Rafters in Sheffield

Out of this world food. An amazing experience with such friendly staff. Enjoyed every minute of it.

It's located a few miles from Sheffield City centre in the suburb of Nether Green on the corner of four-way junction. From the outside, it doesn't look that big. We didn't realise the restaurant was upstairs. On arrival,we were very warmly greeted as though we were old friends. Showing us to our table at the chefs bench,we felt really honoured. As the Michelin Guide says for the full experience, book these seats. The restaurant is smallish and very cosy. You forget that you are actually fine dining in Sheffield. We'd chosen the tasting menu,like you do. To get things started,we ordered one of their own unique Lagers by Little Mesters Brewing . The meal begins with three taster snacks, including a delicious chawanmushi. Followed by their black treacle bread & hendo's butter. Up next follows a procession of delightful dishes. Starting with the Chalk stream trout tart. Then, you are given a little scroll explaining how the dish inspired the chef. Cauli cheese,not like Grandma B's. The fish course was a lovely dish of Cornish Cod,trout roe, seaweed & leek. The last of the savoury courses was a very tender, Creedy Carver Duck that cut like butter. There were two very pretty and tasty desserts of Yorkshire Rhubarb and the other 'Jaffa cake' with a nice gooey centre. To finish the meal were a couple of sweet treats. The whole evening flowed seamlessly,from the front of house to the chefs in the kitchen it was an absolutely pleasurable night.

The food at rafters is an amazing experience. Every time I have visited the restaurant I am amazed by the unique flavours and the quality of the food. Would definitely recommend it. The service is excellent and the atmosphere is quiet and pleasant.

Rafters is a truly exceptional and special place 💖 thank you to the wonderful team for a great evening! Couldn't fault it!

Everything at Rafters is perfection! The food is out of this world delicious, and beautifully presented. And the staff are wonderful and so friendly. We had such a lovely time, thanks :)

The cauli cheese is so worth it

If I could give this place 6 out of 5 stars I would! Until now, I never realised that food could be art. I have experienced fine dining before, but never like this. The environment is relaxed and down to earth and the flavours are condensed and profound! Eating here will leave you satisfied rather than stuffed. Well worth the money for our date night! Luke, our chef for the evening, created and presented us with exquisite beautiful food and refined tastes with a down to earth Yorkshire delivery. Each bite was a burst of complementing flavours that left your mind empty of anything but the food in your mouth. Our Sommelier Nathan was knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the flavours of the drinks that would pair with our curated menu for the evening. All the wait staff were invisibly attentive. The table was reset whenever we left for a couple of minutes and the table was ours for the duration of the evening. Comfortable, relaxing, informal setting with fine cuisine was the perfect balance. I would recommend you save up and book here. 1 night in this restaurant is worth 10 nights in any other! Thank you Rafters for an unforgettable night.

Visited this restaurant for the 4 course taster menu with my Partner. A bit scepticle of the whole 'Taster' menu. Memories of Nouvelle Quisine from the 80's. But I was so wrong. From the ouside, blink and you'd miss the venue with it's modest exterior. Once inside we were met with a cosey but modern interior and extremely fiendly and informed staff. I've seen negative comments re the service on here. All I can say that 'Ben' front of house and every one we encountered were helpful, un-prententious, well informed and the whole service ran like a well oiled machine. The food is second to none.... It really is. Being a big Yorkshire lad after receiving the first course I had visions of going home raiding the fridge. But the intensity of the flavours and the fact that you actually 'Taste' the dishes not just eat meant writing this several hours after getting home I'm still pleasently full. I seriously recommend paying the extra for 'Not Like Grandma B's' cauliflower cheese, just WOW! In summary I'd sincerely like to thank Ben, the Chefs and all concerned for making today a really special dining experience and we will be returning!

Food was incredible! The service was perfect and the staff were very friendly. Intimate and relaxed atmosphere, tables perfectly distanced for some privacy. Fantastic experience 😄

One of the best places to eat in Sheffield. The tasting menu is amazing.

This was our second visit. We were always looking for an excuse to return,so my husbands birthday was my chance. We travelled from Leeds (our hometown). We were a little worried that it wouldn't be as good as our first visit. It wasn't the same, it was better! The restaurant was inviting and cosy, the food was a delight to the taste buds, and the staff were friendly and attentive. What more would you want. We do like travelling around looking for great places to eat. This is one of the best. We highly recommend it.

