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The Dove & Rainbow, Sheffield

Hartshead Square
Sheffield
S1 2EL

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Pub Type

Punch Taverns

Reviews (Current Rating Average: 6½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Will Larter left this review about Dove & Rainbow

This was one of the first pubs I went to when I moved to Sheffield more than 20 years ago, and I still pop in from time to time. It's got a slightly rough feel to it, not improved by the amateurish and probably temporary repairs that have recently been made to the bench seating and low stools. The atmosphere would be stimulating or off-putting, according to your own taste and character, I suppose. I quite like it in small doses.

There are still 10 hand pumps here, though not all in use at the time of my visit. The three cider clips were merely advertising what was available in the boxed polypins I could see behind the counter, I guess, and the other seven pumps had five real ales on: Hobgoblin, Adnams Ghost Ship, Robinsons Trooper, Abbeydale Moonshine and Titanic Plum Porter. Very mainstream beers these days, but my half of Ghost Ship was in good condition, though rather cold and poured with a substantial loose head, that disappeared entirely with my first sip. I'd be happy to come back another time, though not in the evenings when there is live music competing with the three pinball machines.

On 10th April 2019 - rating: 6
[User has posted 3744 recommendations about 3481 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Bucking Fastard left this review about Dove & Rainbow

Difficult to find unless you go through the Bankers Draft and exit through their rear doors and hey presto you find the D&R.It's very much a rock and music pub,with a performance area raised to the left hand side ,with a pool table,table football and pin ball machine to the right of the bar.The wooden floor around the bar is well worn,and the simple furniture quite basic,but the table tops have album covers painted on them,which helps you ignore their rather sticky condition.An interesting music mural along one wall was a feature as well as the decent juke box ,and the barmaid had a gothic look,but was very friendly.7 handpumps in total,although some were unused on our Monday lunchtime visit,the choice being Wychwood Hobgoblin and Piledriver,Abbeydale Moonshine,Blue Bee Lust for Stout and Wharfbank Tether Blonde,which might have benefitted from a pull through,my pint wasn't in great nick,but at least it was served in a dimple jug.
I am sure the vibe is totally different when music is being played live,difficult to judge on a quiet lunchtime,but I'm not sure that I would rush back.

On 18th July 2014 - rating: 6
[User has posted 2727 recommendations about 2727 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Real Ale Ray left this review about Dove & Rainbow

I think the easiest way to find this pub is to walk through the Bankers Draft and is on your left as you exit. An interesting starting point on Will's Birthday crawl and have to say I thought it was pretty ok. The staff were friendly and jolly, my Abbeydale Moonshine was decent enough. It's a decent size pub this one, with it's pinball machine and pool table at the far end. I imagine it gets very busy in here at weekends. I noticed it's closed on a Sunday. It has a good comprehensive jukebox.

On 16th July 2014 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Will Larter left this review about Dove & Rainbow

This pub has been well described by PSM below. I'll just add that there are 10 hand pumps, three of which have cider or perry, the remainder having, at the time of my visit, five beers available. Wychwood Hobgoblin and Kelham Island Easy Rider seem to be regulars, and there's also a Dove and Rainbow Cask Ale, which on closer inspection turns out to be Tetleys Bitter, though this was in very good condition and with the Camra discount of 10% was priced at £2.70 a pint. Others were local Blue Bee Pale Nectar and Abbeydale Absolution.

Despite the price differential with the 'Spoons next door, this would be my choice for a pub visit in this part of the city centre if on my own. There's always something interesting or challenging on the juke box, but at a volume that would deter me from calling in here with friends if the conversation was one that I didn't want to conduct in a shout.

On 4th December 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3744 recommendations about 3481 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Pub SignMan left this review about Dove & Rainbow

This scruffy rock bar is hidden away in a tricky to locate square, close to Castle Square tram stop. If you’re struggling to find it, one option is to enter the nearby Banker’s Draft Wetherspoons pub, walk straight through it and exit through the rear doors, which will bring you out into the square. As you might expect with a rock pub, things are fairly basic and stripped back, comprising a bare boarded room with a dark wood servery in the mid section and some banquette and low stool seating opposite. To the right, a couple of high tables and stools face some fruit machines, an old shoot ‘em up arcade game and a couple of pinball tables. Beyond is a pool table which stands under a large mural depicting a scene from a rock pub, and an old pub sign for the Fairway and Firkin. At the opposite end of the pub, there is small stage for live music and a juke box which was pumping out some interesting rock and indie tunes. The Dove and Rainbow theme can be found throughout the pub, including on all of the tables which have been painted with dove and/or rainbow images by an enthusiastic artist who may also be responsible for the image of a dove playing a flying V guitar in front of a rainbow, which appears on a mirror on the bar back.
Unlike most of the rock bars I’ve frequented over the years, this one has decent beer, with Wadworth Small Beer, Sheffield Brewing Co Five Rivers, Wychwood Hobgoblin, Kelham Island Easy Rider and Bradfield Farmers Bitter available alongside Weston Traditional Scrumpy, Old Rosie and Country Perry. All of the ales are listed on what looks like an old cymbal case, hung next to the bar, which might be useful at busier times. I enjoyed a well kept pint of the Five Rivers and the staff and locals seemed like a friendly bunch.
This place won’t win any awards for its aesthetics, but as a music venue I can imagine enjoying a good night out here. The presence of good ale is a definite bonus and I think they have found a nice niche in the city’s beer scene within which to position themselves.

On 29th March 2013 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

ROB Camra left this review about Dove & Rainbow

As soon as you walk into this pub it's obvious that this is a rock pub. There's a large stage to the left and on the right hand wall there's a huge mural of people in the pub. There's a pool table in this area and 3, yes 3, pinball machines. It's bare floorboarded with loads of interesting stuff around the walls. There's also a small and unusual outside drinking/smoking area. This pub is owned by Punch so their beers are usually from the Punch list although Kelham Island Easy Rider is a permanent. To get round the restrictions of Punch they have to fight for their right to party (sorry). This means that they have regular music and beer weekends which gets them round the issue. The last one was called Dovestock (brilliant name) and I believe there's going to be a Dovestock 2 very soon. Ten handpumps on the bar, 6 in use which included two real ciders. I had a pint of the Easy Rider and very good it was too. It's in the GBG 2010 so it should be good. There are a real mix of people in here even at 7 on a Friday night. These included a rather large girl in a red basque, I hope she was called June, because she was certainly bursting out all over. It's a good pub that specialises in being different, try it, you may well like it.

On 30th June 2010 - rating: 7
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Chris 87 left this review about Dove & Rainbow

A generous rating judging by previous reviews; this is very much a 'rock' pub . There are a couple of standard ales on cask (pride, black sheep, landlord). There's a Henry Ford-like quality to the adverts on the walls for the music nights they do - 'any genre as long as its rock' kind of thing. Not my bag but popular nonetheless.

On 11th March 2009 - rating: 6
[User has posted 179 recommendations about 179 pubs]