please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Still an excellent pub with friendly bar staff and 12 cask ales available.
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I didn't have the bad experience of the previous reviewer and enjoyed the various beers on handpump (strangely, Kelham Island wasn't one of them but there were plenty of others). Rather noisy on a Saturday evening but since this was a good sign for the pub industry, I could put up with it.
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Arrived yesterday, Saturday, early lunchtime. One barman and not particularly quick in this cosy bar with an excellent selection of beer. Acknowledged I was waiting 3 times, while he was serving others. Some locals then came in and they were immediately served, ignoring me and others in our party. This was over about 10 minutes... I walked off in disgust but a friend managed to get me a pint. After taking about 8 orders for food, this was then halted and the chef came out and told a friend the tikka masala was actually jalfrezi - but it was about the same. (Chef - if you know your stuff, they ARE NOT the same). Everyone was then told the food would be a long while. I departed for The Fat Cat, ordered food, ate it all good... I later found out some of the food was wrong, each plate came out with several minutes between each plate. At no point was there an apology.
If food is advertised (Menus on table, chalk board of specials) then be prepared to serve it and the kitchen staff should know what is what and who ordered each dish.
Beer was excellent, the rest of the experience was pants - will not go in here again.
Fat Cat over the road was everything this pub wasn't in terms of organisation.
3/10
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Perhaps less lively than the Fat Cat around the corner, but the ale seclection was top notch. I don't think I've seen so much choice in such a small pub. A visit ought to be compulsory if you're in the area.
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Boarded the train at St Pancras one Sunday morning, alighted at Sheffield, walked to the Kelham Island Tavern,ordered a pint of Pale Rider as brewed next door, how could it get better? £5 for a plate of lovely freshly cooked roast which came out to a busy enough pub within 10 minutes, that's how. Outstanding little pub. Thanks Mike!
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great range good prices and quality
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Absolutely terrific pub - definitely in my "best pubs" top ten. You just have to go and see for yourself!
Spooky fact - The Kelham Island Tavern in Sheffield/The Wellington in Hull and The Nags Head in Reading - all great real ale pubs and all in Russell Street!!
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So very good, in so many ways.
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not sure about all the awards, I can think of a dozen better in the country but this is certainly a great pub for ale. I guess it's all about personal tastes. We all thought Fat Cat was the better pub
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Just great. Everything you could want in a proper pub, superb beer, friendly and knowledgeable staff, honest grub reasonably priced and a terrific atmosphere. I'm thinking of moving house to be nearby!!
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Bit of silly trivia - there must be something about Russell Street that attracts good pubs!! The Kelham Island Tavern is in Russell Street as is the Nags head in Reading and The Wellington in Hull!! All great boozers.
Anyway, theKIT once again proved a winner with an amazing range of beers available (we opted for Glentworth beers thhis time). Packed out but we found a seat. Plenty of CAMRA reading material. Ham or cheese rolls. No hassle. No machines or muzak. Plenty of staff on duty so you don't have to wait long to be served. Everything a great pub should be. Use Shalesmoor tram stop and walk down to here and the Fat Cat. Brilliant!!
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My local and a great place to unwind in.
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Quiet on a Monday night but a quiz looked like it might be starting. Much busier on Thursday. Good selection of ales.
Nice decor and feels very comfortable.
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Great pub, surprised such a National Award winner but very decent anyway and a haven for ales.
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Definitely a very good pub in every way but there are pubs out there more worthy of winning the best pub in the country award 2 years in a row.
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Excellent pub with 12 cask ales available and pleasant lounge. Received many CAMRA awards. Traditional bar snacks available at lunchtime. Well worth a visit.
alexw - 27 Aug 2011 13:50 |
Another good pub in the area. Good lunchtime food. Simple to the point excellent no nonsense ale house.
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Popped in for a pint yesterday after visiting another pub nearby. Good selection of ales and nice atmosphere. Good beer garden. The no swearing policy didn't seem to apply outside as a group of gents did have one foul mouthed idiot amongst them and nothing was said unfortunately. However, will definately be back next time we are in the area.
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Great pub,great selection of ales,great theres no tv,music,slots or quiz machine,great staff,great "no swearing" policy,great decor,great beer garden,great customers,what more can I say?Did I mention that it was GREAT.
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A destination pub that has been on my list for years. Oh dear, what a disappointment! Not quite sure what I was expecting, sure, there was loads of choice on the beer front and I had a great pint but the pub itself I fear is basking in it's former glory and the location is terrible with run down factory units and fenced off waste land. I know that the pub can't do anything about that but compare it to the recently refurbished Tap on Sheffield railway station and the difference is astounding.
