Popular Sheffield restaurants The Orange Bird, in Hillsborough, and Tonco, in Dyson Place, have been named on a prestigious list of the 100 best local places to dine in Britain.
During a six week period of voting, The Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants of 2023 received more than 37,000 nominations from diners.
The award celebrates places that are the ‘beating heart of communities around Britain’ and The Good Food Guide have said that it was ‘the strongest field of contenders’ their judges had ever seen.
Tonco, in Dyson Place
Tonco opened towards the backend of 2019 with extremely high expectations. Not only were they the first business to officially open in the new Dyson Place development, but a string of successful pop-ups in Abbeydale Road’s Barrowboy had created huge buzz for the neighbourhood restaurant.
Thankfully, right from the very outset they didn’t disappoint (it was never really in doubt, was it?) and their regularly changing menu, reflecting seasonality, has been a massive hit with Dyson Place diners.
It has also been praised by the Observer Food Monthly, which gushed that ‘every neighourhood should have a Tonco’, while Time food critic Marina O’Loughlin called Tonco a ‘gleaming example of local hospitality in the city of steel’.
The Orange Bird was opened in November 2020 by Anne Horner and Matthew Duggan-Jones who, after seeing out the pandemic as a takeaway initially, established itself as one of Sheffield’s best-loved restaurants with its much-loved South African-inspired menu.
Owners Matthew Duggan – Jones (left) and Anne Horner (right).
With a recent Exposed Award nomination and praise from the Observer Food Monthly, who dubbed it a ‘local joint’ which ‘brings the heat’, it’s easy to see why The Orange Bird was a shoo-in for the list.
Speaking of the recent recognition, Tonco said it was a ‘lovely surprise’ to make the top 100, adding: “Massive thanks to all our fabulous customers and to our exceptionally hard working and dedicated colleagues who make the restaurant special.” The Orange Bird said it was ‘amazing’ to be included in The Good Food Guide’s list.
Tonco and The Orange Bird were among 13 restaurants in the North East to make The Good Food Guide’s 100 Best Local Restaurants of 2023, and the only two in South Yorkshire. The regional winner was Homestead Kitchen in North Yorkshire.
