We Love Maria Trattoria | City Centre (Wellington Street)
The brilliant minds behind Nether Edge’s Bench and Park Hill’s The Pearl have brought something truly soulful to the Heart of the City development. Maria is an intimate, southern-Italian-inspired trattoria named as a beautiful homage to owner Ronnie Aronica’s grandmother.
Featuring a lively galley kitchen with counter dining, it blends Sicilian heritage with premium Yorkshire produce—think fresh tortellini in brodo made with Swaledale ham, and house-made focaccia coming out of the oven steaming hot.
They are keeping things beautifully accessible with a stellar Italian drinks list, featuring creative digestivos and £5 Negronis all day, every day. It’s the perfect spot to slow down over a bowl of pasta and a brilliant glass of wine.
We started with a delicious Garibaldi "pre-drink" - a super-value Campari with fluffy orange juice (pictured) and then ordered a bottle of 2024 Ciello Bianco - a crisp Italian white to accompany the meal.
We ate:
Focaccia and honest toil olive oil (salty, soft and incredible!)
Marinated romana courgette with ricotta and tropia onion (pictured)
Saffron & cuttlefish arancini (pictured)
Salt pork & beef polpette with Sunday gravy and lots of Parmesan
The experience felt high-end and sophisticated without being pretentious at all - the open kitchen and the option to sit at the bar mean you can enjoy the theatre of the kitchen up close. This, combined with the excellent food and drink, makes it a special experience, not to be missed.
We love Maria and highly recommend this brilliant addition to the city centre
4 Wellington St, Sheffield, S1 4HD