'We visited what's becoming one of Sheffield's coolest areas, with unique new bars, markets and games venues'

Kelham Island has long held the title of Sheffield’s trendiest neighbourhood thanks to its fantastic array of independent pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants.

But the city centre is undergoing an exciting transformation, while Nether Edge was recently named the best place to live in Sheffield.

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It’s another part of the city, however, which is beginning to generate some genuine buzz after a string of exciting new openings, with more on the way.

Bramall Lane is of course best known as the home of Sheffield United.

It’s not been the happiest of places for fans this season and many Blades supporters will have been drowning their sorrows in one of Bramall Lane’s historic pubs, the Sheaf House, the Railway or the Cricketers Arms.

But, while it’s probably little consolation, they now have some great new venues to visit on the club’s doorstep.

New bar and restaurant with VR gaming

They include Panenka Bar & Grill, a £1.7m bar, restaurant and entertainment venue at New Era Square, just off Bramall Lane, where Blades boss Chris Wilder was among the celebrities attending the launch last December.

As well as 35 screens showing all the latest sporting action, it boasts karaoke rooms, augmented reality darts, pool, shuffleboard and VR pods allowing gaming fans to enjoy a truly immersive experience.

It’s a family friendly venue during the day and one of Sheffield’s most happening nightspots after dark, with guest DJs, two-for-one cocktail deals on Friday and Saturday nights, when it is open till late.

New Era Square promises to be even livelier when Selena Cocktail Bar and Kitchen, promising guests ‘innovative’ cocktails and a Mediterranean menu, opens this summer.

It’s already home to some other great places to eat and drink, including the highly rated Oisoi Gathering Asian fusion restaurant and bar, where the distinctive decor and live music make it one of Sheffield’s most unique dining experiences.

Across the street, at a former trampoline park on Clough Road, is Red Brick Market, described as Sheffield’s first ‘indie department store’.

Providing a showcase for some of Sheffield’s best independent makers and sellers, it has around 100 stalls offering everything from vintage clothes and artwork to plants and sweets. Futher up the road, as you head away from the city centre, is Golf Fang, a popular crazy golf attraction and cocktail bar on John Street. The amazing artwork covering the walls and ceilings of this cavernous venue make it one of Sheffield’s most spectacular indoor spaces.

Golf Fang actually opened back in 2022 but recently expanded, adding a New York-inspired pizzeria and retro gaming arcade.

There’s also The Steamworks, an 11,000 sqft former industrial warehouse on Randall Street which has been transformed into an events space.

It hosts a monthly street food market with live music, and a new vintage and makers flea market, launching on Saturday, April 13.

Other events there have included a daytime 90s rave, and the space is available to hire, with capacity for up to 500 guests.

Nextdoor is the beautiful redbrick Grade II*-listed Portland Works, a former Victorian cutlery factory which has been lovingly restored over the last decade and now houses a collection of small makers and artists, producing everything from gin to guitars.

Between them, these places are adding new vibrancy to a long forgotten quarter of the city sandwiched between bustling London Road and the historic home of Sheffield United.

If you’ve not headed down that way recently it’s worth a visit to check out some of these venues, new and old, even if you’re a Sheffield Wednesday fan.