponge and fruity apricot jam wrapped in soft, homemade marzipan. Smart, cheerful staff can assist when it comes to the short, keenly priced wine list, although readers recommend plumping for the high-quality pairings. Bright street art-style paintings, an indie-rock playlist and drinks in the ground-floor bar add to the informal vibe, while accessible prices make this a very approachable local prospect.

2 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence