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A new Italian bar and restaurant in Sheffield city centre has secured a partnership with one of northern Italy’s most renowned grappa distilleries as it works towards becoming the UK’s capital of the liqueur.

Steve Zsirai and key staff from Grappa, which is set to open on Glossop Road in the former Sinclairs building in late autumn, were invited to Distilleria Marzadro in northern Italy to meet key members of the business.

The family-run operation is famous throughout Italy for pioneering grappa's development.

What was once seen as a drink only fit for the poor and given to Italian soldiers in World War One is now a multi-million-pound industry, with bottles regularly changing hands for £200 or more.

The Grappa Sheffield team - including Steve Zsirai (far right) - on their visit to Distilleria Marzadro.

Steve Zsirai said: “Grappa has experienced a renaissance in the past fifty years. It will be a key part of our menu, and we aim to stock the highest and largest number anywhere else in the country. We are aiming to be the UK capital of grappa and look forward to educating our customers on its versatility.

"Our recent visit to Northern Italy opened our eyes to how far the liqueur has come in the past few years, and we are very much looking forward to working with Distilleria Marzadro in the coming months and years.”

Steve Zsirai has called Grappa "the most ambitious concept of my career", and he has already enjoyed great success in the Glossop Road/West Street area. He landed his first restaurant management job at K-Pasa in the late 1990s. He previously worked at the legendary Flying Pizza and was the brains behind the Tequila Bar, which continues to draw crowds on West Street week after week.

One of his most popular ventures was Viva Tequila in the Gleadless area of Sheffield, and he has also run one of Chesterfield’s highest-rated Italian restaurants, Giorgio’s, for the past 10 years.

The two-story Grappa, complete with its outdoor terraza, is set to offer a true authentic Italian experience in the heart of Sheffield.

Flavours and dishes from right across Italy will dominate the Grappa menu. The bar/restaurant is set to offer the very finest daytime coffee and lunch, after-work drinks and dinner, and late-night music and dancing until 2am on the weekend.

A welcoming, rustic downstairs bar area will be complemented by a more luxurious upstairs, 70-seater restaurant.

More information can be found at www.grappasheffield.com.

A taste of Italy: Grappa brings true authenticity to Sheffield city centre