The Bankers Draft (JD Wetherspoon), Sheffield

A really depressing Wetherspoons full of typical spoons clientele, went in on a Friday afternoon for some food as my hotel was just a five minute walk from here. Two level's found a table upstairs, you no what your gonna get with the food in Wetherspoons, you cant knock it that's why I went there but after my meal and a drink I left, how'ever later that evening I did go back in for a quick G&T on my way back to my hotel and found it even more depressing.

An average sort of city centre Spoons in a great building but feeling a bit cluttered inside, at least on the downstairs level. I know that guest ales can be disappointingly bland and boring but there is the other extreme: having only a vanilla stout, a chocolate stout and a raspberry wheat beer is pretty extreme (even if I like them all!). Perhaps there were more upstairs. They seemed to be in good condition though and the place is a good choice if you are in that part of the centre.

A large Wethers and though on 2 floors a fairly generic Wethers, although to be fair I only went in the downstairs bit. A decent selection of ales were on with the Titanic Plum Porter being a nice drink. I didn't mind it and its handy for the tram.

On Saturday the 15th of November I went to the Banker's Draft in Sheffield. It was packed in the downstairs part with mainly shoppers so I went upstairs where it was also very busy. It's just about everything you would expect from a city centre Spoons, more expensive than the two I visited earlier in the day but that is hardly surprising given the central location. I ordered a mixed grill which included a beer (Mordue Americana from the recent festival at £2.35). Both beer and food were well up to scratch. It's a fairly typical city centre Spoons possibly better than others and is most definitely a very big pub with lots of tables to choose from. I found evidence elsewhere that it may have been a Lloyds No. 1 at some point but it is definitely a standard Wetherspoons.

It's certainly large in a prominent position by the tram lines,the ground floor seems more typically 'spoons (including the punters),while the first floor appears all together more classy.You will need to inspect both bars to get a full picture of whats available on the real ale front.Downstairs there are two banks of 4 handpumps with a cider,Abbott and Ruddles Bitter as regulars and up to 5 guests ales,while upstairs there are 6 handpumps with Abbott,Ruddles a different cider and up to three guests.I noted the following guests on my visit namely Acorn Gorlovka and Sun Storm,Milestone Samba Best,Cairngorm Wildcat,Kelham Island Sweet Home Alabama,Butcombe Yeti,two from the American ale series (John Kimmick Enraptured and Independence Ale) among others.My Gorlovka was in good nick,my food arrived warm and quickly and although it's a formulaic chain pub,I thought the ale range was sufficiently interesting to warrant another visit when next in the City.