The 37 best Chester, United Kingdom breweries and craft beer

Lovely craft beer pub in a converted historical building with high ceiling and tapestries. Great selection of cask and keg beers. Some are even brewed on premises. Staff are very knowledgeable. You need to climb stairs to enter so not great for those with disabilities. We ate there and they have a Monday to Thursday menu with great prices not to mention the choice of hearty options. Toilets at the back were very clean. Highly recommended.

Excellent pub, which has a full range of ales by Spitting Feathers and other breweries, but is also in a stunning historical building too. It's located upstairs on the first floor, so you have to go up the steep stairs to reach it the pub - the signage at the bottom perhaps could be clearer.

I’ve been coming to Chester for years and never knew about this hidden gem! Hubby loved the selection or beers and my Prosecco was lovely. Great selection of snacks too. I also really appreciated the nice clean spacious toilets..

Slightly bias as this is my favourite pub of all time. Saw they no longer had light bites on the menu. Gutted. Until I saw the bar snack menu. Amazing!! Outdone yourselves.

Went for a meal the other evening staff were brilliant and the food was absolutely amazing and so was the beer would 100% recommend will be returning beautiful place amazing food stunning beers brilliant staff

Our first visit on. Thursday evening. Great selection of beers. They also had an offer of two courses for £20. Often with these offers you get deduced quantities. Not here - I had a great fish platter, two large head on prawns, smoked mackerel, smoked salmon with salad followed by fish and chips. Both courses were substantial and excellently cooked and presented. Excellent service by all. Definitely deserves its five star rating.

First time here and enjoyed it has well, old style feels to the place, good beers and lagers, my have a men dressed in a robin hood esk costume come in and drop his bow off behind the door on the coat rack 😁

The food was decent. But I don't recommend the pulled beef croquettes. The atmosphere was lovely, the service was really nice and fast. Just expensive for the amount you get. But honestly lovely experience and would go again.

Beautiful pub right next to the canal. Beer garden area is perfect for a few pints on a hot summer day. Inside the pub is also very spacious with a lot of attention detail. Staff were friendly and fast at what they do. Haven’t had any food here but pretty sure they taste good as it looks.

Had a delicious lunch here Cumberland sausage scotch egg and truffle Parmesan fries food was superb and the service was excellent, beautiful place great location next to the canal, Estrella was spot on

Spent a lot of time here and loved every minute, great food and friendly staff, and lots of choice to drink, get your self a table outside and enjoy your evening, it's well worth a visit 😁

Our party of 10 were all very happy with our time at The Old Harkers Arms. We had booked a table well in advance and the communication between us was A1 and on the day all went smoothly. We would happily use The Old Harkers again, without doubt. Many thanks to all the staff.

Food was excellent and the staff were very good. Nothing was too much trouble. Will definitely visit again.

"An Absolute Gem - 5 Stars!"Stepping into The Old Harkers Arms feels like a warm hug, and our recent visit for a pub meal was nothing short of perfection. From start to finish, this place truly deserves every one of its five stars.The service was impeccable. We were greeted with genuine smiles and shown to our table promptly. Our server was attentive without being intrusive, knowledgeable about the menu, and happy to offer recommendations. The staff's passion for their work is palpable, creating a wonderfully welcoming and relaxed atmosphere.I went for the bacon chop and my fiancee had the fish and chips and both where greatly enjoyed.To top it all off, I enjoyed a pint of the local IPA. It was a superb choice, crisp and hoppy with a refreshing finish that perfectly complemented my meal. It’s clear they take their beer selection as seriously as their food.​The Old Harkers Arms isn't just a pub; it's a quintessential British dining experience. The combination of fantastic food, excellent service, and a truly great pint makes it a must-visit. We'll be back again and again!

Lovely building with plenty of comfortable seating and a good range of beers, a lot coming from their in house brww that you pass on the way in - and they had been brewing on the day we visited. We were going to eat, however on trying to order we were told that it would be an hour and a half before we would be able to as 'a large party' had arrived. The pub was not that busy, looked like a party of 6 in one area and possibly 8-10 in the restaurant area and a chef leaning against the end of the bar.....a real disappointment as the menu looked good.

Fascinating pub with its own brewery downstairs so you can drink knowing there no beer miles. The pub has a lot of industrial features including copper piping. We ate there and the food was pretty good.

Had a wonderful afternoon at the Brewhouse & Kitchen, with the beer and whisky (no E, so must be Scottish) class experience, my wife also enjoyed it even though she doesn't like whiskey (added the E for Irish balance). Our host Michael was very good, and got funnier as we carried on drinking 🙄, would definitely pay another visit.

Located on Love st Chester this is a great place to try out locally brewed ales and grab a great quality meal. There are some steps to the front of the building which lead on to a very large open room with plenty of seating with smaller rooms off ,they offer master classes in all types of drinks , friendly staff and very clean

Attended the beer and whisky masterclass with the very knowledgeable michael, would highly recommend to everyone of legal age! The onsite brewery was an added bonus and the beers they produced and we tasted were excellent! All beers paired with a whisky and also a lovely meal at the end! All in all an excellent experience and would certainly look into the other experiences they have on offer!

This is the most dog friendly pub I’ve ever been to! We felt like the dogs were wanted instead of just accepted and tolerated. All the staff were amazing, very friendly and professional. The food was unbelievable! We had a range as there was 6 of us. The Sunday dinner, steaks and burgers we had were delicious and to a high standard. We love that on the menu it tells you what pint would complement your food! The drinks were lovely and the building itself was lovely decorated and very clean. We will definitely be back and we will recommend to everyone (especially with dogs).

A wonderful and Totally Unexpected Gin Class ! Thankyou Domanika with your vast knowledge and expert delivery. A great looking venue with its own Microbrewery. Highly recommended for any one of their Master class tasting classes , food or just a quick pint ! See you again next Saturday around 1350hrs ! Just in case there is another No Show ! 😉👏👏👏👏

Visiting for the first time and despite it being crazy busy ,particularly with the Liverpool game on! All of the lads serving behind the bar were fab. Polite and efficient, really impressed with their service! We are new to the Chester night life but the staff that served me here have been the best I've met so far this weekend!. Would visit again.

What a lovely, historic pub that’s as interesting inside as on the outside. The Bear and Billet has a great selection of craft beers on offer and bar staff that clearly know their beers. The two barmen on during this afternoons visit were super friendly and helpful and brought my wife’s tea to our table on the first floor, to save us waiting. Food was dropped off to tables adjacent to us and looked great, so we’ll be ordering a meal on our next visit.

