In February, I had a gorgeous birthday meal at No Name in Crookes, Sheffield. This restaurant and it’s founder stemmed from underground pop-ups with hand written menus and a chef who preferred to stay hidden, to a permanent home in Crookes, Sheffield. No Name Bistro is rooted in British seasonal food and solid technique, stripped of pretence and distraction. The focus is ruthless in its simplicity: food that speaks for itself.

A bit about the restaurant, as taken from their website – “Before we had a door, a dining room, or even a name, we existed quietly — underground pop-ups, handwritten menus, word passed from table to table. The chef stayed deliberately anonymous. No name, just food.

What began as a way to cook without expectation slowly built a following. Diners came for honest, seasonal cooking and left talking about it. Eventually, the secret couldn’t stay hidden. The chef with no name was Thomas Samworth.

Today, that same ethos lives on at No Name Bistro in Crookes, Sheffield. Thomas cooks food rooted in British seasons and solid technique, stripped of pretence and distraction. The restaurant remains intentionally small and personal — a place where the focus is on flavour, craft, and care rather than trends.

This direct connection between kitchen and table transforms lunch into more than just a meal — it becomes a conversation, offering guests a deeper understanding of the food and the craft behind it.”

When we visited for my birthday, we literally got there before the shutters went up, and were first to be seated in the cosy dining room. We were hungry so went with the bread course as nibbles to start – which was clearly baked fresh and was warm. We then each had a starter and main.

For those that don’t know this restaurant, it definitely requires booking ahead and price point is more for a special occasion, but is reflected in the fine dining experience. Very cosy dining area that they pack in quite well, so not much privacy if that’s the sort of thing you’d prefer. Also please note that you can take your own drinks too, so we took a bottle of wine to share (corkage fees applicable).

As the menu does change often and is quite seasonal, I won’t go into too much detail on the exact plates, but we have to say that though portions are plated on large plates, they are delicious and are actually very filling. I wouldn’t usually opt for a soup starter (especially at £10 I believe), BUT the soup was absolutely full of depth of flavour, and was a great choice to then be able to go into my main without feeling already full The fish and the duck on the pains were cooked to absolute perfection.

We very much enjoyed our visit here to celebrate my being 30 (again haha!)

Spend: £40-£60pp for food and taking your own wine
Open Hours: Wed-Sat 6pm – 11pm
Parking info: Nearby street parking only
Takeaway/Delivery: n/a

*Please note that the above review is my honest, personal experience and opinion and all information on product ranges, discounts, prices etc were correct at the time of my review, so are subject to change over time.

I hope that my review has inspired you to give this restaurant a visit, or if you have already dined here, what were your thoughts? For any other South & West Yorkshire restaurants, cafes, food products that you think I should try, please leave a comment below.

If you are a restaurant/food vendor and would like to collaborate with me in any way, please just email me at jensfoodblog@gmail.com!

Happy munching!

Jen

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