Pearl at Park Hill, Sheffield: 'Inventive' cocktail bar at iconic Yorkshire flats added to Good Food Guide

The Pearl at Park Hill opened at Sheffield’s iconic flats in the summer of 2023 and was set up by the duo behind the acclaimed bistro Bench in Nether Edge.

It has now been named as a local gem by the reviewers at the prestigious Good Food Guide, which praised its ‘comfort food’, ‘highly inventive’ cocktails and ‘fantastic value’ in its latest review.

The iconic Park Hill flats in Sheffield used to have four watering holes: The Parkway Tavern, The Scottish Queen, The Link and The Earl George.

The Pearl is a slightly more upmarket affair than any of that quartet, which closed during the modernist ‘streets in the sky’ housing estate’s decline in fortunes before its remarkable revival in recent years.

The venue was set up by Jack Wakelin and Tom ‘Ronnie’ Aronica, who previously worked together at Public in Sheffield city centre, and promised to serve up a ‘seasonal, ever-changing cocktail menu, craft beer and natural wine alongside bar snacks’ when it opened in August 2023.

Just over a year later, the review from the Good Food Guide suggests the venue is doing just that.

It said: “From the people behind Nether Edge’s excellent Bench, this no-bookings cocktail bar is every bit as chic as its concrete-and-couches interiors suggest. Highly inventive cocktails are Pearl's USP, with ingredients ranging from spent coffee to pea-pod cream, but you’re in safe hands.

“Drinks are fantastic value considering their quality, as are the ‘plates’ – seasonally changing dishes offering comfort food in its fanciest guise.

“There are chicken wings with harissa and lime, salted new potatoes with aïoli and interesting combos including tangy marinated mushrooms tangled up with a cured egg yolk and dill. Just add assorted beers and natural wines on tap.

“In summer, the terrace buzzes with drinkers enjoying the panoramic views over Sheffield.”

Park Hill, which boasted 31 shops when it opened in the 60s, is already home to the popular South Street Kitchen cafe, a convenience store and an upmarket furniture shop, but The Pearl was its first bar since the ongoing redevelopment by partners Urban Splash and Places for People began.