Sheffield, United Kingdom

In the last few years, partly because of the huge influx of students to the city, Sheffield's dining and drinking opportunities have grown beyond anyone's expectations, making it as good a place to spend an evening as almost any city in the country.

More than anything, the city has acquired more diversity and now has a genuinely cosmopolitan feel. The recent flood of cafe-bars that has swept Britain has not missed Sheffield out, but neither has it robbed the city of its array of traditional pubs. There are also new and exciting restaurants springing up all over the place, meaning that the eating place lurking around the next corner is as likely to be a Mediterranean tapas bar as a fish and chip shop.

By far the trendiest area in Sheffield, the Devonshire Quarter is close to the city centre and is the place to be seen in Sheffield, especially at the weekend. This is where the majority of the new cafe-bars are situated, most of which are quite relaxed during the day but come alive at night. Bar Coast (Division Street) is fairly typical, with sofas, bright colors and lots of stainless steel; there is also a full menu (prices are reasonable). Similarly, RSVP Bar and J.D.Wetherspoons (both Cambridge Street) provide freshly-prepared meals (around £5 for main courses) and attract mainly young professionals. The Forum Cafe (Division Street) has a real split personality: during the day it doubles up as an art gallery and is very sedate, but at night it has a genuine party atmosphere, with DJ's playing throughout the week. The Havana Internet Cafe is also worth a visit and last but not least, the Halcyon Bar (Devonshire Street) is possibly the coolest place to be seen in Sheffield, with minimalist decor, a late license (until 1 am) and the added lure of Absinthe.

If these bars seem a bit too trendy, however, there's always The Yorick (Division Street), a traditional pub which nevertheless gets very busy at weekends. Or, if you're looking for somewhere a bit different, you could do worse than The Walkabout Inn (Carver Street) which is an Australian-themed pub and includes a dance floor, a beer garden, karaoke and live music. Those with strong stomachs, however, should head straight for the Frog & Parrot (Division Street) which allegedly has the strongest beer in the world, aptly called "Roger and Out". The Devonshire Quarter also houses a number of popular restaurants. BB's Italian Restaurant (Devonshire Street) offers good service and the opportunity to take your own wine, whereas Pizza Express (Devonshire Street) continues the area's stainless steel theme (this is Sheffield, after all!) and offers a good selection of freshly-baked pizzas, while ASK Pizza and Pasta (Cambridge Street) is sophisticated and spacious. Less conventional restaurants include The Mad Greek (Fitzwilliam Street), which is huge and includes plate-smashing, dancing and singing, and Bistro Casablanca (Devonshire Street), which has a Continental atmosphere and a live jazz band.

Close to the Devonshire Quarter is West Street, which begins as Glossop Road and leads directly to the city centre. West Street is not quite as 21st century as the Devonshire Quarter, but it does have a very good selection of restaurants and bars and is well worth a visit. The most noticeable bar is indisputably The Cavendish (partly because it is bright yellow). The emphasis here is clearly on fun and quiz nights, comedy and karaoke are all regular features. Closer to town is Sheffield's most kitsch establishment, Flares 70's Revival Bar , which serves lunches by day and dons an afro wig by night and has an atmosphere that makes it seem more like a club. Other places worth stopping off at for a drink include the very large Edwards Bar, the very busy Foundry and Firkin and Scruffy Murphy's . West Street also has a number of popular and interesting restaurants to choose from. Two easily-confused restaurants are Que Tal? and K Pasa (both Glossop Road) as they are practically next door to one another. K Pasa is an Italian restaurant which is very lively and suitable for large parties, whereas Que Tal? offers a wide selection of Mexican, Italian and Spanish dishes.

Another street which seems to be entirely made up of restaurants and bars is Ecclesall Road. If you like Italian food, this is definitely the place to go as you will simply be spoilt for choice here. Santino's Ristorante Italiano is particularly recommended (not least because you can take your own wine and they even provide you with reading glasses if you've forgotten yours!) but Caffe Uno , The Pomona and Trattoria Romana also serve delicious food at reasonable prices. However, Ecclesall Road has not been completely colonized by Italy; Cafe Rouge is a French restaurant which is thoroughly deserving of its popularity, whereas Nonnas Cafe and Restaurant , though Italian-based, is a European-style cafe-bar which serves lovely food from the whole continent and even has a deli counter so you can buy the ingredients afterwards.

Champs Sports Bar and Restaurant is perhaps Ecclesall Road's most popular venue. Split into two sections, one side is a relaxed American restaurant while the other is a thriving bar which specializes in cocktails and is decorated with sports memorabilia. Other bars worth trying include The Slug and Fiddle , which is spacious and often has live bands and DJs playing, and The Nursery Tavern , a busy pub with a beer garden and a good reputation for food.