Was really looking forward to trying this place out! My friend who had been in a few times before had said how amazing it was! Service wasn’t what I expected. Throughout the meal, I had to ask our waiter for cutlery numerous times! The waiter looked at me rather confused for whatever reason and no apology was given! You’d think with the price you’re paying for, cutlery would be the least of my worries - how wrong I was. The food however was lovely. Service could have been better.

What an amazing experience! Would highly recommend Rafters. The staff are absolutely fantastic and a credit to the company. Ben and Nathan were a pleasure along with the head chef (think his name was Dan) and the young fellow. Food was great and the wine was lovely. Overall great experience 👍🏼👍🏼

Stunning food, very tucked away location with incredibly kind attentive staff and the most delicious food imaginable. A beautiful experience

Everything was absolutely perfect, up to the smallest detail. Loved the experience and will be my recommendation to everyone that comes to Sheffield.

We enjoyed a delicious tasting menu dinner at Rafters. The staff are very friendly and attentive. The menu was fantastic with every dish a treat. We really enjoyed the cod and lamb dishes as well as a delicious pudding. Many thanks for a really enjoyable evening.

Amazing evening. I had the vegetarian kitchen bench menu, the menu had so much thought go into it and was incredibly inventive which is very refreshing as a lot of vegetarian menus are a last thought. The staff were amazing and very attentive. Everything I ate was incredible and I can't stop thinking about the cauliflower cheese...

Attended for a friend's birthday, and the food was stunning and so tasty, with service so friendly! I informed of my allergies beforehand, and they accommodated them so well by tailoring each course accordingly. So much so that when each course arrived at the table, you couldn't tell that I was getting something slightly different. It made the experience so much more as it felt I was experiencing the same as everyone else.

Fantastic food , staff Well trained, Great wine

Visited Rafters to celebrate our wedding anniversary and wasn't disappointed. Food, wine, atmosphere, and service were all excellent.

Food and staff are always excellent. Only moan. Bring back the eggs 🪺

Fantastic food, ambience great value amazing. Service fantastic. Have recommended and will return. All my friends thought the place was amazing. Go for the wine flight superb.

Fabulous meal with a wine flight that matched the food exactly Staff were extremely helpful and sommelier was fabulous. Marvellous evening all round can’t fault it

Staff were attentive but not intrusive. Every course was fantastic, the lamb in particular was a stand out. Loved that a lot of the food/drinks were sourced locally. Would recommend to anyone looking for a fine dining experience.

Amazing staff, amazing service, amazing environment and feel (very relaxed). The food will leave you smiling from ear to ear for 3 hours straight! Tom has built an amazing place, filled it with great staff who are excellently trained and serves some of the best food you will ever eat! Have been 5 times and will continue to return on a regular basis! Highly recommend, you won't be disappointed!

We had a fantastic meal here. Really excellent food, service and accompanying wines. Highly recommend for a special occasion in Sheffield

Absolutely spot on fine dining. Staff are attentive without being over-powering. Knowledge of wines and food was splendid. We had 4 people on our table (2 meat eaters and 2 vegi). Had the full tasting menu with wine pairing - brilliant all ways round!

Amazing food that will challenge your expectations. Service couldn't be better and I really recommend pushing for the bigger menu.

Been here many times and not once have we ever been disappointed. Never been a single course we've not really enjoyed. Food is beyond belief, drinks superb and the staff are the best there is, friendly, helpful and genuinely enthusiastic. Cannot recommend highly enough.

We had a fantastic meal here at Rafters to celebrate a birthday. The service was excellent, just the right amount of professionalism yet it didn’t feel pretentious. The restaurant itself is small but we enjoyed being able to see into the kitchen. The food was paired well with the wines. The menu was flavoursome and focused more on fish and cold dishes with it being the summer season. We really enjoyed our dining experience here.

Amazing dining experience, fantastic food, impeccable service and relaxed professional atmosphere , would definitely recommend for a special occasion

Evening celebrating a friends birthday. Excellent food and excellent service. A delightful evening.