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Yesterday was my second visit to the Kelham Island and I was left a little disappointed. In my opinion, this is no longer the best pub Sheffield has to offer. The ale range is still second to none - Fyfe Citron Wheat, Glentworth Drumbeater, Thwaites Crowd Pleaser & Nutty Black, Rudgate Fenrir's Best, Salamander Event Horizon, Mallinsons Omnom, Acorn Old Moor Porter, & Barnsley Bitter, McConnels Irish Stout, Hopping Mad Fruitcase, Bradfield Farmers Blonde & Pictish Brewers Gold. The cider range has unfortunately gone downhill with only Westons Old Rosie & Country Perry on offer. Annoyingly, they now add gas. This time around we sat in the back room, which doesn't quite have the character of the main bar area. It is fairly cosy, but feels more like a dining room. The Kelham Island is still a good pub. But I fear it may be resting on its laurels.
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Only popped in for one, but my first impression (based upon the warning notices that those swearing will be ejected) was that this pub is primarily here for the gentle enjoyment of excellent beer. No music; no fruit machines; no cursing. Just beer. Will definitely go back.
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Top pub, top beer. Desevedly popular,
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Great pub, great atmosphere and punters. Great cask line up.
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Couldn't find much to fault this pub on my visit, other than my first pint might have done with a top up but to have asked for one would have increased the volume by a lickspittle. A mellow, late Saturday afternoon visit afforded me a seat in the exotic beer garden under the warm sunshine and thoroughly enjoying my pint of Acorn Up the Aisle (in honour of you-know-what). I counted 12 working real ale pumps, but make sure you check round the corner of the bar for the full options. The regulars seemed a friendly lot basking in a rather sleepy atmosphere, but if that's how they like it then long may it remain. I came away judging this to be the best pub I visited while in Sheffield, but only for that day. Very much worth the short walk out from the city centre.
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Kelham Island the place but not the brewery nearby, just to be clear. The standard lunchtime food was reasonable. Quite a large 2 roomed pub, one of the staff is an active CAMRA member by all acounts.
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Finally sorted out the fact that it doesn't have (not at my time of visiting anyway) Kelham Island beers - it's the Fat Cat for that, even though the brewery is the same name. 7 ales on tap & I think they had a few more on tap 2 days later because of the CAMRA AGM. Good open plan pub with another visible room out back (resturant/overspill?). Lots pub award plaques & framed prints. I tried the Abbeydale Deception & Spire Coal Porter ale.
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Another of my "must visit" pubs when in Sheffield. Superb range of beers with Acorn and Farmers usually always available plus guests ales from all over the place. They do food but I always like a pub which has a basket of cheese or ham rolls throughout the day. It has - quite rightly - won many awards from CAMRA and you really cannot go to Sheffield without popping ion for a pint or two. Just round the corner from the Fat Cat and a short walk from Shalesmoor tram. Highly recommended.
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Its amazing to find such a wonderful, neat & tidy pub in an industrial area. The striking, well kept exterior is in contrast to the starkness of the surrounding area. Inside there is a cosy single room with a bar at the rear. As you would expect its about as traditional as you can get & more real ales than you can shake a stick at. To the rear is a conservatory which has a strange, part oriental theme along with many framed awards the pub has won. My only gripe, which I found irritating was the constant short pint measures. This happened on every drink I ordered & I noticed a few other short measures. The barman never bothered to leave the pints to settle before serving. I would have expected better from a pub with such a reputation.
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Yes, it's a nice enough pub, yes the beer is good (a pint of Derby Triple Hop on this occassion) but the place was more like a CAMRA social club with talk and discussion limited to beer and breweries rather than a livng, breathing local pub.
anonymous - 30 Jan 2011 13:09 |
An excellent pub.Estensive real ales,knowledgeable staff.If you are travelling to Hillsbourgh or Don Valley this pub is a must.well worth the visit
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Thoroughly enjoyed my recent visit. Tried three Acorn beers. The Gorlovka, Old moor porter, and the Noel winter ale were all on fine form. Should have stayed here instead of wasting the afternoon at Oakwell.
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The last two posters seem to have been disappointed, but on my recent visit the place was just as good as always. My Acorn Imperial Stout was excellent, but at 6.0 ABV one had to be enough. The beer range, general good-humoured ambience and cheerful, knowledgeable bar staff clearly provide very well for the needs of most of the mainly local clientele, and if there is a better drinking man's pub in the country I have yet to find it (still searching, though).
