No, it's set in 12 acres of grounds in Nether Edge, about a mile out, so it suits visitors who want a quieter base with easy access into town rather than a hotel right on the high street.
Discover Authentic Sheffield: A Local Travel Guide by Mercure
At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Sheffield, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?
Our map pins local favourites such as the Winter Gardens, Kelham Island and the Crucible Theatre, alongside our Mercure hotels.
Top 5 Things to Do in Sheffield
Kelham Island
Old industrial buildings across this former steelworking quarter have been reborn as craft beer bars, indie arcades and food halls, with a genuine mix of local produce and international flavours. Roku, a Japanese restaurant on the island, has built a reputation for sushi that's hard to beat elsewhere in Yorkshire.
Ecclesall Road
A long stretch of independent cafés, restaurants and shops running out from the city centre, popular with locals rather than day-trippers. It sits close to Nether Edge, making it an easy walk from a stay in that part of the city.
Peace Gardens
A central green space next to the Town Hall, with fountains that draw families in summer and a genuinely pleasant spot to sit between museum visits. The Millennium Gallery, home to Ruskin's collection, is just around the corner.
Millennium Gallery
Sheffield's premier destination for art, craft and design, with a permanent Ruskin collection and a rotating schedule of exhibitions. It's compact enough to see properly in an hour or two.
The Peak District
Over a third of Sheffield sits within the Peak District National Park, so traffic-free cycling trails and countryside walks are closer than most visitors expect. Hire a bike or just take a scenic drive out for the afternoon.
Explore Sheffield's Best Local Spots with Our Interactive Map
What's on the map in Sheffield
We've mapped local spots in Sheffield, from a giant glasshouse to a revived industrial quarter.
Gardens & neighbourhoods
Winter Gardens
At 70 metres long and 22 metres high, one of Europe's largest urban glasshouses, with more than 2,500 plants from around the world. Wander through, then step straight into the Millennium Gallery.
City centre · Glasshouse · Perfect for a calm break
Kelham Island
A man-made island on the River Don, once a hub of cutlery and steel works. Today its old factories house microbreweries, food halls, independent shops, galleries and street art. Pull up a stool.
Kelham Island · Neighbourhood · Great for craft beer and independent shops
Sheffield Cathedral
The city's oldest building, with a history of worship going back more than 1,000 years to the first church built here in the 12th century. Look around the stained glass and stonework, and check what concerts are on.
City centre · Cathedral · Ideal for history and architecture
Museums & theatre
Millennium Gallery
A free museum of art and design, with more than 800 pieces of Sheffield cutlery and tableware, and the Ruskin Collection of art, minerals and manuscripts gathered by John Ruskin.
City centre · Museum, free entry · Made for art and design
Crucible Theatre
One of the UK's most acclaimed theatres. Its thrust stage has seats on three sides, so you're never more than 20 metres from the action. What's playing?
City centre · Theatre · Perfect for an evening show
National Videogame Museum
How games are made, by whom and why – with more than 100 playable exhibits, from retro arcade machines to modern consoles. Press start.
City centre · Interactive museum · Great for gamers and families
Food & drink
Jöro
An intimate eight-table restaurant serving tasting menus of seasonal, locally sourced ingredients around an open kitchen.
Restaurant · Ideal for a tasting menu
Cutlery Works
The largest food hall in the north of England, voted Best Food Hall in the UK in 2022, in a restored industrial building on Kelham Island.
Kelham Island · Food hall · Perfect for groups
Public
Cocktails in a former gents' toilet beneath the Grade I-listed Victorian town hall. Yes, really.
City centre · Cocktail bar · Made for drinks
FAQ
Very close, more than a third of the city sits within the national park boundary, so a scenic drive or cycle out is a realistic half-day trip rather than a major excursion.
A tangy, Worcestershire-style local condiment known affectionately as Hendo's, found on tables across Sheffield and used far more widely than just as a steak sauce.
Visit the Winter Gardens glasshouse and the free Millennium Gallery next door, then catch a show at the Crucible Theatre.
Kelham Island, a former industrial area by the River Don, is now full of microbreweries, food halls and independent shops.
Yes. The Millennium Gallery is a free museum with Sheffield's famous metalwork collection and the Ruskin Collection.
Where to Sleep in Sheffield
These Mercure hotels appear on our map:
- Mercure Sheffield St. Paul's Hotel and Spa
- Mercure Sheffield Kenwood Hall Hotel & Spa
- Mercure Sheffield Parkway Hotel