With a good array of cask ales the art of pouring needs a little direction. Glass cleanliness is the start of a good ale and sparklers should be on imho. Friendly, helpful staff in abundance. Olde worldy establishment with CAMRA discount to members. Right on the river Dee by bridge street makes this an ideal place for a beer, wine, soft drink and food. A place to visit

Popped into here because of friendly dog reviews as I have my dog with me on a weekend stay in Chester. Very welcoming walking through the door, very polite barman did not catch his name. Very very nice food, between the 4 of us we shared the chicken kiev fries and chicken tenders! Would recommend anyone to pop in lovely atmosphere and very welcoming. Feels like a nice friendly local pub

I love this place, such a warm and cozy pub - a great selection of drinks and never had a problem with food. Staff are always so lovely too.

What a lovely pub, so much character and a cosy fire burning. The homemade steak and ale pie was amazing , full of meat and very tasty. Large portions also. Staff were very friendly and welcoming, definitely recommend .

OK. Back in the late 1970's this was one of my top ten pubs of all time. I was horrified when it closed for a few years but reopened maybe 10 or so years later. First pub I ever had IOM brewery Okell's .. and they still sell it. Lovely bar over three floors ... tv's on each. Ic n Flic had food incl very filling corn beef hash for £14. Still well worth finding.

This is definitely not a place for tourists!! I am on vacation from USA and decided to visit this pub on 25/9/25 at 1020pm with my brother. We ordered a pint of beer and then asked for another beer at 1045pm. The young red head barmaid behind the bar informed us that they had stopped serving. She then continued to serve other customers. When I asked her why she was serving other customers and not us, she replied that "they were her friends." So there is obviously one set of rules for locals or the "barmaids friends" and a different set of rules for those who just happen to be tourists visiting this pub. After that incident, I saw this notice on the bar ( photo attached ) offering free alcohol to anybody who left the pub a 5-star review on google. When I pointed out to the barmaid that it is strictly prohibited by google's reviews policy to give anyone alcohol in exchange for a 5-star review. (The reasons why this is considered unethical are obvious, but, include inflated google ratings). Anyway, she simply shrugged her shoulders and said it was nothing to do with her and that her manager did it. If you are visiting the lovely city of Chester, I recommend that you avoid this "locals only" pub.

I frequently visit the Red Lion for both food with friends/family or drinks with friends. There has always been a welcoming service anytime we visit. Food service has always been quick and the food has always been so nice to eat with great portions. Meg has recognised me over the years and always remembers my drink order, which makes us feel really welcome and always want to come back each week. I’ve taken my family here for lunch also when they’ve visited and loved the food also. I’d definitely recommend to anyone, whether you’re a Chester regular or visiting the area.

I just want to give a shout out to Rachel the chef. She always cooks everything to perfection, never have I ever been served a bad meal or bag steak. She deserves a pay rise for the efforts she puts in and always allows time to come out the kitchen and ask guests how their food is. If I could give more stars I would, exceptional

We found this little gem after trudging round Chester town centre for 2 hours looking for an eatery that served good wholesome food!! As all we came across were tapas/posh restaurants etc (we had our dog with us ;)) anyway finally found this pub and so glad! Atmosphere was good, staff were friendly, prices were amazing! We had fish, chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce on a 2for£15 deal of a meal plus a drink (if you had a beer or wine it was +£1 bargain to say the least ;)) Monday to Friday before 5pm and also there was Happy Hour on drinks till 8pm!! At £3.40 any drink!!! So all in all a really good find - oh and the meal was lovely and nicely presented.

Harrison and Meg were insane any bbartending.. made me feel way better and improved the night out… trust me if u want. Good night in Chester then go to the red lion!

Friendly amazing staff, It's a very old nice style pub, one of the medieval time pubs with nice atmosphere. I always go there when I'm visiting Chester, can't wait to go there again! 🎉

Fantastic atmosphere, delicious food and a brilliant selection of draft beers. Had a lovely evening at The Red Lion and will definitely be back!

A bustling craft beer bar with a great selection of beers. The decor is eclectic and comfortable and the vibe is relaxing and friendly. There is a wide range of beers to suit everyone’s taste and prices are reasonable. Service is friendly and efficient.

This is a great bar. A wide selection of craft beers, a good number on draft and others on keg. Friendly staff and good ambience. I had a pint of Lagonda and can highrecommend it.

September 2024: still a great venue, although disappointed the football was on and not some ambient tunes instead! Great choice of craft ales! Awesome craft ale & cider bar, loads of choice and has something for everyone! Situated just a few minutes walk from the train station on City Road, just over the canal on the right hand side. Always sunny on the inside, despite the cold wet and wind on the outside! Step in, relax and chill out on the big brown comfortable sofas. Camra pub winners & in the current 2022 guide. Definitely worth a visit!

The staff are really friendly and knowledgeable about their beer, and the beers are fantastic. It was also opposite my hotel (premier inn near the station) so I was even more happy! 😁

I recently celebrated my 30th birthday at this amazing cellar bar, and it was everything I hoped for and more. From the start, Andrew, the owner, was incredibly helpful and accommodating—he made the whole process so smooth and genuinely cared about making the night special. His relaxed and friendly approach put us at ease right away. The bar itself has such a unique charm, with its cozy underground setting and a brilliant selection of unique ales that our guests couldn’t stop talking about. Andrew and his team were happy to make recommendations, and their passion for the drinks really came through. One of the best parts was being able to decorate the space ourselves. It made the evening feel really personal and tailored to the occasion, and the team gave us all the flexibility we needed to make it our own. The atmosphere on the night was perfect—laid-back, warm, and full of character. If you're looking for a cool, intimate venue with great drinks and even better service, I can’t recommend this cellar bar enough. Huge thanks to Andrew for helping make my 30th birthday so memorable!

I recently booked the private party area to host my 25th birthday. It was such an incredible night, thanks to the fantastic staff- especially Andrew and Rachel who were so friendly and attentive & being able to decorate the room made it feel so much more personal! The food was great, we had pizzas and fries and it was great that gluten free pizzas were catered for too. There was a perfect dance floor area that came with disco lights and the fairy lights and candles created such a perfect atmosphere. Thankyou so much to everyone at The Cellar- I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking to host a private party in Chester!