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I must have missed something, here. Went in on a Tuesday. There was a quiz on, so was immediately told to shut up when I tried to get a drink in the ridiculously small bar. There was no mic being used by the quizmaster.
Ale selection was fantastic, obviously, but I need a bit more than that to rave about a place. I can't see what all the fuss is about.
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Bit of a let down really. The beer was at best average and the whole place was a bit dull. Probably living on past reputations!
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there's probably not a lot I could say here that hasn't already been said, mainly because my thoughts about this place are so positive.
However, I wanted to make special mention of the fact that they currently have Great Heck Slaughterhouse Porter, which has to be the finest thing I've tasted in a long while. To be honest, after opening my account for the day with a pint of this, everything else I tried paled (literally) in its shadow.
Get thee to this pub immediately.
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A few of us (carlisle utd fans) went in here before going to the footy at Hillsborough last month.A much anticpated stop off and it was a pub which delivered on pure quality ale,shame we only stayed for a swift pint but we couldve stayed in there all day and got hammered. A classic/proper boozer...the country needs more of these.
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A pub that is worthy of the hype that surrounds it. Spent a couple of hours in here and was extremely impressed. Sampled beers from Tower and Acorn, both outstanding and well kept. The front room is smallish but very warm and welcoming, not stupidly over decorated either, like some boozers. As a bonus Lewis the affable barman spent some time explaining the history of the pub to me, very informative and entertaining i must say.
Full marks!!
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I can remember regularly passing this place when it seemed permanently boarded up several years ago, and I could not see it reopening with the Fat Cat so close. Nowadays I rarely reach the Fat Cat. The Kelham Island Tavern is as good as its best reviews, the beer is always on good form and it is difficult to choose from the extensive range. Prices are equally good. Last Sunday there was also local folk music to enjoy. The staff and other customers are a knowledgeable crowd - I always look forward to the next opportunity to visit. Why are so few pubs like this - it makes business sense too.
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The beer here is simply perfect. Some of my friends can't understand why this place was pub of the year twice running. 'Aren't there lots of pub like this?' they say. Well, perhaps there once was, but this place is a celebration of the great british pub. ten out of ten all the way. It's even got a good beer garden. Top of the Sheffield tree.
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Astonishingly good pub in an area of mixed industry, dereliction and new-build flats, within half a mile of Sheffield city centre.
I use the word astonishingly as this is a pub that serves the needs of local workers, students and CAMRA-types without falling into the traps that pubs serving these markets are liable to. On the contrary, the KIT is a well-kept pub with good staff and an excellent range of beer, three of which (Bradfield Blonde, Pictish Celtic Gold and one other) are �2/pint - extraordinary pricing for beer of this quality - as well as half a dozen others. Clearly this is a favourite of the local CAMRA, as attested to by the number of awards it has won, but when the landlord maintains such consistently high standards in everything including the cleaning the staffing and the beer, I completely understand why.
10/10 - faultless.
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I hadn't been here for a few years, so popping back again recently I went with some trepidation in case it had changed (for the worse) but thankfully my fears were unfounded. As good a pub as you will find anywhere. A good mix of clientele, from middle-aged onld f***ts like me to students, all getting along fine.
I do hope the creeping redevelopment doesn't alter the character of the place though. It is a road or two away now.
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First visit a couple of weeks ago tied in with the football. Some excellant ales tried (Abbeydale Deception & Amber Ales Imperial IPA in particular). Though several handpumps out of use due to the upcoming St Patricks beer festival the following night. Friendly pub.
Will sniff out again.
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Dropped by for lunch. Excellent food, welcoming service and a fine pint of Barnsley Bitter, for some reason only two quid (and the meal was only a fiver). Everything a pub should be, deserving of the recent CAMRA award. Even had a conversation with two gentlemen from Matlock about pork pies. If I'd been staying in Sheffield for more than one day this would have become my base, unquestionably.
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We have been visiting Heffield off and on for a few years now. this was my first visit and boy was I p***** off I had missed out!! (In fairness I intended to visit on our last trip but it was flooded!!)
Fantastic selection of fantastic beer. End of!
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Just seen on the BBC News web site that this pub has been named "Camra Pub of the Year 2009" the second year in a row that they have won this award
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Can't come to Sheffield without callling here and as stated, plenty of rave reviews so I will just give you the beers chosen this time. White Rose Four Ponies and Glentworth Bright Gem. Excellent.
