Ever since I moved to Sheffield I've been told that Nonna's has good coffee. But as it's basically an Italian restaurant with prices a bit too posh for my normal lunchtime budget, I've passed it by in favour of espresso cafes and coffee shops.

But opportunity arose this year. On a Saturday in July, after visiting the Sharrow Festival, we made a quick stop at Nonna's Cucina, the takeaway deli adjacent to the restaurant and bar, to pick up some yummy treats to take home. After a vigorous half hour spent purchasing jars of pesto, paté, and antipasto as well as a loaf of freshly baked bread and a small container of gelato, we felt badly in need of a jolt of caffeine. So we ventured inside the restaurant.

The dining room was crowded and a bit too bright for our mood, so like anti-moths we followed the lower light levels into the bar. We sat at a window table with a view of the front patio and the traffic and passersby on Ecclesall Road. The Italian bartender made and served our double macchiatos; and in a very Italian manner, after the female of our duo paid for the drinks, he gave the change to the male. How, um, quaint...

Our macchiatos were very nice with a well rounded flavour which would appeal to both smooth and OOMPH! fans. They were perfectly made as well, using nonpretentious Arabica beans for flavour and robusto beans for the bitter edge, and topped with a perfect amount of foamed milk. They managed to stay very pretty in their cups all the way to the last drop.

This was definitely a perfect capper for such a cloudy balmy festival day, coincidentally just before the World Cup final between Italy and France. And as we left the cool trendy bar and walked to our car, the day became even cooler and trendier when a gorgeous pale green classic-styled Nissan Figaro convertible passed by.