One of a number of pubs to be found in the pleasant village suburb of Dore, on the southwest edge of Sheffield.

The Venue
The Hare & Hounds sits on Church Lane, right in Dore’s centre, close to a small (and underappreciated) monument to Egbert of Wessex, the first Saxon king to unite England, and arguably its first true ruler. Buses do run close by, but for most that will mean a detour to the city centre in order to get one; if you’re not local it’s more likely you’ll be driving (the whole area is a popular destination for Sunday afternoon jaunts) and parking is ample.

The pub itself is airy, bright and modern, showing the benefits of its recent refurbishment. There are several doors and depending on which you enter by you’ll either find yourself in the restaurant, housing numerous tables in several interconnected rooms, or in the rear bar, more suited to drinkers than diners with its bench-couches running round a couple of the walls and various round tables surrounded by stools elsewhere.

The rear bar also houses a quiz machine and dartboard (though there are fruit machines tucked into a couple of alcoves elsewhere in the pub). Both rooms are served by bars, a short bar tucked into a wall in the case of the dining area, a longer, L-shaped bar filling the corner of the room in the other. There’s also a cash machine in the pub, should you need it, though it will make a charge for withdrawals.

The Atmosphere
The Hare & Hounds is a very popular destination for diners, particularly on weekends, bank holidays and during the summer. It’s also the local for many of Dore’s residents (including the odd footballer). During the daytime, it’s likely to be an older crowd, with many retired folk dropping in for lunch. Younger locals are clearly in evidence in the evenings and there will always be a steady stream of visitors arriving by car, some of them ramblers or tourists making their way to and from the Peak District and other popular countryside areas surrounding Dore.

The Food
It’s a pub-style menu, but service is very good and with a dedicated dining area, it’s a certainly a viable alternative to a full-blown restaurant. Prices are comparable to most other pubs, making the improved quality and service a bonus. Traditional pub fare, such as beef lasagne, and scampi and chips begin at around £5.95, running up to about £7 for a steak. The menu includes dedicated fish and grill sections and a much better choice of specials than to be found in most pubs. Seafood is something of a speciality, with both sole fillets with split-black prawns (£6.95) and sea bass fillets (£7.95) featuring amongst the specials. The vegetarian selection is typical of its kind, and there is of course the obligatory Sunday Lunch. There are also grill nights on Tuesdays and curry nights every Thursday. Those who like bargains should take advantage of their £7 for two meals offer, which runs from 12noon-5pm, Monday-Saturday.

The Drink
A fairly typical selection – the drinks offering is perhaps not the Hare & Hounds' biggest selling point, with little to really make it stand out. Beers on tap include Carling, Carlsberg, Landlord, Tetley’s, Guinness, Strongbow, Stella Artois and John Smiths. Starting at just £1.89 for a pint of Tetley cask and going upto just under £2.70, there’s good value to be had.

A list of wines, 28 in total, includes a good range of red, white, rose and sparkling wines costing from £2.25 upwards for a small glass. Bottles of house wine cost £7.99. All the usual spirits are stocked, many of them at the offer price of £1.25 per measure. Some variety is introduced into the drinks offering with a selection of rotating ‘seasonal’ drinks, such as hot toddies, long drinks, cocktails, sparkling wines and various premium spirits to suit the season. It’s still pretty typical stuff, though.

The Last Word
The Hare & Hounds’ big selling point is its location – it’s situated in a picturesque village at the edge of Sheffield, surrounded by the Peak District; that alone makes it more than worth a visit.

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