The Old Vicarage

Upon my return to South Yorkshire, I was on the lookout for a high-end restaurant to dine at on a Saturday night. It proved to be a challenge to find a fine dining establishment in Sheffield that wasn't as difficult as solving an ancient Greek puzzle. Eventually, I discovered The Old Vicarage in the neighboring county of Derbyshire. Despite having to navigate through the industrial landscape of Sheffield and the manor estate, I finally arrived in the tranquil village of Ridgeway. The setting felt familiar, almost like a typical Nordic environment where one would expect a cozy pub serving hearty meals.

The roast new season Scottish grouse filled with fruit meat was the highlight of the dish, accompanied by rosemary roasted carrots, broccoli with plums, and a crab apple and thyme angel. The meat and sauce were the standout features, with the unique addition of turned carrots adding a nostalgic touch.

For our Anniversary meal we had the taster menu and wine flight The service was great, staff have a good knowledge of food and wines The food was delicious, we had a lovely evening

After the end of lockdown, my wife and I finally got to celebrate this year. We have both been to the restaurant before and we both wanted to return. On arrival we were greeted and taken through to the drawing room, and had pre dinner drinks. We opted for the dinner menu and accompanying wines.On a previous visit the sommelier had gone out of his way to explain and persuade my wife to try Red Wine. Now she is a full on convert and I owe this to him.The food is classic British with a little modernity thrown in, and I like the If it's not broken why change it I'd much rather have traditional cooked well, rather than contemporary cooked badly. All the courses and accompanying wines were stunning, if I had to be really picky the sauce on the beef and fish were a little thin. The final course of apricot flavours was truly outstanding.We then had cheese,port, coffee and petit fours, and I treated myself to a old single malt.Apologies for no photos, however my wife and I don't take photos of the courses.The service was efficient and polite and all done within social distancing rules. To sum up this isn't our last visit, there will be more to come.

The restaurant was busy on a Saturday evening, yet there was an eerie quietness in the dining room that some may find unsettling. However, I appreciated the solemn atmosphere as a welcome change from the usual hustle and bustle of city restaurants. The dining experience began with some dishes that were not to my liking, such as the Beetroot-Macaroon. However, the Butternut Squash Veloute and St. George Mushrooms were delightful and well-executed. The main course of spiced potato croquettes and haloumi with lemon and pepper yogurt was a pleasant surprise, especially considering my initial apprehension. The dessert was a classic combination of poached fruits, shortbread, and sorbet, beautifully presented. Unfortunately, the service left much to be desired. While friendly, it was unpolished and lacked attention to detail. Despite these shortcomings, dining at The Old Vicarage was overall a pleasant experience. However, with a bill totaling to a significant amount per person, a more refined service would have been appreciated.