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Paid a long overdue return visit to this place on Saturday before going off to see Middlesbrough at Brammal Lane. The beer quality and selection were great, the hospitality brilliant. And the customer service couldn't have been better, there was a mix up with my wife's food and they happliy agreed to replace it, better than that they were happy to 'give away' her order to another of our party and with good grace! Great, Great place. As for the football.........
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The rave reviews you'll read here are spot on - this is a stalwart amongst the pubs that make Sheffield such a great place for the discerning devotee of pubs and beers. I won't add to (or repeat) the detail you'll see here - just go and visit the KIT and see for yourself what a good pub should be like.
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Third pub on our visit for the beer tickers pre Xmas fest and we exceeded our planned 4 drinks a pub here as we enjoyed Beer Works Turkey Suprise,
Rugby Tom Browns Winter Porter, Glentworth Icy Blast, Yorkshire Dales Coronation Pot, Yorkshire Dales Cloudy Clememtine, and White White Christmas Ale. Again a lovely atmosphere.
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First visit to kit after the match at hillsborough last sat. Excellent selection of ales. All the ones i tried were in excellent condition. Beer was reasonably priced. Look forward to getting back here before too long. Just a shame my mate had booked a later train home.
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Pub number 5 on our Thursday crawl and I agree with all the comments below regarding this pub. It is definately one to visit, and I always have a wander in the garden whatever the weather. Has received various well deserved "bloom" awards over the years. Only had a couple this visit and Acorn Spalt IPA and Derby Hoppopotomus were both enjoyed. Busy front bar and quieter in the back.
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Great range of beers, excellent service, inviting pub . Smashin' atmosphere on a sunny september saturday afternoon, beer hunters , pub crawlers all happy with their ale. One of the best pubs I've been to.
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Having heard of the KIT some time ago, I was extremely pleased to be unexpectedly taken there by some friends when visiting Sheffield recentlty. It was pretty much everything you'd hope for - bustling, friendly, and a superb range of beer, and extremely good prices. I'd liked to have stayed longer than the evening allowed for. Can't wait to go back.
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Having been a local at the Royal Oak in Rusper (national camra runner up) i was dying to try this pub to see how much better it was than the Royal Oak on walking along the road the pub looks excellent from the outside and on walking inside it was too bad but what did strike me was the cold dull feeling this pub has...the beer selection was quite superb and the food looked yummy but i found this place to be more of a tourist attraction than a genuine pub i perfer the fat cat around the corner as it has more of a proper pub feeling than this.
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If only all pubs were like this. Visited on Sat 12 sep 09, as my team, FC United of Manchester were playing Sheffield FC. Made to feel very welcome and it was good to see fans of at least three teams having a pint side by side without any hassle..
The Beer Garden is a real Oasis, the ale was all good and keenly priced and the pie, peas and gravy looked fantastic. Just ran out of time pre-match to sample the food.
Well worth the walk from the train station and will be going back to try again without the football distraction..
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Now, where do I start?
The beer (11 on the go when I visited, including 3 darks) was wonderfully varied and in all in great form. Also very impressively priced � all beer was between �2-2.40p/p. There was also some impressive keg products, plus a cider and perry available along with a warm, personable welcome was received from the barman.
Its other main strength is succeeding in feeling like a traditional pub whilst not feeling old fashioned or grubby as it�s often a very fine line. The pub spans two rooms (the front room is more of a public bar) and is clean, tidy and well-decorated. It seemed to be a quiet pub inside, with the atmosphere generated by the punters alone � though no swearing please! Also I must mention the pub garden � which really is quite wonderful with all the flora and fauna, especially so when you remember your location in this former steel industrial area. There�s quiet piped music out the back, which is made a lot more palatable by the quality; an eclectic mix of classical, jazz, the Cure and the Smiths! There�s also some basic food on offer � cheese or ham filled rolls, good value. There�s daily papers too.
Minus points? Almost none � perhaps the toilets could be better lit. And a dartboard would be a nice addition (for me, anyway!). But overall, these are very minor quibbles indeed.
So, this a must-visit. I intended to stay for a couple of halves but ended up perched in here for considerably more. Whilst it�s a big statement on the basis of one (long!) visit to say that this is my favourite of over 800+ pubs I�ve reviewed on this site, it is certainly in the top 5. A must visit, whoever you are!
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Beer is great. A lot of work's been put in since winning the award, the garden is beautifully planted, and the toilets aren't much like proper pub toilets any longer. Unfortunately not open late on a Wednesday so we had to return to the Harlequin.