Hosted a school reunion in the function room and the space and staff were fabulous. Lovely team and a lot of flexibility when organising an event

Fantastic local place for awesome variety of craft beer from all over the UK breweries. it has great choice pf beers. Service was quick and good so do the atmosphere very cool and friendly.

Always good to find this bar open if you’ve time on your hands when going for a 🚂. Limited variety of cask beer on offer.

Been coming to this place for years now, never had a bad meal, never had a bad pint. The food is guenuenly on another level. Choice of ale / cider is spot on, did I mention the food? I’ve played open mic here, totally by chance, I’m currently watching the football on the big screen. Landlord is a gem and atmosphere is bang on, always busy but never rammed, If your about in Chester, drop in for a pint and see for yourself. Did I mention the quality of the food. Adam.

I stopped here as I was picking someone up from the station and had half an hour to kill. The beer selection and quality is top notch, the staff were friendly and it's a really interesting building. I wish I had had more time to enjoy my visit.

nice pub close to Chester station excellent service. decent range of beers £5-6 a pint £9 for a decent size plate of nachos which were very tasty

This small local place is fantastic, it has a great, unique variety of beers to choose from and a nice terrace area to enjoy them. The food is exceptional, the burgers are the best burgers we have ever had with incredible flavour and great value for the price. We couldn’t recommend this hidden gem enough.

Absolutely superb. The SUICIDE! Chicken is chilli hot of legendry proportions! Fantastic. Burger and a drink for £10.95 every Tuesday. Great real ale and craft ales. Highly recommended.

Small craft beer place towards to the eastern side of the city. You can find the Paddington park bench outside. The venue is quiet small with a selection of beer taps plus a well stocked beer fridge. There are also outside beer benches where you can have an enjoyable beer on a summers evening. Beer staff were very knowledgeable and friendly. I enjoyed it here. If walking from the railway station to the city, do pop in for a beer.

A craft beer bar that has a huge range of beers on offer. The vibe is chilled out and the clientele clearly love their beer. The seating is bench style and most beers come as 2/3 pint with the odd pint on offer.

A group of nine of us experienced a beer tasting at That Beer Place and everyone of us had a great experience sampling 7 beers none of had tasted before with detailed descriptions about the beer and tales beyond. Lisa and Dale were fantastic, the atmosphere and mix of customers is brilliant. That “Great” beer place

What a bottle selection this place has with a amazing fridge lineup from mixed fermentation,German ,IPA, sour and a cider section to blow your mind

Best bar in Chester. Friendly knowledgeable staff. Great location and an amazing range of drinks of draft or in the fridge. Also plenty of decent wines to keep the missus happy and some great snacks too. Definitely recommend a visit and this shall be on the top of the list when we visit again!

Great bar lovely cider will be back to try some beers too at some point

Wow - why have I never been here before? An unrivalled choice of craft beers including some really obscure selections worthy of staying longer if I didn’t have a 🚂 to catch. Opens at 12:00 noon 7 days a week which is always a bonus. Terrific, knowledgeable staff are on hand if in doubt what to have. A Verified Venue with all beers listed on Untappd.

We had use of the events room for our wedding party and can honestly say that we had a fantastic time. The venue is beautiful and the staff were fantastic. We would highly recommend!

I recently shot a party in the function room. The staff were amazing and so friendly. And the food was on another level! The couple who hired me said that the food was one of the most important things to them, and that The Cornerhouse was renowned for their sharing boards. They were NOT wrong!!

Nice pub - staff always good. And offer some perfect beer snacks. And also, the beer is good🫡

Great night, unexpected in a bar that serves mostly craft beers and no Strongbow cider, which left me drinking Peroni. But, we ended up sharing our trestle table with 4 guys who were over from Scarborough for the match the following day and we enjoyed some interesting and varied conversation, all helped with an additional bonus of The One and Only song being played for us, much to the merriment of the group of guys. Live entertainment too, which was the main reason for our visit. We will definitely return here on an overnight stay in Chester 👍

Lovely place to stop for a drink/food. Nice atmosphere, different things on during the week/weekend.

Stunning venue and fantastic staff with great customer service. Live entertainment and popular function room upstairs for private events. Historical building with great character. Definitely worth a visit! 👌

Lovely pub! We had an amazing experience here. Free nibbles and everything. We visited quite a long time ago and a rude bald man worked there. Much better these days, the staff are delightful and it’s so cosy!

Really fun place with quirky decor. I had the cheese and meat board, super high quality products and plenty of it, especially considering the reasonable price. The staff were diligent about checking for allergies so I felt really safe. Would absolutely recommend!!

Visited two times this last week. Great selection of beers, informed staff and a great sound track. Did anyone mention the quirky decor? Bonkers.

A gnome from home Belgium type bar with a cracking selection on keg and cask. And the cheese board are very good for the price

If you want to enjoy a taste of Belgium beer in Chester, this is the place for you. Fantastic range of keg/draft/bottled beer, well kept and served. The "cavern" is located in an airy loft, above Paysan. And the pictures don't lie, the decor is an absolute treat.

I wish I could give this a higher rating. Words cannot describe how much I loved spending time here. My boyfriend and I sat at the bar toadstools. The bar staff were so kind and helped us choose our next drinks based on what we liked previously. The food was FANTASTIC. I could've spent all day there but I think I would've needed someone to carry me down the stairs. The drinks I particularly enjoyed were 8%... I regret nothing. I wish there was more seating room.

Impressive selection of continental beers in a quirky loft space. Chilled glasses too

ok place expensive beer and wine. very very dark inside low lighting no idea why. staff unfriendly and when using gent toilets anyone walking by the door when open can look inside and see you using the urinal. Trendy but not recommended

Great place to go for Sunday lunch. Had a table available at short notice too, without booking beforehand. Good atmosphere, well worth a visit.

Exceptional as always. Stayed here a few times in the last 12 months. Food is always amazing, staff and customers very friendly along with excellent location. I just cannot fault this place at all…… Stayed in the little cottages (number 17) attached along with the four poster room at the back (27) and had an amazing stay throughout. Made some lovely memories and cannot wait to visit again.

Returning customer, usualy daytime but this time evening, just as welcoming and friendly clientèle, several real ales 🍺 including those brewed on site. Will be back. Well, back again early afternoon, quick visit went to a few hours. Recommended.

