Season of pumpkin spice and hot chocolates: Here’s your guide to Sheffield’s cosy cafes

The leaves are crisping and the coffee is brewing. That can only call for one thing – autumn, the season of cinnamon swirls and toasty hot drinks. Where can all this be found? A cosy coffee shop of course, and Sheffield has plenty of them, all serving up different concoctions and treats, but consistent in providing the autumn vibes we all aspire for.

Whether you are in the search for your new daily caffeine boost for the nearing deadline season, or an afternoon energiser to cure you from the cold, this guide has it all for you. Expertly curated from my coffee addiction, my bank account is living proof that I have tried enough coffee shops to give you some specialist advice.

So wrap up, get out your hats and scarfs, lace up your doc martens, and turn on Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood, and bring your autumn-inspired Pinterest board to life with some of the cosiest cafes in Sheffield.

Steam Yard 

via @sheff_foodfinds on Instagram

This rustic, independent coffee hot spot is my personal favourite, I believe it has it’s own section on my bank statement. From the moment I first tried their perfectly crafted coffee partnered with a locally sourced sweet treat, I knew I had hit the jackpot for a caffeine boost. Hidden just off the indie lovers domain, Division Street, the coffee consumers’ heaven lies in Aberdeen Court; with inside and outside seating areas, it’s a key destination all year round, not just for the chilly ‘ber months.

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Whether it’s cosying up inside the warmth of its walls with a soul – soothing hot mocha, or enjoying the sun in its chic courtyard with an icy cold brew, Steam Yard should be an essential visit on your Sheffield coffee shop bucket list.

Pom Kitchen

via @ sheff_foodfinds on Instagram

If it’s funky curations and seasonal flavours you are after, Pom is the place to be. With locations in both Crookes and Sharrow Vale Road, it has made a vibrant stamp on Sheffield, and brought a new culture of purely plant based options, striving for a green lifestyle.

When you reach the autumnal motherland, be prepared to take a whole five to 10 minutes scanning the menu to land on your beverage of choice – and that’s before you even look at the cakes. With drinks varying from Toasted Marsh-Mochas to Banana Bread Chais, their speciality drinks menu is an array of options, changing seasonally; a favourite of mine is their pumpkin spice scones topped with cinnamon icing, I really felt like I was in Stars Hollow with the Gilmore girls. So run there fast before you miss your chance to get the last pumpkin spice latte in before the leaves change.

ELM 

via @sheff_foodfinds

Whether you’re on route to the student union, or heading back to Endcliffe after a long day of lectures, be sure to make time for a pit stop at ELM on Glossop Road. Perfect for a stop-off  in between lectures, or an English literature student’s domain to catch up on the next classic in their reading list. However, be sure that the two hour study session you have planned doesn’t accidentally turn into an unproductive gossip column accompanied by ELM’s hot lattes and pastries – definitely not my personal experience.

With the atmospheric vinyl playing in the background of laptop keys typing and hot latte sipping – this is the cafe for all your dark academia aspirations that you have pinned to your Pinterest board. 

The Hop

via @sheff_foodfinds

A favourite amongst students living in the Crookesmoor area, The Hop is the ideal place to grab a warming hot chocolate on your way to the dreaded 9am in the arts tower, or to sit in and escape the frost, catching up on your day of lectures and unwinding with a plant-based pick me up. Offering something different to most, the independent coffee brewer serves three strengths of CBD oil – hop, skip, and jump, so you can tailor your drink to the desired effect.

So hop away from your exam season stress and deter the seasonal depression, with a recovery remedy served up in the form of an oat iced latte.

Bon

via @sheff_foodfinds

A new edition to the Sheffield speciality coffee scene, Bon has already perfected the cosy cafe ambience that we are searching for. Situated on the latter end of Glossop Road, Bon offers a French twist to your classic coffee and brunch menus, with signature specials, such as a Creme-bru Latte, and homemade marshmallows for hot chocolate galore. Making this the ideal must-try cosy cafe this autumn season.

Besides your classic coffees, Bon also offers social and evening events, so if you are eager to extend your autumnal festivities into the darkness and cooler nights be quick to sign up to their supper clubs and book swaps – a more formal twist to your wholesome agenda for the season.

The Grind

via @sheff_foodfinds

A Sheffield classic located in both Broomhill and Kelham Island, The Grind perfects the simplicity mixed with comfort that we all look for in our coffee breaks and catch ups. It was the first coffee shop I tried when I moved to Sheffield, so perhaps it is nostalgia that keeps me coming back, or maybe the memories of trying my first chai latte and immediately being transported to Christmas; either way, I am devoted to the comfort I find within it’s walls.

So whether you are looking for an expertly made flat white to pair with your study sesh, or a carefully crafted cappuccino to sip with your chatters, The Grind offers it all. Oh, and if it’s not already on your radar, they offer weekly must-try pancake specials, which are arguably the best in all of Sheffield.