The Place
After making its name as The Old House, a venue known largely for cocktails and pies, The Devonshire has evolved into a restaurant bar with a penchant for cocktails and, erm, pies. There are two key distinctions here though: the interior is completely unrecognisable, now resembling a sleek NYC jazz bar with exposed brickwork, ornate mirrors, low-hanging lampshades and dim mood lighting. On the cocktail front, it’s all about the gin, and there’s a brand new menu devoted to over 150+ gins and vermouths, from which we chose two Mediterranean-inspired GVTs (Gin, Vermouth and Tonic) with Gin Mare, Regal Rogue Daring Dry vermouth, Fever-Tree Mediterranean Tonic, thyme and lemon garnish. A nice, fresh start to proceedings.
The Food
The menu provides a large choice of traditional pub fare: small bites, pub platters, burgers, fish and chips, homemade pies and sausages, roast dinners, etc. You’ll find a tempting offer pretty much every day of the week – from Fish Fridays (fish and chips with a drink for £10) to Gin and Jazz Wednesdays (50% off all gins from 8pm).
We were here for the long run, however, so took advantage of the pub platter. We opted for the monkfish scampi and halloumi fries, which thankfully came with a side of salad and tartare sauce to counteract our self-inflicted beige binge. The twice-cooked, fluffy, chunky chips were joyously plentiful, the halloumi fries equally moreish and the scampi firm and meaty.
For mains I ordered for the cider braised ham hock, and my dining partner kept it hearty by choosing the sausage and mash. Portions, once again, were not an issue. My ham hock was colossal. Smothering the peas and new potatoes beneath, it was a meaty triumph with crispy crackling on top and soft ham which peeled away at the merest brush of a knife. It was the ultimate indulgent pub tea. The sausage was another beast and provided plenty of bang(er) for our buck. Made in-house and served with creamy mash, garden peas and rich gravy, it almost defeated my partner – who bravely battled on until there were just a few peas and a forkful of mash remaining.
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We were stuffed, fully content, and dessert might well have finished us off. However, you can always find room for another gin when at The Devonshire, so we perked ourselves up with a round of Café Negronis (a classic negroni served with cold brew coffee) to finish in style.
The Verdict
At The Devonshire come hungry and prepared for the generous portions of hearty pub classics, stay for the superb gin selection and laidback evening vibes. You can’t go far wrong.
113-117 Devonshire St, Sheffield S3 7SB
thedevonshiresheffield.co.uk // 0114 276 6002