Best onion rings I ever had! The cottage pie and french onion soup were pretty dang good too. Very reasonably priced, authentic decor. Looked very much like a period pub, from the layout and design, to the exposed wood beams that could have been anywhere from 40 to 400 years old.

Lovely food and great service the staff work very hard as it was always busy. We tried to get in for food on the Saturday night but couldn't get in anywhere as Chester races was on so everywhere was booked up.

Could not fault the food and ambience in the restaurant. The staff where attentive but not intrusive. The garlic mushrooms with crispy egg was to die for. The veggie option pie was cheese and onion and was filled to the top within a tasty and crispy crust. The restaurant is so much better than the bar in the same building

Beautiful 500 year old pub. Dog friendly. Typical pub menu but food was all delicious and good value. Great atmosphere.

Have been wanting to try this place every time we stayed in Chester. Couldn't fault it such a lovely place and love the daily menu and home cooked dishes. Love the view to the racecourse, will definitely return. I had the fish and chips and my partner had the cheese pie both were delicious.

The food was delicious, ordered a beef roast dinner and it was up there with one of the best. The venue itself was lovely, and the staff were really friendly with great customer service. As the table was booked for my birthday, the team left a happy birthday card on the table, which was really special! Free parking at the venue was possible for some of us, but others had to pay in the parking lot across the road. Keep in mind if you are driving!

Opposite Chester Racecourse. Handy for parking in the racecourse. Quick light lunch, just had a couple of starters and a steak sandwich from their light bites menu served until 5:30. Again presented nicely and delicious. We have never had a bad meal here. Place is always immaculate. Private rooms available to hire. Love the posh toilets 👏👏Love the outdoor seating benches and the under cover area even on a wintry day. Always great service from smily, uniformed staff. 10/10 👜 handbag restaurant review for our lunch today.

What is not to like about this place, the food is outstanding, we have not had one bad experience yet, brilliant food, drink & friendly staff happy to help, also caters for Gluten Free. This is out 3rd visit to this establishment & we will be visiting one more time before we leave Chester, but will return again as soon as we can book another trip to the area. Thanks to the full team, great service & food. 👍

Absolutely loved the atmosphere, service, and the food. Everything was delicious — especially the cheesecake, it was simply divine! Highly recommend. 💫

I had the pleasure of inviting my beloved friends whom introduced me to this place ( they are live in Chester and I am an Architect from Kurdistan region of Iraq) to have a delightful lunch with my family, all five members agrees that the best fish and chips we had in UK was in this restaurant; we’ve tried several in London , Liverpool and Manchester but nothing to beat this restaurants fish and chips , also had their chicken sort of pie looking dish , perfect as well , very nice interior and outdoor seating and garden , Salut to the team and polish lady who served us.

This is a great pub. Been there many times and it never fails to deliver. Lovely setting, wonderful outside in the summer overlooking the racecourse and cosy inside in the winter. Never had a meal here I didn’t like. There are other interesting eateries in Chester, but this is always a banker.

Staying here with my partner and love it. Love the building, love the area. Perfect for a getaway. Haven't tried the food yet but will on Sunday.

The pub is lovely and service is generally good. Location is fantastic. My room was nice & big, however it had no hot water the second day. The maintenance(?) man was completely rude & unhelpful, but the girl at the counter was kind enough to let me try another room (no hot water either, but I appreciated the thought)

Beautiful building, genuine slightly wonky stairs & creaky floors, lovely cosy bar & friendly staff. We stayed in room 1, which was spacious & comfortable, with a nice roomy ensuite (large rainfall shower - bliss!) Perfect location for a gig at Storyhouse, but also great for Chester in general, as it's fairly central. While you're there, try their beer (brewed onsite), it's excellent!

⚠️ If you value your safety, please do not stay here. I booked two rooms at this property — one was fine, but Room 18 (twin room) was extremely dangerous. The power outlet below the TV was leaking electricity, which caused my entire left side to go numb and tripped the power in the room. A 220V electric shock is strong enough to be fatal. I immediately reported the issue to the front desk when checking out. The staff member was polite and believed my report, but said she had no authority to handle the issue and provided me with her supervisor’s email. Unfortunately, the supervisor’s reply was very disappointing — they denied that there was any problem in the room and refused to acknowledge that it was unsafe for guests. Additionally, the bathroom window in this room faces an alley, and while my wife was showering, a man passing by repeatedly knocked on the window, which was extremely disturbing and unsafe for female guests. In conclusion, this room is not only hazardous, but the management also lacks the proper attitude toward guest safety. I strongly advise against staying here.

Noisy at night and early morning especially when glass waste collection is being carried out! Other than that we loved our stay here. The whole building is so old - built in 1547 - and wonky! So much character!! Loved the spacious bathroom too.

Unbelievable. They ask credit card number, expiration date and CVV over the phone for a reservation. When I refused, they did not accept the reservation. Using booking.com, they saw it was the same person and canceled my reservation. Anyone knows that giving credit card details over the phone is something you should NEVER do. Doesn’t look like a serious and honest hotel

I would like to award zero stars for this but unfortunately the app wouldn’t allow it. Worst nights sleep and definitely not value for money at £157 for the night with a discount ! The bed was a double with zero springs in the frame just plywood resulting in less than 3 hours sleep. We were staying with friends who had the same issue with their bed in a different room and again that was plywood so it was not unique to our room. Added to this the cleanliness if the rooms left a lot to be desired. The bathroom was a decent size but there was no hot water in the shower so had to have a cold wash. We expressed our concerns to the manager in a nice manner but he could not have cared less or been any more dismissive. He said “ sorry about the hot water there’s nothing I can do about that” We told him it was unacceptable and he told us to contact the operations Manager but he couldn’t even be bothered to write the contact email down so we wrote it in an order pad. The staff behind the bar were great but I wouldn’t even put a homeless person in this pub/ hotel.

It’s a beautiful place near canal especially on a good weather. But an unpleasant experience with food. Not fish and chips was not fresh and not crispy. Crab tacos wasn’t very tasty

My wife and I just couldn't resist coming back for the Telford's Seafood Linguine and a glass of wine each. We enjoy good food and have been to most top restaurants in the area. In our opinion, this stunning plate of food and the whole dining experience are simply outstanding.

This a great place for food or just a coffee. We had a coffee break there and then went back for dinner as the staff are so delightful, friendly and welcoming coupled efficient service. Going back for dinner was a perfect choice as the quality of the food is superb. We had the sausages and mash which was amazing, homemade sausages combined with mash as smooth as silk. Don't miss it.

