The Botanical, Sheffield

Location: The Botanical, Ecclesall Road, Sheffield (formerly Varsity for those that know the area)
Time: All around 12.00/13.00ish (3 times so far)
Dining partner: S
Score (out of 5): 3.5
So Varsity got a major overhall and facelift! I don't think I ever went in when it was Varsity actually - it always looked too dark to me. But Since starting my MSc I've eaten in there three times.

The atmosphere is light and relaxed. I particularly love the mix and match feel of the seating - booths and your standard table and chairs mingle with sofas and quirky chairs and lower tables. The music isn't offensively loud and the bar itself isn't too sticky - although sometime it could definitely do with a wipe!
The staff are young and friendly. It is frequented by both students and young professionals from various companies dotted along Eccy Rd which means the staff look like the types who would be eating and drinking in there if they didn't work there. The bar staff couldn't really be any more helpful although the waiting staff have left me and my companion often wanting a little more - a smile and a few manners wouldn't hurt a couple of them!
The food is affordable and there's always an offer on to tempt the more budget conscious (i.e. me!). The wrap and a drink deal is on Monday to Friday over lunch (I think it actually ends around 5pm so is also great for an early tea) costs less that a fiver and is filling...very filling. The Fat Wrap is my personal favourite at the moment - chicken, bacon, cheese, BBQ sauce and onion rings all in a wrap and served with chips (or upgrade to curly fries for 99p) although trying to concentrate in a forensic psychology lecture after one of those is hard - all you're going to want to do is sleep!
Also good value are the buckets. A bucket filled with meat (and chips if you pick the right one) either to yourself or share - we shared on that particular occassion, glad we did too as it meant we had just about enough food each and room for a sweet treat (from Greggs next door not The Botanical though).

Overall a nice, affordable place to grab some food. Go at the right time and service is prompt so there's not much waiting round. Go at the wrong time and you better hope you don't mind being accompanied by noisy undergraduates from the campus nearby. Don't worry though they soon start to realise that they money isn't endless and that they can't sustain eating like kings every lunch time during terms!
Out of five I think I'll give it a 3.5 for now - can't do that one pictorally/with asterisks though so a numerical rating it is. I'd recommend it if you're in the local vicinity but it's probably not worth the walk (or short bus ride) from the city centre.

Rachel (&Stacey)


I have also noted  I use exclamation marks ALOT...sorry if you don't like them but their up there in my top five pieces of punctuation so you'll have to live with it I think =]