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Great pub. Great beer - always having a mild on. Great prices. Great staff. Great beer garden - a little gem hidden amongst old steel buidings. Personally I prefer the Fat Cat round the corner but still always worth a visit.
For a while had a tea and coffee machine in the back room - odd touch!
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After a bad experience at the Fat Cat around the corner on May 13, I found this pub to fully live up to its reputation and status as CAMRA national pub of the year.
The beer was excellent, the atmosphere lively and the staff attentive. Well done.
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Well heard so much about this place, that had to pop in before we (Southampton)played Shef Wed.
Great selection of ales, I stuck to the one excellent brew, which was in perfect condition.
Strange to see such a great pub in an area withs very little housing or commercial attractions/shops.
A little Oasis.
Great work on the award... justified!
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What is there to say that has not already been said ?
The KIT has just been voted CAMRA National Pub of The Year.
It's situated ( believe it or not !) on the edge of the Kelham Island conservation area, an area where steel and metal industries dominated in the 1800's. Many of these buildings are now being converted to either blocks of flats or offices.
The KIT is a keen supporter of local micros, Salamander, Acorn and Sheffield Brewery being among the breweries beers on offer from an impressive bank of handpumps on Saturday morning recently, before my pilgrimage to Hillsborough for the Wolves match ( which we lost incidentally )
The KIT is a single bar pub with a conservatory behind and a small beer garden.
Inside the pub walls are adorned with its numerous certificates and awards gained over the years.
The pub is a veritable real ale mecca and, being slightly out of the City Centre, doesn't attract the less discerning drinkers or the circuit crowd.
There's folk music nights on Sunday and a pub quiz on Monday.
Staff here are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and more than willing to discuss and describe the various beers on offer ( when time permits )
A must visit pub, unquestionably
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Congratulations on the win, lads. Well deserved.
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Thank goodness for places like this (and the Fat Cat around the corner), maintaining the fine tradition of English public houses specialising unapologetically in decent beer. With so many unfamiliar real ales, it was difficult to make a choice but a dark mild from the Yorkshire Dales Brewery came recommended and went down very well with a cheese roll (which cost altogether about �3.50). Could happily have stayed all day...
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As you must all know by now, this pub has recently won the National CAMRA Real Ale Pub of the Year and is well deserved. Descriptions below describe this place better than I can, just an excellent pub. Have been here over 30 times and I live in London. Sheffield in general is an amazing place for good pubs, keep up the good work and I look forward to my next visit.
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This place seems to accrue so many accolades that one day it will probably win an Oscar. The day we visited they were being presented with the CAMRA Best Pub in Yorkshire award and now they can add the National Pub of the Year award to the many certificates on display.
The front bar is cosy without being confining and the d�cor old fashioned without feeling musty, dog eared or dated. Brewery mirrors adorn the walls along with various ornaments that wouldn�t look out of place on granny�s mantelpiece. To the rear is a more modern conservatory style extension with a light spacious and airy feel and a further assortment of jugs, vases and other nick nacks. Everything is neat, tidy and presentable and the atmosphere is pleasantly sedate with unobtrusive music and a strict no swearing policy. The beer side of things is, as one would expect, impressive with 11 cask beers on my visit (they always include a mild and stout or Porter), certainly too many for me to note down but choice was certainly not a problem and quality first rate. A narrow but picturesque beer garden wraps itself around the rear and side of the building and, true to form, is also an award winner.
As fine as it is, I don�t think I would ever call it my favourite watering hole but it certainly is a pub worthy of its acclaim and well worth travelling those exetra few yards from the City Centre to find (along with its Fat Cat neighbour of course).
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Just been announced as CAMRA pub of the year - congratulations ( which reminds me that although I've been here several times , I haven't actually posted on it yet )
Watch this space
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Thwaites Original & Nutty Black, Banks&Taylor Clanger, Cathedral Ale Black Imp, Marlow Rebellion Roasted Nuts, Potbelly Brewery Jingle Bellies, Salamander Cornucopia, Abbeydale Vespers, Sheffield Brewery Snowflake, Pictish Brewers Gold, Acorn Barnsley Bitter, Bradfield Brewery Farmers Blonde (served in glasses with logo �Farmers, & No Bull�).Good welcome from theguv(?) and, when I started with halves of Blonde & Vesper, his warning that the latter was a dark beer showed good customer care. Nice homely bar area, small �library� shelf to left (closer inspection revealed mostly gbg editions), coal stove in fireplace (unlit in Mon snow?), trad furniture with banquette seating in opposite corners and solid tables/chairs between. Room to seat another coupla dozen in the airy rear room with skylight & windows to surrounding beer �garden�/terrace. Walls variously decorated with paintings/photos/prints/awards. Also a warning that �If in conversation you need to swear, then take your custom elsewhere�. Good job I was alone!