We stopped by to try a few small plates – the Beetroot Hummus, Patatas Bravas, and the Pulled Pork Cheesy Birria Tacos – all absolutely delicious with generous portion sizes. For mains, we had the Char-grilled Souvlaki Chicken Burger, which looked great but was a bit on the bland side for our taste. That said, the customer service was excellent – friendly and attentive throughout. Overall, it's a great pub with a solid menu full of tempting options. We’ll definitely be back to try more!

We went to telfords warehouse twice on a 2 night trip to chester. 1st night, Sunday, we saw 2 live singers. 2nd night, Monday, we did the quiz. Both very good. Clientele is mainly young, it's right next to student accommodation. It is also on the canal and has quite a lot of outdoor tables which we also made use of. Great atmosphere, helpful staff. Would recommend.

Absolutely delightful pub and setting, we stopped off after a short walk on the canal. As my daughter loves live music they let us stay for a little while to little while and listen to it. We are very grateful to them, thank you. Is probably more catered to the hipster student types but if I was 15-20 years younger I would have loved it there. Excellent.

Food wasn’t great, especially for the first price. Generally really like this pub and they have a good pub quiz on a Monday but our last visit we felt the service was really poor. We had an incident and wanted to discuss this with the staff but basically wasn’t given the chance to talk, kept getting spoken over and told we were wrong basically. It’s a shame because it has got a nice vibe in there.

Fantastic beers, tasty pork pies and a great friendly pub with good decor. Also, an amazingly good function room available upstairs too.

We have had Sunday lunch several times and always a beautiful meal with great service from staff. Recently we hired the venue room for a birthday party and it was fantastic. We were able to provided catering ourselves, decorate the room the way we wanted it, there was facilities for slide show and providing our own music nothing was too much trouble. Staff were extremely helpful we had our own bar, toilets just a great place to make a great get together.

Had a table for 2 on Sunday 24/08 at 3.30pm. Arrived slightly ahead of time. Table ready. Food delivered in a timely fashion. Wow! Good home cooked Sunday roast. We couldn’t finish it! Staff excellent and friendly! Pub is great and would recommend!

Sunday roast at 3pm , worth booking before. Choice of beef or pork or mixed. Well worth the money & atmosphere in the pub is great. Service superb very attentive young men asking if everything ok.

I love the Joule's pub chain. Very small but perfectly formed. Great beer. Flat first came here about 43 years ago when it was a medicore Whitbresd (?) pub. Since Joules took over it has been a great pub. Small sun trap patio to front. Lovely interior. Great real ale. Pies sold for scoobies..bit microwaved but tasty. Ic n Flic loved their beer.

Cracking pub with rich wood panelling in the more traditional booth and alcove style. Very good selection of craft ales and excellent staff. Would recommend.

Honestly the most welcoming pub in Chester! Lovely surroundings , spotlessly clean with staff that really care about their customers. Absolutely the best Sunday roast dinner cooked fresh 😋 can't recommend it enough ! THANKYOU!

Caravan site owner told us about this place thought we'd give it a try as we prefer tap houses we weren't disappointed very friendly greeting on arrival and helpful in recommending the choice of Beers available nice atmosphere and the food was good definitely be returning.

Really like this bar, cool decor, the staff are all helpful and lovely. Cool and large variety of beers available! The menu is fairly small but full of lots of things I love, we had the sharing board and the haloumi fries were AMAZING!! Highly recommend this bar ☺️

Great place, great staff, great food, great atmosphere. Best roast dinner I've had in ages. They played loads of QOTSA and other great music and its dog friendly! Absolutely loved it here

I can't praise this enough, called in today for Sunday lunch, and it was excellent......the food was really fresh and roasting hot, plenty of it as well, also our pup got a free Sunday dinner as well...brilliant, we will be back.

Extremely rude bar staff who made me and a group of my friends feel very unwelcome and uncomfortable. When asked what gins they had we were met with the bartender rolling her eyes and sighing at us, we later asked where water is and she pointed at the station and said there again while being very icy would not come back!

Always enjoy coming here, great affordable food and good service... Great outside area and welcoming of children Chicken tenders are ace too

Me and some friends came in for a comedy night! It was a free event and we had so much fun! Great variety of drink, good food, amazing atmosphere! Although small looking, plenty of seats to sit! One of our favourite places to come and chill with friends.

Stopped off for a bite to eat following a day out in Chester. A fabulous location. Pleasant and friendly staff. Our server was very knowledgeable on the menu. We decided to try different things rather than ribs and steaks. Pleasantly surprised with the half chicken, Fajitas and additional nibbles. Well worth a visit.

A neat place to visit right on the river. Cool stuff all over the walls. Very fun if you've ever been to America. The food was decent. The ribs were a bit dry at times, but the jalapeno and cheese sausage was yummy. The shakes are so tasty and probably gave me diabetes. The server looked like she would rather be sorting trash in Birmingham than take our order. It took many attempts to get a fourth set of silverware and a glass for water. Had to pretty much pull in another server so we could finally get our bill. I would go again because I liked the atmosphere, but if the staff was similar again then I would cross it off the list.

First time going to hickorys smokehouse and was not disappointed. Granted I should have taken a picture of the food before dishing it out but I was distracted by the sheer size of it. I am a huge country fan and meat so no clue why I hadn't been up until now. Let me tell you I have tried beef brisket before but this was a thing of beauty. As first timers we weren't sure what to go for so my partner said let's just get the platter and we can try a few things. He is a big eater and the platter is apparently made for two but even we couldn't finish it so if there's 3 or even 4 of you then this would be great. I'm sure you could even get the leftovers to take away but we didn't ask. The service was great. We were seated straight away. Our server brought over bottled water and popcorn then swiftly back for our drinks and food order. We were sat and served out food within 20 minutes and this was 9pm on a Saturday night. We would have gone earlier but that was the next available sitting they had. The jalapeno and cheese sausage was amazing as well as the short ribs. The atmosphere was great as was the friendly staff. Will definitely be going back and would highly recommend it to any of the meat lovers out there.

Absolutely fantastic food. I am Gluten Free and I get very poorly even with slight cross contamination. I was made to feel very safe and shown the allergies list to reassure that what was ordered was safe I both my food and drink. All arrived with allergy flags so alk staff aware.