If I could leave 6 stars I would, having visited the Kitchen Bench tonight I was not left with an ounce of disappointment. The menu ate exceptionally well, it’s takes you on a journey from the first bite to the last, there was genius in every course with their twists on classic dishes. The kitchen bench was very generous with the courses and both my partner and I left with our bellies full, I cannot recommend this place enough, the food perfection, the staff wonderful and the atmosphere magical. A true pleasure from start to finish and a place I’d return to in a heartbeat we loved it.

My wife surprised me with dinner here last week on Friday evening for our wedding anniversary and from the moment of arrival we felt like we were at home amazing service from the get go! Ben greeted us and escorted us to the table shortly followed by Nathan the sommelier who's knowledge of wine and the drinks on the menu is quite jaw dropping we opted for the prestige wine pairing and what a fantastic decision it was each wine complimented the food perfectly We started with some snacks as our first courses started with a carrot cracker with hummus and fresh crudités followed by a crustade filled to the brim with a dressed venison tartare followed by a chawanmushi with caviar and a pea veloute and those are just the snacks !! Each course that followed was absolutely mind blowing and what topped off our night was being able to see into the kitchen and see Luke the finalist from Masterchef the professionals cooking the meat, plating the food and also serving the diners as was all of the other chefs that evening. It really gave our experience that magic touch may I just add I don’t know what Luke did to the hogget that we had on our main course but it was the most tender flavoursome piece of hogget we’ve both ever had good to still see a restaurant that cooks meat in a pan and not in a bag in the waterbath takes real skill to achieve the level of meat cookery well done team rafters!! There’s definitely a star on the way for sure and Sheffield deserves it to be awarded to rafters!!

Amazing place and food on another level.

The best dining experience! The food was unbelievably good.

Well....where does one start! Michelin says it all! Also I like the very human waiters who give the place a touch of real-ness. All round top notch! Only thing I would perhaps say is space wise it's small. Cozy :)

What a great experience! Watching all the chefs prepare the dishes and enjoying the kitchen bench menu. Our thanks to restaurant manager Ben and his staff who made the experience extra special for us. Can't wait to return, highly recommended.

Incredible food & presentation. The staff were extremely friendly & accommodating. If you're in Sheffield it's one not to miss.

Not a bad course. Truly excellent. Desserts a high spot but every morsel a delight. From amuse blu he to their take on Bakewell tart as a petit four just outstanding.

What a find. Stylish restaurant. Excellent food- imaginative dishes from a taster menu giving a wonderful selection of different flavours and textures. Extremely well presented. Great service too.

Never a disappointment eating here. Our latest visit was last night (Good Friday), at the Kitchen Bench and the tasting menu was as fabulous as ever. Nothing is too much much trouble. Thanks to everyone who made our evening so special.

Average pretentious food, left still hungry, maybe they served the child's menu?

An absolute treat. Celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary with the tasting menu and various wines. Absolutely gorgeous food and wine, fantastic staff that were so helpful and knowledgable. The best place to eat in and around Sheffield by an absolute mile.

Excellent food and service. Friendly and attentive with good vibe .

Wow a tastebud extravaganza! Beautiful, exquisite food. Each dish was delicious, decadent and a burst of amazing flavours. The venison was a particilar hit with my family. I had the pescatarian menu which was out of this world, accompanied by a beautiful crisp white wine....

A dining experience you won’t forget i had tears in my eyes in was so beautiful …it teases the taste buds …the flavours in the food were exquisite … little bits of lime caviar popping in my mouth … the salty flavour in the butter...

What an amazing meal. Every course was top draw and the Polish Chardonnay was incredible. Brilliant staff too

Quite simply a dining extravagance that sets your taste buds alive. Set in a relaxed atmosphere with attentive staff

We visited as a small celebration as a couple. We booked the chef's table, this is near the pass which is very interesting and we had an in depth explanation of each course. Perfect if you're foodies like us. The food is very good, highlights...

Genius food, with the warmest of welcomes and on point hospitality. Been meaning to visit for ages, but pre planning months in advance to book a table it’s only now we finally get to visit this gem. We booked the Chefs Bench (table) that gets...

A memorable taster menu lunch. Attentive, yet unobtrusive, service and a well above average wine list. Staff who had a detailed knowledge of each course and a truly innovative menu. Looking forward to the next visit.

