Six and a half restaurant has just opened at Dyson Place, off Sheffield’s trendy Sharrow Vale Road, and is already proving popular.
Diners can watch their food being cooked over a wood fire in the open kitchen.
It was opened by Leslie Buddington, who previously worked as the head chef at the nearby Brocco on the Park hotel and restaurant.
Under his stewardship, the restaurant at Brocco on the Bank was twice named Sheffield Restaurant of the Year in the Westside Awards and was awarded a Michelin Plate, which recognises consistenly excellent cooking and is a level below a Michelin star.
Since leaving Brocco on the Bank, Leslie has been indulging his passion for cooking over an open fire at private functions and felt ready to take the leap and open his own restaurant.
Six and a half has already earned rave reviews, with an average rating of 4.8/5 stars from a dozen Google reviews, where one diner called it ‘one of Sheffield’s best’.
Leslie told The Star: “I’ve been interested in cooking over a wood fire for years and did quite a lot of it on my travels in New Zealand and Australia.
“I’ve been doing it a lot for outdoor events and I wanted to bring it indoors. We all love that smell of the fire, and feeling its warmth and seeing the flames.
“It’s fascinating to see how quickly food is transformed naturally over an open fire, and the flavours when you cook over a wood fire are completely different to when you cook over charcoal.”
The menu at Six and a half features a range of seasonal small plates and sharing plates, including caramelised celeriac, mackerel ‘kissed by fire’, and harissa venison haunch.
One of the most popular dishes so far is the wood-fired sea bream with a spiced tomato and coconut sauce and tandoori kale.
The lunch time set menu, where you get three courses for £32, is also going down a storm.
As well as the food, you can get cocktails designed and prepared by the team at Six and a half, along with a selection of wines, beers and non-alcoholic drinks.
There are 24 seats inside and 22 outside on the lower and upper terraces.
Leslie said: “When I’m cooking over fire, I’m at my happiest. It’s cooking with your instincts.
“There’s nowhere else in Sheffield that’s doing what we’re doing here so it’s something new and exciting for the city.
“I want to make people feel like they’re walking into my kitchen at home. I want them to feel relaxed so they get the most from the experience.”
Six and a half is open from Wednesday to Saturday, and is available for private hire on other days. It will be open on Sunday, March 30 for Mother’s Day.
For more details, and to book a table, visit: https://www.sixandahalf.co.uk/
5. Homely feel
The new Six and a half restaurant, at Dyson Place, off Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield, where Leslie Buddington says he wants diners to feel like they're walking into his kitchen at home | National World Photo: Dean Atkins
6. Six and a half
The new Six and a half restaurant, at Dyson Place, off Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield, opened by Leslie Buddington, the former head chef at Brocco on the Bank hotel and restaurant | National World Photo: Dean Atkins
7. 'Cooking with your instincts'
Inside the new Six and a half restaurant, at Dyson Place, off Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield. Owner Leslie Buddington says cooking over an open fire is 'cooking with your instincts'. | National World Photo: Dean Atkins
8. Seasonal sharing plates
Inside the new Six and a half restaurant, at Dyson Place, off Sharrow Vale Road, Sheffield, where the menu features a range of seasonal sharing plates cooked over an open wood fire | National World Photo: Dean Atkins