Nice place, nice ambience. Part of a small chain of restaurants. I am looking at 7 key areas (for me anyway!). Hope this helps you when reading the review - 1. Welcome - 3/5. I was a walk-in on a Monday. Not busy at all. Standard welcome, not too friendly. 2. Ambience - 4/5. This is a BIG place which can seat up to 400 people across a number of different areas. Feels like a US restaurant (which is the intention) with upbeat country-ish music and decor. A nice mixed crowd here. 3. Staff knowledge - 4/5. Helpful. It was my first time going there and and I needed to understand some of the menu items. 4. Food taste - 3/5. This is typical American fare but done well with relatively nice flavours. 5. Service - 3/5. I was not always served by the person who was meant to be looking after me, otherwise they were attentive & helpful. 6. Wait times for food & drinks - 4/5. My starter (Shrimp Tostadas) arrived so quickly it must have already been made and the dessert was definitely premade (straight out of the freezer). 7. Value for money - 3/5. OK. I had a milkshake which had too much spray cream, two starters and a desert. £33 with a 7.5% tip/service charge.

Had some beautiful food to celebrate my graduation, and was even surprised by hickories with a donut and sparkler to celebrate. Such a lovely gesture and a great atmosphere. Def recommend

Absolutely first class. As a solo female traveller I’m always wary of where I choose to eat but having read the good reviews, decided to take a chance. I’m so glad I did. The sirloin steak was incredible and all of the staff were so cheerful and friendly.

Had such a great evening at Opera Grill in Chester! The atmosphere is lively but still relaxed, making it a lovely spot for a night out. I ordered the fillet steak and it was cooked to absolute perfection – tender, full of flavour, and easily one of the best I’ve had in a long time. What really stood out though was the service. Jemima took care of us all evening and she was fantastic – so friendly, attentive, and genuinely made us feel welcome. Nothing was too much trouble and she added such a nice personal touch to the experience. Great food, amazing service, and a brilliant vibe – can’t wait to come back!

We visited and ordered the Sunday roast beef, asking for it medium, but unfortunately it was incredibly tough – we couldn’t even cut through it with a steak knife. The roast potatoes were also extremely dry, with skins that were almost impossible to cut. We had to send the dish back as it was simply inedible – like chewing rubber. We then ordered the steak for two (£100), which looked fantastic when it arrived. While the presentation was great, it was again over-charred on the outside and just okay in the middle. I’m not sure what’s going wrong in the kitchen, but the quality of the main dishes was a real letdown. Only the trimmings were enjoyable. On a more positive note, the service was excellent. Big shout out to staff and the Manager – they were all welcoming, professional, and handled the situation with great care. The ambience is incredible – the space looks fantastic and has so much potential. It’s just a real shame that the food didn’t live up to the rest of the experience.

We had a fantastic experience at Opera Restaurant Bar & Grill! It was our first time visiting, and everything from the atmosphere to the food was absolutely perfect. A special thank you to Mark ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ , who served us—his customer service was excellent! He was warm, helpful, and made us feel very welcome. We’ll definitely be coming back. Highly recommended

Me and my husband shared the Treacle Steak, it was the best steak we have ever eaten, we wasn’t really sure what to expect but it exceeded all our expectations. The service was quick and our waitress was great, it was a special occasions and they spoiled us with a free dessert which we appreciated. We are leaving the country soon but have decided we have to return to have this one last time.

Restaurant very good, food was very well presented and tasted great. Marc attended to us and was very friendly and provided exceptional service. Highly recommend. Credit to Marc.

We always have a good experience in Opera, whether work or personal evenings. Gary and the team work hard to accommodate us. The new terrace is pretty special and a nice place to spend the evening. I normally enjoy the black cod or a sharing steak, the chimi-churi is excellent.

Opera hosted our wedding reception on Sat 4th Oct. The staff and venue absolutely exceeded all our expectations! Nothing was too much trouble and the food was superb. To all the waiting and bar staff, the Chefs, management and a special mention to Zara Abraham, thankyou all so much! I wish I remembered more names because you all deserve recognition for making our special day one to remember! Ben and Teri.

Located down a lovely walk through in Chester. Beautiful inside well worth a visit. Unfortunately didn't have the time to stay today but will return. It was lovely.

Absolutely lovely venue, the barman was really friendly and helpful. We enjoyed our food and would definitely return. The only thing that let it down was the chef smoking on the terrace right by the door to the restaurant at the end of service and smoke blowing into the restaurant. Also, staff commenting on another member of staff with customers in earshot…unfair and unprofessional.

The decorated restaurant was amazing. Great service Staffs are Fab Foods are absolutely gorgeous 10/10!! ☺️☺️

My partner and I enjoyed a gorgeous meal here as part of our weekend away in Chester. We ordered Hanging Kebabs and they were divine! The restaurant was pretty empty as it was a Thursday evening but the atmosphere was still lovely and the service was spot on. Thank you so much!

I visited the Botanist in Chester on a blind date. It's set in a beautiful side street and it's delightful inside. A rustic magical setting. The food was delicious and the hanging kebab very tasty. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. A lovely place.

Nice venue and friendly staff but food is poor. Nothing we had was "homemade", all pre-packaged and assembled. The Botanist bowl comprised a manufactured cous cous salad, so-called heritage tomatoes (just like bog standard supermarket ones, unripe), supposedly marinaded, green felafel out of a packet and deep fried like bullets, some hummus (not homemade), adored with chickpeas like bullets and some rocket salad, all for £14. Bargain! The lunch lamb kofta was another UPF burger like affair, served with a livid green sauce, the same hummus and chickpeas arrangement on a "garlic flatbread" out of a packet, £8.95. Save your money!

Love this place, people took care of us. Good cocktail and great food

Everything a British pub should be. Homely and inviting. A picture paints a thousand words. This is somewhere you go to ponder life on your own or have great chat with friends. They intentionally don't play music and they don't offer WiFi.

One of my favourite pubs in Chester when I’m visiting the area. Love the fact that’s it’s right in the middle of Chester’s hustle and bustle but it’s a sanctuary of calmness as soon as you enter. Great service and prices are very reasonable for the location. I fully support their no phone rules whilst visiting and appreciated the barmaid reminding people who may have forgotten especially when one of them was my wife 😂

We always visit here when in Chester. Fantastic service, love old traditional boozer with no electronic devices allowed. Brilliant. Just a nice atmosphere with people (mostly mature adults) talking and enjoying a drink. Thoroughly recommend

What a real pub used to be like. So nice to find a pub like this in the city centre. Great beer and great prices. Very friendly staff and no phones no music just good company and great Samuel Smith beers. Step back in time and give it a try.

