Last week we were invited to Browns for lunch. We hadn’t been to the Sheffield branch before but had been to the Cambridge one a couple of times. We knew we were in for a treat. Browns is in the city centre and located just on the corner by the Peace Gardens. We went on a Saturday lunch time and the restaurant was full but with a calm and relaxed atmosphere. The decor and lighting in the restaurant gives it a cosy feel.
Upon our arrival the staff were very friendly and we were taken to a lovely seat by the window upstairs. Perfect for anyone who likes to snap a few shots of their food and cocktails. It’s not just bloggers that do that, right? The view across the Peace Gardens is lovely, especially on a sunny day.
There are lots of options on the menu. Make sure you have enough time to browse through it before making your decisions or take a quick look online. At the moment their Taste of the Season menu is focused on tender beef and includes dishes such as Pulled Beef Brisket and BBQ beef ribs. They also have a good selection of veggie and vegan options too. I really do think there’s something for everyone.
We started our meal off with a round of cocktails. They have a fab selection on offer but as always Phil went for an Old Fashioned and I picked a Browns classic, the Raspberry Cherry Collins (a light and refreshing cocktail). We were both pleased with our choices. I think it’s only fair that we pay Browns another visit to try more from the cocktail menu – for research, of course. They even have a special offer after 4pm Mon-Fri – £4.95 for Classic Cocktails.
After a lot of deliberation we picked out our starters. Phil went for the Pulled Beef Brisket, Caper & Brown Sauce Croquettes and I picked the Whole Baked Sourdough. The bread usually comes with butter but luckily, because I can’t have dairy Browns took it into their own hands to put together a bowl of oil and balsamic vinegar. They know me so well! The bread is very much for 2, probably 3 people. But as always, we shared our starters.
When I mentioned that I couldn’t eat dairy the staff really went the extra mile to ensure that my meal was dairy free. Don’t be afraid to tell the staff if you have certain allergies or simply prefer not to eat some foods. From my experience they’ll be more than happy to make sure the meal is suited to you.
Phil’s choice turned out to be very pretty. Anything that comes with edible flowers is a winner in my books. I obviously gave the croquettes a try and they were so good. They had a lovely crunch on the outside and were tender and soft on the inside. I gobbled up the dainty little flowers too.
For my main meal I decided to have the Portobello Mushroom Tart. There were lots of options on the menu and although the fish and chips and the Browns burger sounded tempting I decided to go for the veggie option.
I can confirm that I was delighted with my choice. Just look at all of those mushrooms. The pastry was flakey, easy to slice through and there was a huge pile of mushrooms on top. I don’t know the different types of mushrooms (I wish I did) but there was a real variety on there.
Phil went for the Roasted Lamb Rump which came with potato gratin, crushed mint peas and red wine jus. He said the meat was soft and tender, the gratin was creamy, but not sickly and the rich wine sauce complimented everything well.
We ended our meal the only way, with an espresso martini each. They offer a lovely selection of desserts but were were just so full. The Salted Caramel Profiteroles, Raspberry Sorbet and Caramelised Lemon Tart were very tempting, hopefully next time.
Let me know if you give the Sheffield branch of Browns a try. The staff are helpful and friendly, the food is delicious and the cocktails are fab.