We tried The Teller restaurant in Sheffield and this is what we thought

The winding S7 road has undergone a transformation in the past decade and even more so in its swansong.

In 2019 alone, Nether Edge welcomed neighbourhood bars Dead Donkey and Two Thirds as well as the delicious Bhaji Shop, Pronto Caldo and even a modern French patisserie, Gilt.

So when tapas restaurant, The Teller, opened in time for Christmas, the Antique Quarter seemed to be antique in name only.

Abbeydale Road would soon be welcoming a restaurant offering locally sourced, seasonal ingredients alongside a fashionable cocktail bar.

The Teller is a modern take on The Vault antique shop; completely unrecognisable from its former glory.

Owners and best friends Alex Stephens and Andy Mastin have managed to keep its history alive in its name.

‘The Teller’ refers to the building’s history as the former HSBC bank and there’s still a sign inside the restaurant directing staff to ‘The Vault’.

My partner and I booked in for a meal on Friday night and were quickly impressed with the stylish decor while keeping a running Sheffield motif.

Green and grey pastel coloured walls surrounded the customers, adorned with the quintissential Sheffield greeting ‘Ey up’ and even a Sheffield based cartoon superhero.

Sadly, after an indulgent Christmas sampling our fair share of the refreshments available in the aforementioned establishments on the street, a Dry January was in order.

Mouth-watering Beavertown Brewery beers passed us by while crisp whites and moody reds were being poured as we watched on whistfully.

Two lime and sodas would have to do.

While our drink choice may have been restricted, there were no such confinements when it came to the menu.

The friendly service staff patiently explained some of the more extravagent ingredients; see gremolata.

The Italian garnish on the Osso Bucco (veal) was our first order, swiftly followed by the Oxtail Croquettes, Wild Mushroom Ravioli, Crab Arranci and Scallop Cannelloni.

We soaked in the ambience as couples enjoyed the music and marvelled at the dishes that were presented to them.

When ours arrived, it was clear that as much thought went into the appearance of our meals as the restaurant’s interior.

Each dish seemed meticulously crafted and lovingly designed to a t; one of the many benefits of serving ‘small plates’ with big flavours.

The Oxtail Croquettes were the pick of the five dishes, complimented perfected by a Madagascan green peppercorn sauce.

My partner raved about her Crab Arrancini and, judging by how many flew out of the kitchen, so did every other table.

We finished our meal off with a slice of Pecan Pie accompanied by Rasberry sorbet, precan brittie an candied pecan, although the Fried Sticky Toffee Pudding was a close-second.

Some may worry that a menu of small plates would leave customers not just yearning for more but actively requiring it.

But, as we left, my partner and I agreed we were both ‘comfortably full’, probably the best two words any restaurant owner wants to hear from their customers.

Abbeydale Road is slowly leaving its antiquity behind and ‘The Teller’ is at the forefront of this.

Alec and Andy are delivering something completely different with their menu and hopefully people from all areas of Sheffield will be persuaded to try it.

But, if you think this means the Antique Quarter will slowly be forgotten, you better think again.