Brilliant proper old style pub. Very good pint, friendly staff. It's a digital detox zone so no phones, laptops or tablets allowed to be used and no swearing. Very refreshing pub

I was visiting Liverpool and came to Chester for a daytrip and had a very nice time. However, finding Ye Olde Boot Inn was the peak of my day as I'm a sucker for ambience and medieval/fantasy style pubs and I can hands down say this was the best one I have ever been to. The lighting was very dim, everything looks like it's at least 300 years old, yet so clean and well kept! The no electronics and no swearing policies were a bit of a surprise to me as it's the first time I've ever so it, but I believe that it completely adds to the ambience as there are no bright phone or laptop lights all over the place and you can actually converse with people without everyone checking their phone every 30 seconds. In a nutshell, this is a must for anyone who appreciates "old wooden tavern" vibes where you can feel like Aragorn sitting in the corner od the Prancing pony. Also, the beer is MUCH cheaper than from what I'm used to in Liverpool.

Sam Smiths pub, dimly lit, there's usual beers on offer, plus the threats of expulsion for violating their draconian "rules" around electronic devices. The Owner of this brewery is proper old school, and hates innovation.

We had a great experience at Old Hall Farm. The food was good and the staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating. ​I had the spicy burger, which was full of flavour. My dad had the scampi, and he thoroughly enjoyed his meal too. The quality of the food really exceeded our expectations. ​What made the visit even better was the fantastic service. The team was so welcoming and nothing was too much trouble. Highly recommended.

Was treated by my son to a carvery today! Food was as lovely as ever staff are very friendly especially chris who always has a smile on his face. Will definitely be back again soon 😊

What can I say? Got to be the worst meal we have had in years. On arrival we were told we could sit anywhere there was no one else in there that should’ve told us something. After careful consideration we decided to order Hunters Chicken for two of us ,took some time to come but didn’t really mind that. When it did arrive first observations was that it was on a small plate looked a very small portion counted 12 chips, small chicken with bacon and one medium and one small onion ring and a spray of greenery. The chicken was very tough to cut very chewy obviously overcooked the onion rings just exploded on cutting as they were again overcooked, chips I must say were fine just a very small portion. You might ask why we didn’t complain ! we only seen sorry heard two staff shouting across the restaurant quite loudly to each other very boisterous very unprofessional this didn’t give us confidence to complain.

came here as apart of a weekend trip, would highly recommend! They have plenty choice and all the food was amazing! We had Chris as our server, he gave me a wicked cocktail as they had ran out of fresh orange and the mixup was better than the original!

This picture is a med-well done stake thats already been sent back to the kitchen once for being under cooked i wasn’t doing it a second time. Clearly had the heat on to high and burnt the outside but still pink in middle. Soft Drinks over priced in my opinion.

Overall a very good experience, all food was produced to table at the same time, food provided was hot and of a decent quality. My only criticism is that having had the mixed grill I would say that the chicken breast provided by texture was a bagged frozen and thawed to heat and eat, not that it was overly unpleasant, but not a fan. Drinks provided too were of great quality.

Came here today for a small family gathering. It was a lovely pub, our first time visiting. The food was stellar and staff are lovely. My only complaint would be the strange differences in price between ordering items on the QR code and at the bar. We were originally planning to order from the QR code, whilst one person had successful ordering, for some reason we couldn’t, we went to the bar and waited quite awhile as the staff were quite busy which is fine. However, the total from the QR code and the bar was off slightly. Fish and chips - doubled up with chips was for some reason more expensive at the bar. Whilst not a major problem, it’s a bit odd. Orange juice was also more expensive at the bar. The food did take a little while to come out, but worth the wait. Very nicely cooked. Two of us ordered desert and it came very quickly. Overall I would come back in future. Would be great to get the prices sorted between the QR code and ordering at the bar as worked out more expensive in the end as it didn’t work.

I recently celebrated my birthday at the Bunbury Arms with five friends, and it was fantastic! We started the afternoon with drinks in the beer garden, which was lovely and relaxed, before moving inside to enjoy our meal. The service was friendly and welcoming, and the atmosphere was warm and enjoyable. We all had delicious food, and they even put a candle in my dessert, which was such a thoughtful touch. There were plenty of drinks on offer, and it was great to see that the pub is dog-friendly too. Overall, a brilliant place for a birthday or any celebration – highly recommend! Big shout out to Katie who looked after us.

Fantastic place. Super fresh and home cooked food. Really efforts on keeping it homely and fresh. Service was friendly and accommodating, especially considering we were a table of 8 with little notice of arrival. Highly recommended if you are in the area of fancy some proper food over the chain items in Cheshire Oaks. Thanks guys 😍

Booked a table here for lunch and asked for a quiet table for our wedding anniversary. Great welcome from the staff, and treated to a prosecco each for our anniversary. We had drinks outside while choosing our meal and then inside for lunch. I ordered scampi while husband had gammon steak. I'm always wary of ordering scampi (as always seems to be out a bag) but this was lovely and practically fell apart (in a good way). Gammon steak was cooked beautifully not tough or chewy. Sides were peas which tasted fresh/earthy and chunky chips which were huge. Overall food was lovely, drinks were good and reasonably priced £4.50: for bitter and £9 for aperol spritz. We will definitely be back here and can recommend it.

Just a stone's throw from Cheshire Oaks, escape to the tranquil beauty of the Cheshire countryside. In just four minutes, you'll find yourself a world away from the bustling crowds. The exceptional food and absolutely lovely, attentive service complete this peaceful retreat.

Lovely traditional country pub. Choice of real ale that changes regularly. Plenty of outdoor seating. Friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit.

Recently visited after passing Friendly & welcoming young girl who was knowledgeable about the drinks & menu We ordered the steak & blue cheese pie it was ok but not worth the money as for £19 a meal I would expect homemade chips on a pub meal this was frozen chips & the veg was not the best option also would of liked to pour my own gravy as it just made the pie quite soggy..

