Sheffield food and drink: Closure of The Dore Grill and Blue Moon Cafe a 'kick in the teeth' but we can look forward to Manhatta and other new venues opening

This week we brought you news that The Dore Grill has gone on the market after it closed. The restaurant shut its doors for good in November after 35 years with shocked customers describing the news as the ‘end of an era’.

Its owners said at the time that ‘the costs are too great’ and despite rave reviews too few customers visited regularly. The city's hospitality sector was also rocked by the closure of the Blue Moon Cafe in the city centre because ‘overheads consistently exceed our income’, according to venue bosses.

The vegan and vegetarian venue on St James' Street, next to Sheffield Cathedral, was also a hub for artists, musicians and progressive groups and causes. It was also famous for its Hommity Pie, made with cheese and potato with fresh parsley and ‘plenty of garlic’.So while these closures are undoubtedly a kick in the teeth for the city's food and drink scene, there are also green shoots of optimism.

It was great to see The Cross Scythes in Meersbrook reopen after a period of closure with the new manager revealing his intentions this week for the venue to become a ‘real community hub’. Manager Josh Barnsley, aged 31, said: “We really want the community to come and use the space we have available” and added that he plans “to get the local MP and councillors involved” to “see how we can help the community.”There are plans to host live music including folk nights and the popular Sunday night quiz has returned at 7pm with free chip butties at half-time. In addition, Manhatta, described as a New York-inspired cocktail bar, is set to open close to Barker's Pool in the city centre in February.

A new pub called Monkey Bar Club is also set to open soon in Hillsborough. The £350,000 sports bar and grill is due to open it’s doors at Hillsborough Barracks. So there are plenty of reasons to be cheerful as we kick-off 2023.