Sheffield Tap | Sheffield

The Sheffield Tap occupies the former first class refreshment rooms and the Edwardian dining room of Sheffield railway station, a remarkable space that was restored and reopened as a pub in 2009. The main bar is housed in the original 1904 refreshment room: vaulted tiled ceiling, ornate plasterwork, dark wood fittings, and a bar that stretches the length of the room. The adjacent Edwardian dining room is used for events and private functions. It is one of the finest pub interiors in Britain and the contrast between the careful restoration and the functional bustle of a busy craft beer pub works entirely in the venue’s favour.

The beer selection covers around ten cask ales and a similar number of keg lines, with a strong emphasis on Sheffield and Yorkshire producers alongside national and international craft options. Thornbridge, Little Mesters, and Abbeydale Brewery feature regularly. The range changes frequently. The venue also operates its own small brewery – Tapped Brew Co – visible through a window from the bar, which produces house beers available on draught.

The location is both a strength and a weakness: being inside the station means it is exceptionally easy to reach by train and an obvious stop before or after a journey, but it is not on a route that most people walk during a night out in the city centre. The Walk from the Tap to the main bar district is around ten minutes on foot. The pub fills up during station rush hours and on match days when supporters are catching trains.

Food is available throughout the day – a focused menu of pub food done properly rather than an extensive restaurant operation. The pies are genuinely good.