We waited many years for a suitable occasion to celebrate here and weren't disappointed. Everything was handled and presented in the most lovely way. The food was a splendid range of tastes and flavours, spread over a very relaxing two hours with a selection of drinks available to complement it. The gluten free options were not a poor substitute but were a high standard themselves.

A delicious six-course degustation menu with a fine accompanying bottle of Tempranillo. The staff were friendly and attentive, and the environment was lovely and relaxed. A birthday treat for my girlfriend which was everything we hoped for. Would very much recommend for special occasions!

Rafters is quite simply the best restaurant in Sheffield. We've been going for a fair few years and the staff's ongoing commitment to innovating the tasting menu is just incredible. This time we did the kitchen bench taster which is well worth the additional expense. The wine flight was perfectly paired and the staff's knowledge of every aspect of the meal is second to none.

Excellent food, attentive/considerate service, and superb attention to detail. Fully recommend, it's a great dining experience.

We had a table for two as a birthday treat, facing the kitchen. The staff really make a difference here; attentive, helpful, and friendly. The 6 course tasting menu consists of incredible ingredients and well-thought-out ideas, executed in a delicate manner. I did not leave the restaurant uncomfortably full, and so I'd suggest not missing out on the cheeseboard, consisting of Yorkshire produce.

We have been to rafters a few times now, every time it's been amazing, but the most recent was well and truly fantastic! The food was our of this world the service was second to none. I truly feel like they are pushing for a Michelin star....and I would would not be surprised if they get it! Honestly, I would visit every month if I could purely for the treacle bread and Hendos butter!! We can't wait to schedule In another visit!

Exceptional food and service, great team, highly recommended.

Absolutely stunning food and outstanding service.

Had a really Lovley lunch with a couple of friends today it was my first time here but It will not be my last.

Absolutely lovely meal in a fantastic environment, absolutely fantastic friendly staff who couldn’t do enough for you, will definitely be going again

My husband took me here for my birthday as a surprise and we had THE best time! Yes, it's expensive and therefore a special treat but you get what you pay for it and we believe it was worth every penny! The staff were super...

Every member of staff appeared to be passionate about delivering a memorable experience in a highly professional manner. The service and food was exceptional without being overly pretentious. Served in a warm, welcoming and friendly environment, we all enjoyed every minute. Thank you so much...

Superb food, delicious flavours and textures, excellent service

Always a fantastic experience here. The staff are friendly, warm and knowledgeable, the food is delicious and the place itself is cosy with a good atmosphere. Will go as many times as I can afford!

A perfect evening. The food, the service, the whole experience was fabulous. Attention to detail was outstanding. A couple of the reviews had mentioned the staff were intrusive, the staff are obviously passionate about making sure the evening is perfect for the diner. This is...

Visited for Sunday lunch with friends. Excellent food and service

Had a fantastic time food & service amazing such great tastes. Wine flight superb and such great value. Attentive unobtrusive friendly service. Highly recommend.

Amazing experience. We had their 7 course tasting menu plus the wine pairing, the food was spot on (I'm getting hungry thinking about it!) and the service was excellent, we loved the way they explained the courses.

My wife surprised me with a Birthday dinner on the kitchen bench facing the kitchen and it was Brilliant . After a warm welcome from Ben , we were introduced to the kitchen team and seated for a glass of champagne . Throughout the evening...

Excellent food, 3 snacks to start a mouthfull each but very tasty, good service nice relaxed atmosphere.

Excellent food, service and company.

Outstanding cooking. The quality of ingredients were of the highest order. Lovely intimate setting, small but inviting. Service impeccable, courses explained in minute detail. Nothing appeared to be too much trouble. Certainly a place to put on your list.

Visited on a summers evening with my husband. We had a fantastic food experience. The food really is well thought out, beautifully cooked and presented- 5*. We found the staff slightly over bearing and the 15% service charge a little steep.

Fantastic service, amazing food and beautiful drinks……. always a lovely meal and cheery staff!

From the friendly staff to the ambience of the place to the really excellent food Rafters is top Drawer. We first came nearly 30 years ago and it is still the best restaurant in Sheffield we feel.

