Upmarket bar on the picturesque St Paul’s Square.

The Venue
St Paul’s Square is better known to visitors and locals alike as the Peace Gardens. It’s Sheffield’s focal point, its most appealing outdoor space and probably its most popular destination. The gardens themselves comprise of fountains and grassy areas that are full on a hot day with sunbathers, families (with kids playing in the fountains) and those generally looking for a spot to lounge right in the middle of the city.

Behind the gardens are a couple of broad paved areas, surrounded by shops, restaurants and bars. Ha Ha Bar sits on the corner of two of these areas, right behind the gardens. It’s impossible to miss - either head through the Peace Gardens or follow Pinstone Street past them.

Inside is quite an interesting arrangement of several seating areas on different levels – upstairs, downstairs, tables in the window and seats in front of the bar. It’s all sophisticated wood and brass, with a stark, bare metal bar running in a semi-circle from the door to an open kitchen. Best of all, the Ha Ha Bar occupies a very large outdoor seating area, stretching out across the parade towards the gardens – possibly the most well-situated outdoor eating and drinking spot in the city.

The Atmosphere
Ha Ha Bar is popular, busy, but relaxed and quiet. Being as central and as prominent as it is, it attracts all sorts, from families to shoppers to businessmen to those on a night out. There’s no loud music playing in the bar, and the way the venue is divided into so many different areas seems to do a lot to prevent a build-up of noise, even on busy nights full of chattering groups. Friendly, helpful staff will be more than happy to bring your drinks to your table, or offer table service when they’re not too busy (there’s a dedicated area for this), and service is, in all regards, excellent.

The outdoor area is a particular boon – it’s family friendly and a very appealing spot in its own right; more for the summer than the winter, of course, but it’s a hard spot to beat on balmy evenings.

The Food
Food is served from a top notch open kitchen sited at one end of the bar on the ground level. It’s worth stating, right off the bat, that it’s not a particularly cheap place to eat but you most definitely get what you pay for. Dishes like grilled calf’s liver (£12.95) or Greshingham duck breast with blackcurrant and cassis sauce (£17.95) show real restaurant flair and quality.

The freshness and quality of the ingredients really shows through. Dishes like spinach and rictotta ravioli (£8.95), so often an obviously microwaved, pre-packaged sort of a thing in pubs and bars, is rich and fresh, full of tender fillings. You’ll find most mains in this sort of price range - £7.95 to £11.95. A cheaper option is the £6 lunch – any sandwich or wrap served with skinny chips. There are also nibbles available – cashew or pistachio nuts, £1.70; breads and olives, £2.95.

The Drink
Peroni Nastro Azzuro (£3.55 a pint), Heineken (£3.15), John Smith’s Smooth, Amstel, Guinness (£3.15), Strongbow, Becks Vier are on tap, and, unless otherwise stated, are priced around £2.70-£3. Ha Ha Bar offers a substantial list of good quality wines: both reds and whites begin at £3.20 for a small glass of Australian Chardonnay or Shiraz, respectively, or £12.95 a bottle. Prices then stretch right up to £30.95 for a bottle of Robert Mondavid Napa Valley Fume Blanc, or £34.95 for the Cabernet Sauvignon Torres. Champagnes start at £5.95 a glass, or £35 a bottle, and go right up to £125 for a bottle of Krug Grande Kru Brut.

There’s also a huge range of cocktails, variously £5.45 or £6.95 (some are available in jugs for, generally, a little over double the price). Cocktails are on offer midweek, 5pm to 7pm, with most being just £3 between those times. What with Ha Ha Bar attracting a lot of families and daytime visitors, there is of course also a good selection of very reasonably priced soft and hot drinks.

The Last Word
A classier bar than most, Ha Ha is ideally situated in a prime spot.

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