A Restaurant Worth Travelling To: Jöro, Sheffield

The move out west marks a milestone for Jöro. The new site has allowed the kitchen to elevate their offering, in a much larger, open-plan space. There are now 11 spaced-out tables, each with a view of the gleaming, mega black-and-steel kitchen. The dining experience also incorporates two bars (serving small-producer wines and spirits, as well as homemade tinctures and cordials), plus an all-day terrace and outdoor BBQ kitchen (launching this summer) and a deli, which does one of the best non-alcoholic lines we’re seen, which makes sense as Luke and Stacey are non-drinkers. One of the bars serves an authentic riff on tapas, complete with pleasingly plump boquerones and a trio of moreish croquetas. This is all designed to make the venue a place for Oughtibridge locals, rather than a special occasion-only space for out-of-towners. The result is a relaxed place that still forgoes a dress code but offers a Michelin-worthy experience.

While Jöro 2.0 no longer serves small plates, it stays true to the kitchen’s history of applying modern techniques to local ingredients, drawing inspiration from both Japan and Scandinavia. The team offer a choice of three 16-course tasting menus (£125pp): meat, vegetarian and pescatarian. There’s a shorter format, featuring the menu’s greatest hits, during lunch service (£55pp).

Central to the kitchen is live-fire cooking using birch wood and charcoal. Some of the hero ingredients that could get a good grilling here are Scottish scallops, salt-aged Yorkshire beef rump cap, whole teriyaki quail, basque-style blueberry cheesecake and yuzu meringue. We get the first hit of smoke in the opening bites: a trout belly and nori tartlet, followed by a croustade of raw beef, myoga (Japanese ginger) and jalapeño. Both are knockouts that make me fear the meal might have peaked too soon. I shouldn’t have panicked.

Every course is a masterclass in precision and punch. Choux buns are filled with cheese and pickled onion, designed to be eaten in tandem with slices of pineapple – dusted with sansho pepper and kaffir lime zest – for a surprising take on a cheese-and-pineapple stick. The mid-meal Japanese milk bread is served with a pleasing squiggle of Ampersand butter. A Scottish scallop is dressed with rhubarb and habanero hot sauce and finger lime. I’m not a mushroom fan, but I devour the chawanmushi (steamed custard), black truffle, ikura and shiitake dish. Then a piece of celeriac steals the show with its accompaniments of teriyaki, ancho chilli and three-cornered leek.

It’s testament to the cooking, portions and pacing that we don’t feel enormous by the end of the 16 courses. And even if we had, there’s no way our table wouldn’t have leapt upon the closing quartet of petit fours: prettily presented kombu ice-cream sandwiches, raspberry jellies with black cardamom and pepper, Amalfi lemon meringue pies, and coffee and miso madeleines. 

In fact, the full parade of puddings is an impressive run. Following a palate cleanser lollipop of blackcurrant, beetroot and chocolate, there’s a lovely nod to Yorkshire with a delicate slice of malt loaf, served with cheese and port syrup, which cleverly doubles as both cheese course and gateway to the sweet stuff. The latter includes another successful slice of Asian inspiration – an assembly of jasmine rice koji, soy, yuzu and vanilla – followed by the nicest dessert I can remember in a long time: sticky toffee pudding with miso and arabica coffee. It’s served with a sauce that’s thick, glossy and the right balance of sweet-sour – served in a striking ceramic dish, which have been perfectly paired to the dishes all night.

Things get experimental on the drinks front, where the paired choices throughout our meal are some of the most interesting I’ve tried. As well as wines, we’re poured glasses of ice cider, milk saké and a final tipple of Beermouth, a balsamic-like aperitivo from Piedmonte. Some pairings are more crowd-pleasing than others, but everything holds up to the punchy flavours of the food – and I salute the sommelier for serving drinks that were as much a talking point as the memorable dishes.

Part of the mammoth renovation of the old mill included transforming it into two stories. While the ground floor hosts the bars and restaurant, upstairs you’ll find five studios and two one-bedroom apartments, giving diners the chance to stay for a night or weekend getaway. Designed by Luke and Stacey, the rooms are neutral and Scandi inspired – think pale green walls and food-themed David Shrigleys on the walls – and some come with kitchens. Each offers views across to the Peak District. The highlight of our stay? The homemade continental breakfast left in the fridge while we dined the night before (think local cheese and charcuterie, cherry yogurt, homemade granola and some more of that lovely bread they made in the kitchen). Back on Kelham Island, House of Jöro continues to offer bedrooms for guests who’d prefer to stay central.

The restaurant is a 15-20-minute taxi ride from Sheffield train station. For those visiting from London, Sheffield is a two-hour train journey from St Pancras station. It’s also a 45-minute drive from Leeds and 90 minutes from Manchester.

Jöro Oughtibridge Mill, Wharncliffe Side, Sheffield, S35 0LB

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