retiredmartin

All the pubs in Sheffield by foot No. 137 (est.) – The Northern Monkey, Hillsborough

Sheffield has great pubs. It also has some quite good pubs, the sort of places that would be in the Scottish chapters of the GBG that young Simon is doing at this very moment.

I took Mrs RM on a midweek assault on her 10k steps target, in the certain knowledge there would be a pub at the end of it.

The bridges over the Don are underrated,

but Hillsborough isn’t, despite a slew of good micros and a top-notch curry house.

There’s a Shakespeare just to the right of the Subway and casino, but it’s keg and it can wait.

A few yards up Middlewood Road towards the Wednesday ground, the Northern Monkey was wrestling with the Eternal Question;

Which cask beer to put on in a non-cask pub ?

Honestly, you’ll not see a more keggy pub in Sheffield.

All your favourites; Cruzcampo, Pardal (?), Grand Central (?), Dortmunder, Friuli, Midway (?).

Mrs RM had the lone cask, a rarely sighted Stancil Porter. I went Neck Oil.

The landlady seemed pleased to sell a pint of the Porter, but in fairness it would have been a GBG shoe-in/shu-in/shoo-in anywhere except Sheffield. One beer is plenty etc etc.

It’s a smart bar, with an obsession for forgotten noughties pop. Robbie Williams, JLS and Liberty X, all your favs.

Mrs RM and I spend 5 minutes scouring our brains to recall which member of Liberty X went on to fame and fortune (A: None of them).

High tables in the centre, lower tables round the sides, famous monkeys on the walls.

It’s very relaxed, and comfortable, and in the heat of Sheffield’s Indian Summer feels a bit like a Turkish bar aimed at 20 year olds on holiday from Manchester.

Oh, and in answer to the question “What cask ale would you like on”…