Charlotte and I are big fans of Sheffield. We love the snooker, the vibe and Meadowhall! We have enjoyed some fine food here before at Bungalows and Bears (or Ruby Jean’s diner as the restaurant is called) but we hadn’t previously been for a demure meal in the city, that was, until we went to the Milestone a few weeks ago.

Having asked for some foodie tips as to where to eat in Sheffield on Twitter, we ended up looking through the Michelin Guide for inspiration. Although there are a few Michelin starred options in the city, the sound of the Milestone intrigued me. I rarely find myself eating fine food at a gastropub location, so I thought we’d give it a go.

Charlotte looking demure outside the Milestone!

If you have a look at the evening menu, you can see that the options on offer go above and beyond your usual pub fare! I was even pleased to be given a not too disdainful look upon ordering an alcohol free beer!

To be overly critical, the service was not stellar throughout the course of the evening and we ended up waiting for too long to be served on several occasions. That said, when the wonderful freshly baked bread and butter turned up at our table whilst we perused the main menu, we had big smiles spread across our faces!

Great presentation and taste

To start with, I decided to push the boat out by ordering the Presse of pig’s head and ham hock with apple, turnip and star anise jus. This dish is certainly not going to be everyone’s cup of tea (or presse of pig!) but it was very nicely flavoured, with a smooth texture that was complemented by the lovely crunch of toast.

Far tastier than it appears!

Charlotte decided to go for a risky starter as well in the form of a spring onion and pea spelt risotto. The risk here was that it would prove too heavy and lacking in flavour but the opposite proved true; the dish was light, looked stunning, and really suited this time of year. It could perhaps have benefited from the addition of some parmesan cheese, or perhaps just a touch more seasoning, but was a solid starter nonetheless.

Fresh, tasty and beautiful

For our main dishes, Charlotte went for venison sausages and baked mash. Meanwhile, I had the one dish I always say you shouldn’t order at a restaurant (unless covered in a spicy sauce!): roast chicken!

Charlotte’s sausages were delightful and full of flavour, whilst the mash was as creamy and as buttery as you could have hoped for.

So much more than sausage and mash!

For me, the chicken dish was wonderful. The chicken was served as two breast pieces that were roasted to perfection and a thigh that had been turned into a ballotine and was simply divine. The jus that came with the dish, as well as the wonderful potato accompaniment that I sadly cannot remember the name of, tied the whole thing together. This just was not pub food! Or, at least not like any pub food I have eaten in a while!

The best roast chicken? Perhaps!

Inspired by the food we had already enjoyed, we decided to go all in by ordering pudding. Charlotte couldn’t resist the sound of a warm treacle pudding. She had asked for the lemon curd to be left off the dish and sadly this was forgotten about by the waiter, but the flavour of the treacle pudding itself was good.

Alas, the curd!

I ordered a wonderful and original chamomile panna cotta was subtle in flavour and perfect in texture. What a shame this was only a special and not on the main menu otherwise I would have to have come back for more!

Wonderful and wobbly!

All in all, the food on offer at the Milestone is, on the whole, very impressive. It has its quirks (the toilet and the kitchen are both upstairs and a bit close to each other!) but these quirks make this restaurant stand out from the crowd.

I would certainly recommend giving the Milestone a try. It is certainly an excellent venue if you want to celebrate a special occasion or if you are in the mood for tasty and local food.