A traditional Irish pub (no, really) and one of Sheffield city centre’s best kept secrets.

The Venue
The Dog and Partridge is tucked away on Trippet Lane and can be tricky to find on an initial visit. It can be reached via a number of footpaths and side roads off West Street, or directly from Leopold Street.

The exterior is far from modern, and combined with its out of the way location, can make The Dog and Partridge appear at first sight to be the kind of place you should avoid. This simply isn’t the case, though, and in fact what The Dog and Partridge offers is an authentic Irish pub of a kind that is becoming increasingly rare.

The interior is as ‘traditional’ as the exterior and consists of four downstairs rooms of varying size. They are furnished with a variety of chairs, tables, stools and padded benches along the walls. The smallish bar sits between two of these rooms, with a service window to the larger room to the rear.

The People
The Dog and Partridge offers exactly the kind of Irish pub atmosphere that so many theme pubs completely fail to achieve. Neither the decor nor the layout could be described as modern, but half the charm is that it’s the kind of where place where nobody much cares, nor should they.

It's home to a far greater number of regulars than most other city centre pubs, and is both hugely welcoming and laid back. Live music is regular and can be impromptu. Many of the performers are simply the pub regulars and most will offer their instruments to anyone wanting to play. The same goes for singing, with the pub busy every night of the week, and entertainment is seldom in short supply.

The Drink
The selection on offer isn’t the largest. Usually it consists of a choice of two lagers, one or two ciders, two or three ales (including a local and guest ale) and, of course, the obligatory Guinness. Choice, however, is a moot point – the Guinness is the best you’ll find in Sheff. Poured expertly, you’ll wait longer for a pint of the black stuff here than in most pubs outside of Ireland, but you can taste the difference and its well worth the wait. A good range of bottled beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks is available. Prices are average for the city centre, with Guinness a little pricier at around £3 a pint.

The Last Word
The claim of being a ‘traditional Irish pub’ is a much overused and abused one, but in the case of The Dog and Partridge it is more than justified. The Dog and Partridge offers an unassuming authenticity rarely seen nowadays, especially so close to the modern, lively heart of Sheffield city centre.

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