Feel like you’re on holiday with good food and a fun mood at La Parrilla Mediterranean restaurant in Sheffield

La Parrilla prides itself on offering the experience of the Mediterranean and that’s exactly what you get from the moment you walk through the door at the restaurant, on Sharrow Vale Road - from the colourful decor and the upbeat pop music played over the speakers to the fantastic mix of flavours served on the plate.

I dined there with my partner Tom on a particularly stormy Sheffield night, but the atmosphere was so fun it was enough to make you feel like you could be holidaying in the Med.

For starters, I had the pane e Olive (£6.50), a selection of homemade and olives, and Tom had the pane all’algio con mozzarella (£6.95), garlic pizza bread with mozzarella cheese. The first thing to say is that the portions here are extremely generous and the food is beautifully presented.

The bread and olives came served with the traditional Mediterranean accompaniments of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and garlic alioli. I alternated between dipping the soft and fluffy bread between the two and I couldn’t pick a favourite. They were both delicious.

Tom was very impressed with the huge quantity of cheese on his garlic bread, it was definitely extremely cheesy and satisfying. I was glad when he left me share some as, although I loved my dish, I’d got some food envy.

For mains, I chose the paella verdura for one (£14.95), a vegetable paella which is also available for two to share. Tom had the mix la Parrilla (£28.95) and chose to have this with chips and blue cheese sauce, though other options are available. I chose the paella because it’s not something that is often available on menus, especially not a veggie version in individual portions - even when dining in actual sunnier climates - so as a vegetarian I was really looking forward to it.

The dish definitely exceeded all my expectations - it was packed with plenty of veggies and lots of flavour. The chunky carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes and mushrooms were all juicy and gorgeous - all wonderfully spiced and combined with the perfectly cooked rice.

Tom’s vast and varied dish, by contrast, was a feast for meat-lovers - which he is. It offered grilled chicken breast, lamb chops, sirloin 5oz dry aged steak and Spanish chorizo. He said his steak was cooked just as he’d asked, and as a result he really enjoyed it, but his standout element of his meal was the chicken which he said was nice and juicy. Aside from all of the mouth-wateringly good meat, he also really enjoyed the golden chunky chips which were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

We were both too full for dessert, but we agreed that we had found one of our new favourite restaurants and that we would return. Next time, we’d go for mains and desserts as we’re sure the sweet offerings would also be superior.

Our final bill, including a 250ml glass of rose wine and two bottles of magners cider, was £76.20.