Sheffield eatery named as one of the best local restaurants in the UK and best in South Yorkshire
The Orange Bird boasts rave reviews from guests drawing in customers from both the Steel City and beyond
A much-loved Sheffield restaurant has been named one of the best in the UK.
The Orange Bird, which is a much-loved street food restaurant serving South African and international cuisine, has gone from strength to strength in recent years.
Based on Middlewood Road, Hillsborough, the eatery opened at the height of the pandemic, but has overcome those early challenges to establish itself as a firm favourite in the Steel City and beyond.
The Orange Bird has made it into the Good Food Guide, which describes itself as the authority on eating out around Britain since 1951.
Now in their 16th year, the Best Local Restaurant awards celebrate the community driven restaurants that offer brilliant value for money and top-quality cooking in a relaxed, convivial setting.
For the first time, this year’s list is ranked with the Orange Bird coming in at 54th position, making it the highest rated restaurant from South Yorkshire in the list.
It’s little surprise to see the Orange Bird receive praise. When our reporter Sarah Marshall checked it out in 2022 she labelled it a ‘real jewel in Hillsborough’s crown’ - while those, who have reviewed it online have also spoken highly of its quality.
For example, on Google Reviews, the Orange Bird has perfect five star reviews, with one customer Alexandra Tilbury commenting: “Amazing food from start to finish, with the wonderful aroma of the grill greeting you as soon as you walk through the door. The service was attentive, friendly, and genuinely helpful. As it was our first visit, the server took the time to guide us through the menu, ensuring we made great choices and had a wonderful experience.
“We started with the lamb and hummus along with sweet and savoury sides, followed by the grilled chicken main, rice and a delicious aubergine and caramelised onion dish. Every plate was packed with flavour and beautifully prepared. We enjoyed a bottle of the orange wine with our meal and finished with a fabulous sponge and stout ice cream dessert.
“Highly recommended. It’s easy to see why this restaurant deserves its place in The Good Food Guide, and we can’t wait to return.”
While on Open Table, the restaurant boasts similar rave reviews with an average of 4.9 stars from 64 reviews.
Here is the full list of the best restaurants, according to the Good Food Guide
1. La Locanda, Gisburn, Lancashire
2. Cantina Caruso, Margate, Kent
3. Ar Bòrd, Isle of Mull, Highlands & Islands
4. Gina, Chingford, London
5. The Black Bear Inn, Bettws Newydd, Monmouthshire
6. Tiella Trattoria, Bethnal Green, London
7. Wangs, Bristol
8. Wild, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire
9. Almanac, Glossop, Derbyshire
10. Black Wheat Club, York, North Yorkshire
11. Lucky Lychee, Winchester, Hampshire
12. Counter Culture, Newquay, Cornwall
13. Eastfield, Dundee, Tayside
14. Les 2 Garçons, Crouch End, London
15. Redwood Wines, Dunkeld, Perthshire & Kinross
16. Bavette, Leeds, West Yorkshire
17. Fino, Cromer, Norfolk
18. The Lost Kitchen, Chettiscombe, Devon
19. Lupo, Prestwich, Greater Manchester
20. Ida, Queen's Park, London
21. Fish Shop, Ballater, Aberdeen
22. Edie's, St Austell, Cornwall
23. The Union Rye, Rye, East Sussex
24. Gloriosa, Glasgow, Strathclyde
25. Upstairs at Landrace, Bath, Somerset
26. Mambow, Clapton, London
27. Ogof, Cardiff
28. North Street Kitchen, Fowey, Cornwall
29. Long Friday, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear
30. Little Clove Kitchen, Liverpool, Merseyside
31. The Empire Cafe, Leeds, West Yorkshire
32. Tropea, Birmingham, West Midlands
33. Ardfern, Edinburgh, Lothians
34. Soulshine, Bridport, Dorset
35. Dongnae, Bristol
36. The Palmerston, Edinburgh, Lothians
37. Janda Diner, Peckham, London
38. Lark, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
39. Bauji, Worthing, West Sussex
40. Shwen Shwen, Sevenoaks, Kent
41. The Yan, Grasmere, Cumbria
42. The Shed, Swansea
43. Chater's, Saffron Walden, Essex
44. 101 Bridport, Bridport, Dorset
45. The Nettle, Settle, North Yorkshire
46. Seasonality, Maidenhead, Berkshire
47. Nick's at Port of Menteith, Port of Menteith, Stirling
48. Mori Mori, Margate, Kent
49. Home SW15, Putney, London
50. Pompette, Oxford, Oxfordshire
51. Logma, Hackney, London
52. Teal by Sally Abé, Hackney, London
53. The Suffolk, Aldeburgh, Suffolk
54. The Orange Bird, Sheffield, South Yorkshire
55. Ebi Sushi, Derby, Derbyshire
56. Thomas the Brasserie, Cardiff
57. Brusco, Brighton, East Sussex
58. The Spärrows, Manchester, Greater Manchester
59. The Small Canteen, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear
60. Fifteen Square Metres, Broadstairs, Kent
61. Franc, Canterbury, Kent
62. The Gordon Arms, Selkirk, Borders
63. Fern, Uppingham, Rutland
64. Bar Ingo, Broadstairs, Kent
65. Belzan, Liverpool, Merseyside
66. Little Brickhouse, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
67. Amari, Brighton, East Sussex
68. Barry Fish, Edinburgh, Lothians
69. Four Boys, Rock, Cornwall
70. Pip’s, Norwich, Norfolk
71. Eusebi Deli, Glasgow, Strathclyde
72. Leftfield, Edinburgh, Lothians
73. Piccalilli, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
74. Norman's Neighbourhood Kitchen, Kirkburton, West Yorkshire
75. Chin-Zano, Liverpool, Merseyside
76. Lubber Kitchen, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear
77. The Seahorse, Dartmouth, Devon
78. Soi 1268, Birmingham, West Midlands
79. Outlaw’s Bistro, Port Isaac, Cornwall
80. The Smithfield, Leeds, West Yorkshire
81. Calong, Stoke Newington, London
82. Bolete, Neston, Cheshire
83. Pulpo Negro, Alresford, Hampshire
84. Margaret's, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire
85. Â Sé Anar, Blackpool, Lancashire
86. Other, Bristol
87. North, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear
88. Bristol Lido, Bristol
89. Namo, Brighton, East Sussex
90. Tonka, Hastings, East Sussex
91. Post, Newnham on Severn, Gloucestershire
92. A Tavola Gastronomia Siciliana, High Peak, Derbyshire
93. Auction House, Louth, Lincolnshire
94. The Rocket Store, Boscastle, Cornwall
95. Root Wells, Wells, Somerset
96. Y Polyn, Nantgaredig, Carmarthenshire
97. The Dory Bistro, Pittenweem, Fife
98. Tide & Thyme, Tighnabruaich, Argyll & Bute
99. Lupa, Highbury, London
100. The Dining Room, Abersoch, Gwynedd