I visited The Forum cafe bar after refurbishment, and found something many in Sheffield will recognise

It’s been a feature on one of Sheffield’s fashionable streets for some 30 years.

And The Forum, on Devonshire Green has had a facelift.

I took a look inside the newlook Forum, to see how it is looking after a brief closure which has seen a transformation at the popular venue, next to Devonshire Green. And the pictures I took of the new look venue can be seen in the gallery below.

Works on the building were carried out swiftly last week, and now the new look venue is back open to the public. And the result is a site which has improved its food and drink offering, particularly for the daytime trade.

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Coming in through the doors, the venue appears to be a more airy and less cluttered interior. Deputy manager of the coffee shop operation, Anne Gaillot, showed me around, explaining that the changes were to expand the day time trade, providing people with more options for coffee and food.

During the day, it has improved its offering for brunch, and has a selection of speciality coffees.

During the evening and night, it still remains the busy craft beer and cocktail bar, with music on Friday and Saturday nights played by DJs. But it is focussing more on its craft beers, including some of the local brews. There is also a new wine menu, and cocktail menu.

The bars and counters, under illuminated, light box signs, offer plenty of locally and regionally produced food and drink.

In terms of the coffee shop section, closest to Devonshire Green, the speciality coffees are from Darkwoods, a Yorkshire based company.

But it is in the food where I found something many will recognise, as many will instantly taste familiar flavours.

That is because many of the items sold there are now being sourced from the Sheffield based Forge Bakehouse, a company which runs several cafes in the city, selling their own products.

The Forum is now selling their pastries alongside drinks, as well as using their fresh bread, as well as selling the products on a retail basis.

Anne said the comments about the changes have been overwhelmingly positive, since the venue reopened on Friday (April 20).

And the venue is now open earlier than before, with the doors opening at 9am rather than the previous 10am, to tempt in hungry residents earlier in the day.