Although these three areas are the busiest places in Sheffield and have the most bars and restaurants per square mile, there is far more to the city than this. For example, more upmarket restaurants include Thyme (Sandygate Road), an interesting and original English restaurant, and the Mediterranean Restaurant (Sharrow Vale Road), which specializes in seafood and tapas. Other bars worth checking out include All Bar One (Leopold Street), which attracts a lively crowd of young professionals, and Empire Bar (Charter Square), with its distinctive movie-themed atmosphere. Finally, the area of Broomhill is worthy of a mention. There are a number of busy and friendly pubs here, such as The Fox and Duck and O'Neills' Irish Bar (both Fulwood Road), a recently-refurbished cafe-bar ( Hanrahans , Glossop Road) and one or two interesting places to eat out such as UK Mama .

1. The Peak District

Sheffield is on the very edge of the Peak District National Park, an area of outstanding natural beauty, and the countryside around here is so spectacular that it would be a shame to leave Sheffield without visiting it.

If you have a car with you, or if you can get access to one, this tour is highly recommended. Otherwise, a taxi or bus from the centre of Sheffield will get you along the A57 to the outskirts of the Park.

Beginning in the City Centre, take West Street west until it becomes Glossop Road. Follow the road until it ends. Turn right onto Fulwood Road, then right 100 yards later, onto Manchester Road (the A57, signposted Glossop) which will take you out of Sheffield, through Tapton. You will be in countryside within 15 minutes, and as you go on, the landscape becomes wilder and more beautiful.

The road (also known as the Snake Pass because the snake is the logo of the Cavendish family of Chatsworth House fame, who originally built and owned the road. Snake Pass has a 60 mph speed limit. Locals will drive faster than this, but if you don't know the road, be careful; there are a number of unexpected and very sharp turns.

The Ladybower Inn (on the right hand side of the road, after about 20 minutes) makes a possible first stop if it's close to lunchtime. Take the opportunity to have a walk by the Ladybower Reservoir, and to enjoy the tranquil atmosphere among the hills. Fly fishing is available by arrangement. A series of guides to suggested walks in this area is available from the Ladybower Inn.

It wasn't always this peaceful here. Two entire villages were submerged when the reservoirs in this valley were built!

Afterwards, decide whether to:

a) Drive straight on in the direction you have been heading, for breathtaking views and (for the more athletic) walks across the open countryside and moors. If you want to walk, follow any of the many footpaths which are signposted from the road, usually close to the small car-parks which crop up on both sides. Walkers are requested to stay on footpaths until they reach a sign marking "Open Countryside". The hospitable Snake Pass Inn, a 15 minutes' drive in this direction, is surrounded by some of the most spectacular countryside in this area, and is an excellent place to recover from even the most strenuous of walks. It is so high up it can only receive Sky TV (which plays quietly in the bar). The photographs in the foyer of the winter of 1986, when snow on this road drifted to head-height, gives some indication of how wild the weather can get here!

Accommodation and standard bar food are also available here (the pub has hotel facilities with two AA stars and runs a camping barn for walkers in the summer) and this would make an extremely relaxing break if you have time to stay overnight.

b): The other option after Ladybower is to turn left, taking the A6013 across the dam. This leads through Bamford, a small farming village. At the end of this road, turn left to Hathersage, a pretty village with tea shops and pubs, which has two remarkable connections. Charlotte Bronte visited in 1845, staying in the vicarage of St Michael's and All Angels Church while visiting her schoolfriend Ellen Nussey. She based Thornfield Hall in Jane Eyre on North Lees Hall, and the surrounding countryside also figures in the book. Further information on the link is available in the church.

Hathersage is also said to have links to the legendary Robin Hood of Nottingham, whose companion, Little John, is said to be buried in St Michael's churchyard. His Grave is signposted.

The church itself, which dates from 1281, is extraordinarily beautiful. A 14th century baptismal font is on display and the intricate stained glass is also well worth seeing. To reach it, continue in the direction in which you approached the village and turn left into School Lane. Take the first left, up the very steep Church Bank and follow the road round to the car park. Afterwards, the outstanding Scotsman's Pack is an excellent place to eat (or even to stay).

A stone circle and a fort are also located just outside Hathersage. Take the A625 from the village and drive for five minutes until you reach the first major car park (enticingly named "Surprise View"!) Cross the road and walk back for two to three minutes to find the path leading to the stone circle: for the fort, drive on to the next car park, another five minutes along the road.

The A6013 will take you directly back to Sheffield along Ecclesall Road within about 25 minutes. Round the day off with a stop at Champs (for American meals) or at the hugely popular Nonna's (for excellent Italian food); or for smaller meals and refreshments, try Pomona .