Sheffield restaurants make the grade in new Good Food Guide

Jöro, part of the Krynkl development at Shalesmoor, has been included in the 2018 edition of the culinary guide, set for publication early next month.

The eatery is one of only two Sheffield restaurants deemed worthy of a recommendation - the other is Rafters, at Nether Green. It isn't yet known whether The Old Vicarage at Ridgeway - a fixture in previous years, but located just outside the city boundary - has made the grade.

Jöro - which means 'earth' - was launched in 2016 by Matt Bigland and head chef Luke French as a partnership with their other halves. The menu has a ‘hyper seasonal’ focus, with dishes using ingredients grown or foraged close by and changing with the seasons.

The wider Krynkl scheme, which followed a trend set by other projects such as Boxpark in London, also features a hair salon, gallery, gym, rooftop bar and shops.

Elizabeth Carter, editor of the Good Food Guide, published by Waitrose, said she thought Jöro was 'super-cool'.

"Chunky wooden tables, candles, fresh flowers, low lighting, and chill-out clubby music with a bit of Lou Reed and Nick Cave thrown in set the scene, while Luke French can be viewed in the open kitchen building up meals via a series of snacks and small plates.

"He excels at no-holds-barred seasonal cooking; indeed, his dishes can change daily depending on available produce and his menu is ambitious yet deceptively simple."

Meanwhile Rafters on Oakbrook Road - run by Alistair Myers and Tom Lawson since 2013 - receives a similar thumbs-up.

"There’s an appealing contrast at Rafters between the smart table settings and genteel furnishing and the exposed brickwork of the walls, a classic contemporary backdrop for a Sheffield old-stager," said Elizabeth.

"These days, Tom Lawson offers an unmistakably progressive menu of modern dishes, with eight-course tasting menus, in both omnivore and vegetarian versions, the core of the operation."

There are no Sheffield, or Derbyshire, restaurants in the guide's top 50 places to eat. In 2018's edition Restaurant Nathan Outlaw in Cornwall takes the top spot - edging out Simon Rogan's L'Enclume, in Cartmel, Cumbria, which has held the number one position for four years. Both have a 'perfect' cooking score of 10.