We had the most incredible meal here a couple of weeks ago with my husband and a friend. Every course was perfect and it was some of the tastiest food I've eaten. As a veggie my food was every bit as well thought out and beautifully created as the meat dishes eaten by the rest of my party. Really recommend the wine pairings. Absolutely delicious wines and the sommelier was so passionate and knowledgeable it really added to our evening. All the staff were brilliant and we had the most fun and relaxing evening due to the atmosphere and vibe of the restaurant. Thank you Rafters.

Visited Saturday lunch, £95 for 6 course tasting menu. Every course was excellent. Service was friendly and professional. Will certainly be returning.

Truly excellent. A great food , excellent wines and Yorkshire hospitality... strongly recommend. Only the second time in my life I have asked the Chef to sign the menu and I am getting on a bit. Thank you.

Wonderful meal. The food was excellent and the whole evening was made by the team that was working. Delicious canapés served before the meal.Nothing too much trouble everyone very knowledgeable and passionate about what they were doing. Great to see such a young team delivering...

If you're looking for great service and amazing food, look no further! Can't wait to return.

Amazing quality of food packed full of flavour and exciting dishes. Wiuld highly recommended for a great all round fine dining experience. Top job

The food in this restaurant is absolutely beautiful, flavoursome and well presented on plate. We had the taster menu on the kitchen table as a gift to celebrate several family birthdays. Although i personally am not keen on lots of flavours together i could not fault the staff's knowledge and attention to detail for the food they were serving. However, it was was an expensive experience but worth it for special occasions. The facilities were clean and the whole building was obviously looked after. Be aware of very steep dark stairs to dining area. This was my only fault. Well done to a team who loved what they do and took great pride in doing it.

Incredible experience, they have a cauliflower cheese that will change your life. Stop reading reviews & just book.

Really attentive and looking after the customers. Food was really tasty, specially the cauliflower

We enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Rafters. We had the four-course tasting menu and everything was delicious. Great wine selection. The staff were excellent and obviously work hard to create a welcoming atmosphere whilst giving you plenty of information about the provenance of the food. I can't wait to go back!

A fantastic evening after not being able to get there for obvious reasons. The attention to detail such as the snack is brilliant and the atmosphere is perfect in our opinion. I do t see how food get taste better and the wine pairing makes it even better.

Lovely food, great ambience. Birthday made special! Thank you! Loved the decor and glad it wasn't decked up in tacky jubilee stuff 😀

On arrival I was disappointed there was no reference to the Queen's Jubilee. No bunting no decorations on the table no reference on the menu. The menu and food is very good but a little thought to the Jubilee event would have added something special...

We visited as a group of three for a birthday and had a fabulous evening! The snacks and 6 courses as well as the cheese board were all presented beautifully and tasted incredible. Each dish had so many different flavors, treating your taste buds to...

Amazing and unforgettable experience! Food creative and inspired, staff welcoming and knowledgeable.

Well, after 2 years without a trip to our favourite restaurant, we were not disappointed! Ben and Dan clearly managing brilliantly while Tom and Al are at Riverside! Great refurb, nice to see the kitchen faces coming out to say hi, and get us rambling...

Had the 6 course tasting menu. Every dish was amazing. Staff were genuinely warm, attentive and engaging. We had a similar menu a few months ago in Lincoln and didn’t expect this to top it - but it did. Excellent wine menu and some lovely...

Fabulous food - just disappointed to be played by the bill - charged £112 for 2 bottles of wine instead of £20 for 2 glasses! Oddly enough, we were not the only table who had to challenge the bill…

I brought my family here for a celebration of dad's recent retirement. We wanted to treat him and safe to say he was absolutely blown away and did not stop talking about our lunch for the rest of the day. The food was incredible as...

The restaurant is run by very young people who put on a kind of awkward performance when delivering the 6 tiny pretentios portions. I assume there was a grown up pulling the strings and ringing the till in the background. Expect to pay £360 per...

What epic food and service! Thoroughly enjoyed our evening!

Absolutely brilliant food, impeccable presentation, and amazing service

Well, where to start - excellent food, excellent service, excellent staff and I thoroughly enjoyed my birthday meal! We had the six course tasting menu on the 9 March and the entire evening was outstanding. The staff were incredible at accommodating my Coeliac and lactose...