Nice wooden L-shaped bar faces the entrance, with diamond tiled surround and wood boards beyond. Note also the rare but welcome sight of homemade rolls on bar, ham or cheese, �1.60. Beers served in over-size glasses, �2.00-�2.20pp; also interesting to note that some were set up with sparkler & others not � presume this to be according to the requirements of each beer & a definite indication of commitment to quality product. Other beers incl St Louis Kriek (cherry), Warsteiner, Konig Ludwig Weissbier, Westons Country Perry, Old Rosie. In the loo is a rather sad collage of �Sheffield�s forgotten pubs�, none on my list & presumably all now gone � thank goodness for hostelries such as this to still cheer the soul.
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Pure gold.
Superb visit on 23/01/09, enjoying Pictish Atlas, 4% which was wholly exquisite. One of the best beers I have drunk so far in 2009, and in one of the UK's best pubs which fully commands its nomination for Camra National POTY!
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This great pub has reached the final four in the CAMRA Pub of the Year competition, for the whole of the country, not just Sheffield, and deservedly so. Good selection of real ales, all well kept. A good place for a chat or even to sit in the corner and read the paper. The only negative is that this area is on the edge of the red light district so you might get approached by the occasional "working girl" later at night. "Over the river going out of town" to quote the Arctic Monkeys from "When the sun goes down". It is a great pub though, give it a go.
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Love this pub. Better than Fat Cat in my opinion, but 2 first class quality real ale houses round the corner from each other would be my idea of heaven if I could live round here. Shame the area is so run down, but it looks to be getting a facelift in parts. I love the garden here, and the friendly staff make it superb.
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I have visited twice now. On both occasions there was a stunning array of quality real ales available, the food was basic and very good value, and the staff were very friendly giving good service. This is a real pub in the traditional sense, and definitely one of my favourites on my football travels.
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Better than the fat cat and in my books the best pub in sheffield(that ive been to so far) pub 10/10 beer 10/10 cant say that bout many places these days, excellent place do not miss this one out!!!!!!!!!
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I went on a Monday afternoon, found it to be very welcoming and relaxing pub quite hidden away. Ale and cider selection was superb. Heavenly stuff. Worth seeking out when in Sheffield. Short walk to the Fat Cat from here.
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I really like the retro industrial chic of Kelham Island, and think it contributes to the ambience. It is neither a "dump" nor "dire".
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Not much more to add than what's been said already.
Landlord was kind enough to give me a very nice Abbeydale beer towel in return for a contribution to the charity box, and then direct me to the Wellington so I could catch up with the others. Real shame I couldn't stay longer - had two fantastic beers: Brunswick Triple Hop and Milestone Colonial Stout.
Unlike "SilkTork", I don't care about the surroundings and don't think they would detract from the pub in any case. I agree that it is very much a scoopers' pub. One of the best in the best drinking city.
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p.s.
just re-read my review.
thank god I don't talk like I spell!
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visited here monday night with a few friends.
found the place to be pretty much as previously described by SilkTork. although myself I would prefer the KIT to the fat cat, as I found that a bit drab in comparison.
***
monday night is quiz night at KIT. the front bar room was quite busy with quiz goers. the back room was occupied by a practicing irish folk group. the small beer garden was empty I think, as it was a cool evening.
***
I found the quiz event to be a very hospitable experience, with a free small buffet for the customers. the staff were very attentive, helpful and knew how to handle cask ale well. [no short measures!]. as said before, whilst the pub is very welcoming, the real pull is its range and quality of ales. most I think at under �2/pint.
***
verdict:
the prices, ales, and atmosphere if this place should be the envy of other pubs, and shining example to them. I doubt if the KIT will suffer a great deal in the coming "recession".
a weel deserved "9" from me.
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The guys behind the bar at KIT are warm, friendly and witty, creating a nice club feel. The food is stunning value - very tasty and very cheap. There is a main room at the front with the bar - it's not very big, but it's an OK space. There's the back room, which is simply functional - a few tables and chairs. It's the space between the main bar and the beer garden, and it's OK for eating food. And there's a pleasant beer garden.
The beer range is the big draw here. The pub itself, while being pleasant enough, is nothing special - and the location is quite dire in the beaten up, weed infested, industrial dump of Kelham Island. But the beer range is very good, and that pulls in the groups of tickers and scoopers who create a clubby atmosphere.
