A chalkboard next to the Rutland's jukebox lists forbidden music (if you're into Meatloaf or Mumford and Sons, keep quiet about it in here). An impressive Lego version of the pub proudly sits above the bar. And each December, it hosts a brilliant Christmas Lights Switch-on party, where bar staff hand out mince pies and mulled wine, gather at plug sockets, and flick the switch on an excessive display of fairy lights. That's the good-humoured kind of place the Rutland is – and as a bonus, it also serves up excellent ales and uncommonly good meals.
The people on the other side of the bar have a real enthusiasm for ale. Cask staples include local Blue Bee Brewery's Reet Pale, while the constantly changing array of guest beers from the likes of Dry and Bitter, Magic Rock and Beavertown tends to offer something for the more intrepid drinker.
What goes on in the kitchen is special too. The chef likes to experiment with unusual cuts of meat, while you can usually rely on the menu to offer a vegan curry, the best chips in Sheffield city centre, and the infamous bhaji butty.
Surrounded by galleries, studios and creative offices in the likes of Yorkshire Artspace, Site Gallery, APG Works and the Workstation, the Rutland and its hydrangea-abundant beer garden fill up quickly on Friday evenings, when nearby artists and workers down tools. In the spirit of this creative part of town, the pub's exterior is decorated with the distinctive work of street artist Phlegm (it's part of our Street Art Pub Crawl), while mini exhibitions by local artists often hang on the walls inside.
It won't take long for the Rutland's playfulness and enthusiasm for ale and food to win you over.
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