In a nutshell:
–warm, welcoming atmosphere, suitable for anyone
–cosy up here working on your own and not feel a need to move on
–the best coffee in town
–fantastic, friendly, knowledgable staff
–great sweet treats
I asked a number of people for coffee shop recommendations in Sheffield and I got this reply every time: Marmadukes. As soon as I walked in you can see why. A warm, welcoming hug of a cafe. Chic wooden tables outside on the cobbled pedestrian walkway, and inside, if you follow the corridor past the counter, you’ll find yourself going through what feels like a rustic, ambient labyrinth into a coffee shop haven: thick, rustic wooden tables (choose between big sharing ones or smaller ones), cushions everywhere, great coffee shop-related reading material and a comfortable, cosy atmosphere that makes you feel like you’re in your own home and not in a public space at all.
What they get right here is the balance: it’s trendy, but not pretentious. The staff are delightful and engage in conversation if you want, but leave you to your own thoughts if you’d like that too. Their passion for coffee comes through and all are easy-going – I felt like I was chatting to my friends when placing an order.
A warm, welcoming hug of a cafe
The choice of coffee accessories here is one of the best I’ve seen. Not in quantity, but in the quality of every single thing they have carefully chosen to stock. There’s one of everything, so you can be assured whether it’s a grinder, or a travel cup you want, it will have been carefully chosen by them and, as the barista said to me, it’s all stuff they use themselves.
The Coffee
Like many coffee shops these days, they use Origin here. I had the Nicaragua blend for my latte and it was perfect. Beautiful, rounded flavours. (I had about 5 here this week and it was spot on every time). Perhaps the creaminess and smoothness were down to the milk, which is from Our Cow Molly, a dairy farm just 5 miles away. For a filter coffee, they have a selection of roasters to choose from.
The Food:
A fantastic selection of food, with a full breakfast/brunch and lunch menu, ranging from porridge, to pancakes, to fresh handmade sandwiches, salads and soup. Of the sweet treats, the pumpkin butter tart was a highlight.
All in all:
Marmadukes is one of the best coffee shops around. Coming here is an experience and you’ll leave the place with a smile on your face. This is down to the magical alchemy of great staff, great expertise and the warmest welcome you could expect. 10/10.
Things to know:
-music is loud, so avoid or sit outside if this will niggle you
-alternative milk options
-WiFi
-great merchandise selection
-outdoor seating available
-wide selection of food
-Open 9-5pm Mon-Sat; 10-4pm Sun
-Location: 22 Norfolk Row, Sheffield, S1 2PA
-Website: www.marmadukes.co
Recommended places nearby:
–Sheffield Theatres a stone’s throw away
Coffee Snob Blog 