Philadelphia, Upperthorpe, Sheffield

Previously the Philadelphian WMC, the Philadelphia has been open as a pub since May 2012. The building is a 1960s brick built affair, clearly designed by an architect with a total lack of flair and imagination. By contrast, the old Sheffield Infirmary across the road is a classic of its time, and can be seen to very good effect from inside the pub. Entry is up half a dozen quite steep steps and through the obligatory smokers' area. A strikingly decorated foyer has doors to the right (to the games room) and straight ahead to the main room, where there's a stage to the left and a bar to the right, with seats and tables in between. A further door at the other end of the bar leads into the small lounge, where there's another bar. There are three hand pumps altogether, but on my visit there was no real ale available, apparently because of a problem with deliveries. Getting hold of a barrel or two of real ale in a city like Sheffield shouldn't be too much of a problem, so let's hope this is just a temporary glitch. The aim, according to the couple running the place, is to provide a stopping off point for any real ale buffs on the Valley of Beer crawl, hopefully filling the gap between the Hillsborough Hotel and the Wellington by always having two real ales available. They've a way to go before they can fill that niche, but I wish them well. I hope to return again when something more drinkable than Stones Cold is on the bar.