BETTER news for Sheffield's chefs, feeling bruised after the Good Food Guide could find only THREE city restaurants to single out for praise – and even that was one better than last year.
The rival AA Guide finds NINE worthy of mention, 10 if you include Tessa Bramley's Old Vicarage at Ridgeway.
The city's Artisan, Catch seafood cafe (both run by Richard Smith), Marcus Lane's Rafters and Montagu's at the Wortley Arms, all get two AA rosettes, while the Greenhead House at Chapeltown, Nonna's, Staindrop Lodge and Whitley Hall have one rosette each.
In North Derbyshire, as you might expect, there are even more rosettes. The Old Vicarage has three but is pipped by Fischers at Baslow Hall which has four (the GFG rates them neck and neck with seven marks out of 10).
There are two rosettes for the Cavendish and Rowley's gastro-pub at Baslow, as well as for East Lodge at Rowsley and the George at Hathersage, while Piedaniel's (formerly the Renaissance), Prospect and Rutland Arms at Bakewell, Old Post at Chesterfield, Chequers at Froggatt, Plough at Hathersage and Peacock at Rowsley all have one.
Regular diners might find some surprises over inclusion and relative ratings in that little lot.
The GFG is sniffier when it comes to Sheffield's restaurants and listed Artisan and Catch together, Greenhead House and, as a new entry, the Cricket Inn at Totley – missed by the AA.
Neither guides find space for the estimable Thyme Cafe at Broomhill – although they probably think owner Richard Smith has too many entries already – or the Walnut Club at Hathersage.
Part of the problem with the Good Food Guide is that it relies on diners writing in with recommendations and one can only assume city folk are slower to write or e-mail than others. Although that doesn't seem to be a problem with Harden's Guide which operates on a similar basis.
Even so, it means that the little Derbyshire village of Baslow has, according to the GFG, as many restaurants (three) to commend as big city Sheffield!
The AA Restaurant Guide is published at £16.99.
READ MOREMain news indexYour letters.
FeaturesMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsCheck out the very latest on South Yorkshire's roads - including live traffic cameras on Sheffield's commuter routes - with our Traffic sectionLatest sport. The full article contains 396 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