The down to earth, humble surroundings seem to suit the scoopers. Most scoopers pubs tend to be plain and simple - the less pretension the better.
I like this place. I'd like it to be on my door step. I'd rave about it a bit more if it was on my door step.
But I guess I'm going to nit-pick about the lack of charm and character, and the poor surroundings maybe because I'm a little bit jealous.
If you're in Sheffield this is one of the pubs to visit - it's fame extends to the furthest corner of Britain, and it has frequently been acclaimed by the local CAMRA branches as the best pub in the area.
I preferred the Fat Cat, the Bath Hotel and the University Arms, and there are other pubs I've yet to see in Sheffield, but I can see why people like it, even if it isn't a big hit for me.
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Quite simply this is the best pub I've ever been in, on all counts. Just wish it was nearer to home! Pete
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Wonderful pub with friendly staff. Very well kept ale. Around 10 hand pumps. There always seems to be a Derby Brewing Co ale on the bar as well as some more local brews. Great cheese and onion cobs - you put the onion in yourself as a condiment. Nice beer garden (yard) too.
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Fast becoming a favourite of mine, this place has a superb array of beers at very reasonable prices, and a mint pub quiz with buffet snacks on a Monday. Worth going a bit out of your way for.
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another excellent pub to compliment the shalesmoor pub circuit..superb beer friendly staff gorgeous sun trap garden..a lot of local people in here but the streets are desolate outside..there are quite a few citys that could benefit with the enthusiasm sheffield landlords have for there beers..once again another top notch pub.
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Regular winner of best pub in Sheffield or even Yorkshire. Great choice of beers, friendly service and an attractive if small beer garden. One of several excellent pubs in the area.
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Visited on Sat 23/2/08 as Pub No. 2 on a magical crawl. Totally unchanged since last time, friendly staff and locals including one guy who followed me across from the Fat Cat and gave me directions to my next pub afterwards.
Pictish "Motueka" was the best ale on that night out of a choice of about six. Very lively atmosphere and there was a long wait for a seat.
We even had the pleasure of a fiddler entertaining the smokers outside with a few jigs and reels, and had his own unique humorous response to a request for something Irish - "God Save The Queen".
Again - a pub easily worth visiting repeatedly, and never disappoints.
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Always on my Sheffield agenda when doing an ale trail, and never disappoints. Excellent ales and food, great staff, and like the Fat Cat, has a cat in residence (all pubs should have one). Enjoyed my Alehouse and White Rose beers along with a steak pie. Great atmosphere.
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This is pretty much my idea of the perfect pub. As intimatge as being in someone's living room, yet ten(?) real ales on handpump. Superb!
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Like the previous comment also on a pre match ale crawl in Sheffield. This City is pretty much the premier ale place in the UK.
This is only about 5 minutes walk from the Shalesmore tram stop. Get the 'day rider' ticket on the tram if you are planning to move around a bit during the day priced at �2.70.
Another great pub with another excellent selection of different ales.
Conveniently located to take in the Fat Cat and The Wellington, all highly recommended.
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Visited yesterday on a trip to Sheff Wed. Excellent pub, excellent beer - I had Acorn Tangerine Dream and a Red Rock Humber Down Mild out of a choice of 8 or so. Also had Warsteiner on draught together with a wheat beer.
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The best pub on my tour of Sheffield, I could have spent all day in there. Great range of beers, friendly and helpful Landlord and comfortable too, everything I needed.
One of The U.K's treasures.
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Great to see one of my favourite pubs back to normal with new flooring but no change to the excellent quality of the ales and food. So glad to see the garden in full bloom too.
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One of my favourite pubs in Sheffield - Very friendly and welcoming, great food and always an exceptional selection of ales to choose from - A must for any serious real ale drinker, it is always one of my first ports of call when ever I travel up from Folkestone to Sheffield.
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I can't fault this pub. Excellent beer selection, the 5 I tried all in excellent condition. Attractive garden. Friendly people. New floor after the floods. Please don't change!
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Sheffield is so lucky to have this pub and the Fat Cat right next to each other (well 100 yards maybe).
The KIT offers superb beer, great choice and condition and real value food. Ret friendly welcome for out-of-town visitors.
chuffing grand lad! 10!
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Called round to give support on 5.7.07 after the Don floods, and found they were still working on the damage, but expected to be back in business in 2 weeks. Good luck to this first class pub.
