The unsuspecting Sheffield basement where you can play Street Fighter, Pac Man and bowling that you should definitely check out

Sheffield’s Lane 7, on Matilda Street in the city centre, opened in December 2019 and is one of 13 in the country with six more coming soon.

The 20,000 sq ft venue is the ultimate hang-out spot with an array of arcade games - including Street Fighter, Daytona and Pac Man - darts, pool, shuffle and, of course, a nine lane bowling alley.

There is a well-stocked bar and the best part, for me, was that Fat Hippo was serving the food.

We visited on a Tuesday after work, took seats on the benches in the restaurant section and immediately felt relaxed.

It was lively and got busier as the evening went on with couples, friend groups and families having fun.

I couldn’t quite make out the tunes in the background music but it added to the upbeat atmosphere.

Nearby there was a large screen playing a continuous loop of many dancing scenes from classic movies including Uma Thurman and John Travolta in Pulp Fiction, Charlie Chaplin in The Gold Rush and even Simba, Pumbaa and Timon in the Lion King.

We are no strangers to Fat Hippo’s delicious menu, which is described as “good old fashioned, roll up your sleeves and get it all over your face food”, having ordered their elite-level burgers as a comfort and treat throughout lockdown. They also have a spot in Kommune.

I went for the peanut butter and double jelly burger (double patty, American cheese, chunky peanut butter, bacon jam and smoked chilli jello with fries) and my dining partner got the American (double patty, American cheese, pickles, ketchup and American mustard with fries).

We ordered beer battered cheese balls (deep fried, beer battered, gooey cheese balls, Buffalo hot sauce and ranch - to die for) and Freddie’s fingers (Southern fried chicken strips, rocket and Buffalo hot sauce) for sides.

After ordering at the bar we waited with a buzzer until it notified us that our food was ready.

The PB and double J is the stuff of dreams and the American got a big thumbs up too.

Staff were friendly and checked to see if everything was okay and if we wanted any more drinks.

We then hit the bowling alley, played pool and ended the evening with shooting hoops. The games were a lot of fun, even if I didn’t win them all.

The two burgers, fries, sides and drinks - a double Kraken and coke and a coke - came to a total of £45.

A game of bowling, booked in advance, was £14, playing pool cost £12 an hour and basketball was £1 a go which you could pay for with either a contactless card or coins.

While the games were a little expensive between two people, overall, it was a really fun experience with gorgeous food, a bar with much variety and activities to keep you entertained for days.