RESTAURANTS in Sheffield are becoming rather like the proverbial buses – they all come along at once.

Nothing wrong with that, of course, if it means greater choice, but you can have too much of a good thing. Take Leopold Square, for example.

This latest architectural and cultural showcase combines historical and contemporary features in a seamless blend of good taste – in all senses of the phrase. But with just eight units to fill, it's puzzling that three of them specialise in Italian cuisine.

Things got off to a great start with Platillos, the independent tapas bar, which opened a year ago.

After a bumpy beginning, the Leopold boutique hotel took a firm grip of its niche market and now offers stylish fine dining in unique surroundings.

Upmarket pizza and pasta chain, Zizzi, set the Italian standard in October, quickly followed by Strada, right next door – which, curiously, replaced the planned Ortega tapas bar at the 11th hour because owners Tragus feared it might clash with Spanish-style Platillos.

Since then the square has welcomed Indian Aagrah, Japanese noodle chain Wagamama and independent piano bar Sylvesters. The mix has now been completed with the opening of Popolo, yet another Italian-themed chain.
We can be forgiven, then, for a slight lack of enthusiasm at the prospect of sampling its delights. More pizza? More pasta? More pollo and pesci? But Popolo somehow manages to pull it off.

The differences are subtle, but they are there – in the menu and more obviously in the ambience.

Popolo is clearly aimed at the younger market, with warehouse-style urban chic.

"That's a hard-looking chair," remarks my companion.

"It's cool!" says 20-year-old daughter.

"Is this house or garage music?" I ask (making an attempt at 'cool' myself).

"It's rubbish!" I'm told loftily... but the metal ducting, exposed brickwork, bare lightbulbs and neon 'toilet' sign meet approval, along with the black and silver colour scheme, leather booths and Italian film posters on the walls.

The restaurant occupies the first floor of the venue while underneath is a horseshoe bar where cocktails are a speciality. Mojito Wednesday – actually every Wednesday – offers a range of 12 mojitos, perked up with everything from fruit to spirits, at £3.95 each.

That may well explain why the place is popping at the seams when we arrive, on a muggy evening after work, to find the Square positively buzzing. It's great to see Sheffield embracing the al fresco scene at last and we settle down to enjoy it until being shooed upstairs to eat.

The restaurant manager (the improbably-named Jonny Montecarlo) gives us the low-down on the place. It's the second Popolo run by Newcastle-based leisure group Aquaclear but, refreshingly, it lacks the 'chain' mentality.

Head chef Paul Tannsley has complete control of the menu, which will change regularly once he gets a feel for what Sheffield customers want. And everything is made on the premises – right down to the bread.

The menu is pretty standard as Italian restaurants go: soups and antipasto, salads, pizzas, pasta, a range of fish and meat dishes and a few quirky twists.

See all our restaurant review in the Restaurant Guide

The wine list won't win any prizes for originality, but there's plenty of choice around the £13 mark, with house red at £12.50.

We share a quaffable bottle of Chilean merlot (£13), served at the perfect temperature, and await our starters. Bread and olives are £3.95 extra.

Polpettoni (spicy meatballs) are dense and meaty, though lacking the promised spice... which turns up instead in the accompanying pomodorro sauce – different! But good.

Curls of calamari are pleasantly tender (thankfully not the chewy rubber-bands that give the dish a bad name), braised in a piquant sauce of tomato and white wine perked up with saffron and rosemary.
The younger member of our party goes for a traditional Caprese salad of rather wet buffalo mozzarella ("a bit like cold scrambled egg") with sweet, ripe tomatoes and balsamic dressing.

She follows that, naturally, with pizza pollo Caesar – topped with pieces of chicken, stringy mozzarella, Parmesan shavings and a veritable forest of dressed leaves.

Pollo Kiev is an inside-out version of the classic dish. Breaded chicken breast is fried in garlic butter and artfully presented with tangy chilli jam and swirls of aged balsamic syrup. It's a substantial helping even without veg or potatoes.

The kitchen had run out of tuna so, eager to make amends, I was offered a choice of pollock or salmon with mussels and prawns thrown in for good measure. Too good to miss!

Pollock can be downright boring, but it's amazing what a few big, juicy prawns can do. It comes with the traditional Niçoise salad of new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, green beans, red onion, olives and anchovies. Just the job on a warm, muggy evening.

My obliging companions polish off a baked cheesecake, with a jellified raspberry topping and an unimpressively soggy base, and a deliciously light bread and butter pudding made of pannetone spiked with a citrus tang of candied orange peel.

We finish with excellent coffee. Dinner for three, excluding wine and service, is £59.40.

Verdict: Italian chain with an independent mentality. One of three options for those who choose to eat Italian in classy Leopold Square – hotly tipped to appeal to the younger set.

Open: from noon until midnight Mon, Tue, Sun, 1am Wednesday, 2am Thur-Sat.

Popolo bar, lounge & kitchen, Leopold Square, Sheffield (0114) 2758405