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A fantastic pub, a haven for real-ale drinkers; it's not often that I've seen so many handpumps in one place.
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Back in Sheffield for the beer festival and had a great day sampling 15 brilliant beers in a great atmosphere in good company. Helpful informative staff and good food served. Heaven.
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One of the best pubs in Sheffield.Great beer,Great food and very friendly locals.Worth a visit.
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Absolutely superb pub,definately worth seeking out as it's off the beaten track,very friendly and welcoming with a no swearing policy,large clean rooms with extension to the rear,and a superb choice of well kept real ales,you can have your own beer festival every time you visit this pub with an ever changing array of ales,tried a stick of dynamite today at 10% along with half a dozen other new micro's.The best pub in Sheffield by far.
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Amazing pub; excellent range of real beers; lovely beer garden too. A bit out of the way but well worth the trouble to get there...
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Fabulous range of beer, slightly more modern feel inside than the Fat Cat (difficult to believe there could be a better pair of beer-centric pubs anywhere in Britain). Fully deserving of all accolades and one of the ultimate experiences of connoisseur beer consumption...
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Called in a couple of times while visiting Sheffield recently as this is one not to be missed. Excellent reange of ales on offer on both occasions.
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Best real ale pub in Sheffield. The staff couldnt be nicer. Real ales change regually. Won best pub in Sheffield 2 year running.
anonymous - 11 Aug 2006 16:20 |
Hard to fault. Excellent beer.
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Unlike many decent real ale pubs serving top quality pints this one is also very clean and tidy, behind the bar was spotless and the no swearing throughout and no smoking areas were appreciated.
First visit and took ages to find because of all the roadworks and diversions and getting out of the area was just as bad, which isn't a good idea when you're in the middle of a red-light area at night driving around slowly.
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Possibly my favourite pub in Sheffield, as mentioned below very close to the fat Cat but in a nicer building and with slightly more seating space with a dining area at the back. The Kelham Island tavern has a simillarly varied range of beers to its neighbour, often including a couple of fairly local ones from the Acorn Brewery in Barnsley. The pub has a 'no swearing' policy which caused some amusement last time I visited and a pet dog which can often be seen wandering the bar area, which adds to a good atmosphere. Great pub in an area well endowned with such.
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Curiously sited in sight of the Fat Cat at the Kelham Island brewery, but with none of their beer and seemingly little regard for each other. Very nice beers from Salamander when I went.
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Great pub great beer.... nuff said.
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Outstanding beer range, house beers excellent (Pictish Brewers Gold and Acorn Barnsley Bitter), their K.I. Tavern Bitter (brewed by Concertina) also very good, another six guests plus german draught lager and weissbier, dozens of bottles, fruit wines.
Comfy, easy going atmosphere, extension to the back along with a patio area. Well worth the trip out to it.
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This excellent ale-house goes from strength to strength. Standing at the bar to sup two superb pints of Pictish Brewers Gold, I chatted for some time to locals and bar staff all of whom were friendly (thanks for that pint - Martin) and thus ended up staying longer than planned. A must-visit pub. Filled rolls at the bar most sessions, and a generally cosy, convivial atmosphere within. Go there.
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This the best pub in the world and good luck to trevor and lewis on there future andy b
a.d.b - 18 Nov 2004 10:19 |
This is amongst the most friendly pubs I have been in. Amongst a range of six real ales, I enjoyed several pints of Pictish Brewers Gold, in perfect condition.
The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed, and it was a great end to the evening. 10/10.
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Brilliant place - I too stumbled across it quite by chance (spotted the large mural above the entrance from a main road some way away!), just after it opened, and every time I'm in Sheffield I try to get back there - good atmosphere and great range of excellent beers.
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I stumbled upon this pub quite by chance earlier this year when on a "GBG-led" tour of this city's plethora of alehouses. What a pleasant surprise. A superb range of cask ales was available in a lively convivial atmosphere - also met Alex & Kev from Birmingham (scoopers extraordinaires!)This pub, along with the Fat Cat and the Cask & Cutler, form one of the finest ale crawls in the UK. The pub must be visited when you are in Sheffield.
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Until about a year ago this pub was closed, presumably for good. A complete refurbishment has turned it into a smart and lively establishment. It's in the Kelham Island Industrial area, close to the museum (and the wonderful Fat Cat pub). Popular with real ale drinkers (ever increasing range of handpumps)but caters for anyone discerning. Folk sessions Sunday evenings. Although it does not feel like it, it is not far from the City Centre.
Simonf - 18 Jun 2003 11:08 |