Slow service due to understaffing front of house. Not to fault the young waitress who did her best to see to everyone it seems on her own and was quite flustered. Not enough menus available 2 between 6 people. It was my mum’s 82nd birthday celebration so I drove as she has mobility problems. I had two drinks so decided to leave the car in the car park. Came back next day to find a large parking warning notice stuck right in the middle of my car windscreen. Impossible to get off i spent half a n hour the car park trying to remove it as it would have impaired my vision for driving. Staff were quite unhelpful. Just was not the warm friendly cosy relaxing atmosphere as it is described on their website and as it used to be. I won’t be rushing back. Very disappointing.

Service we great, the waitress was friendly. We ordered the curry, sausages and mash, side of veggies and cheesy garlic bread. The side of veggies was underwhelming. The mash tasted like it came out of a packet. The sausages were great. I highly recommend the curry and the cheesy garlic bread. I grabbed the 2 for 1 cocktail which was yummy too.

Nice pub in the centre of Chester. Excellent quality and very good value for money.

Found this place on Google maps whilst looking for somewhere to watch the rugby on a Saturday afternoon, and was not disappointed. Despite it being busy, we got great seats on a leather sofa upstairs on the mezzanine, facing a big screen, best seats in the house, perfect. Easy to overlook the upstairs area, so give it a check if it's busy upstairs. Used the App to order 2 for 1 cocktails and spirits to the table, happy days. Service was speedy, staff were all very friendly. I recommend the bags of chorizo crisps and the biggest bag of pork scratchings I've ever eaten 😁👍🏻🍺

We had a wonderful experience here all thanks to Sean, for being so welcoming and hospitable. The service here is 10/10 and the atmosphere feels so homely. The food is amazing too! I hope the photos do it justice, highly recommend to everyone 😊

Nipped in yesterday for a quick drink with a mate Ended up ordering some food, just a few starters and the food was phenominal, staff also asked does anyone have any allergies that we need to know about and i heard that when anyone went to up to oder food. Were gonna go back next week and try some of the mains and i cant wait its also dog friendly with bowls of water for your dog and some dog treats too!!!

Visited the City Tavern while spending a couple of days in Chester. Lovely pub, very friendly staff, excellent food, excellent service, great value for money....whats not to like!?

Nice food, nice beer, warm spacious and comfy, an ideal pub to watch live football whilst having dinner and a pint. Food served reasonably quickly and the staff were great

We had a lovely time at Rake Hall! We had a great seat in the window and we could bring the dog in, which was fab! The service was fantastic, everyone was so friendly and helpful and the food was delicious - a great experience, we will definitely be back!

We booked the Private Dining Room on Sunday to celebrate our Golden Wedding Anniversary. There were 18 of us in total. We had a great relaxing time, as we were not rushed in anyway. The food was to an excellent standard. delicious and served hot to everyone at the same time. The staff especially Ellie were very friendly, efficient and couldn't do enough to make everyone welcome and looked after. We had lots of compliments about the meals, the venue and the staff. The room was lovely with lovely views over the garden. We could not find a fault with anything and would encourage anyone looking for a venue for their event not to hesitate booking Rake Hall.

Beautifully renovated. Extremely spacious and varied internal areas. Excellent external garden area, very child friendly. Incidentally it is also dog friendly. Staff were superb., attentive but not intrusive. Extensive menu with very varied choices, also the case for the stocked beers/ales. More than likely to revisit.

Absolutely lovely place. Very nice selection of large or small portions of food. Extremely helpful staff dealing with my food intolerance. Vast selection of Drinks available. Very quick service.

We had a fantastic experience here. They are super friendly to people and dogs. A very stylish setting with an interesting menu. We had the cod loin and chowder and beef and ale pie we gave both 10/10 we will definitely be returning.

We stopped at Rake hall as a group. Ordered drinks etc and sat outside in the beer garden. Lovely atmosphere both inside and out. Will definitely be going back.

We were a little.put out to receive a phone call two hours before our booking (today, Sunday) to say the two main courses had sold out, but in the event we were more than compensated for that by the food that was available, the excellent service and the atmosphere. Apparently the Sunday menu is limited due to it being a popular day for a roast dinner but nevertheless we had a very enjoyable evening.

If you're after a fun event space that oozes character, then try Alexander's Live. We're local to Chester so we were already familiar with the venue from our visits to their weekly Comedy Club (they're excellent too!) and decided that we wanted to host our wedding there. Our conversations were with Jamie, the venue's owner, who was faultless in his accommodation of our needs and wants for the big day. I was so pleased to hear that I could hang my homemade bunting up! We found him to be openminded and responsive— just what you want when you're organising any event! Jamie coordinated well with our other vendors too, ensuring they had all the information they needed to get set up for the day. The same can be said for all the staff at Alexander's Live. They gave impeccable service on the day - in fact, we can't praise them enough, they were such a dream: attentive, accommodating and pleasant. We are so incredibly pleased with how everything turned out and that we picked Alexander's as our venue. Photo credit: Luke Hassall Photography

A great place for a laugh and decent beer. As well as the host, two out of the three acts we saw were very funny. All of us came out of there with smiles on our faces and would definitely go back if we are in the area again.

Happened to stumble upon this bar on open mic night. Great atmosphere, some really talented performers who deserve to go far. Friendly staff. Give it a chance if you do wander in. Recommended.

Great venue and vibe. happend to be there during a great deal on drinks which was fantastic. beer garden is glorious on a nice day, staff are friendly and the beer is good. what more could you want? live music? yeah they got that to!

Went for the Friday night comedy with another couple and had a great night! I’d never been to a stand up comedy show so wasn’t sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. The venue was intimate and the comedians really engaged with the audience which was great. You got three different comedians which each had their own style, the host was also great and in my opinion the funniest! The pricing felt good value. Would recommend for a night out for something a bit differ

Amazing little venue, first time, will , definitely be going back, it's basically behind Iceland if you're using the wall, Google sent me left instead of right which gave me a nice little 3 mile walk out of the way as I lost signal, so go right and it's a short walk, ( Iceland is 57 Frodsham St, Chester CH1 3JJ) I had no end of problems centering maps, even on another phone on another network, so back to the venue, staff are brilliant, very happy and friendly, the sound in there is amazing, and there is a really great vibe to the place , went to see the amazing Crowded Scouse, there is seating but it is limited get there early, I Will definitely be going back there,

It was fun! Lovely venue, and highly recommend

I left Chester for a job for almost 1.5 years and I have always missed this place, their environment and food has never let me down. Highly recommend for a visit!

It's actually a nice vibrant area, but unfortunately only a handful a market stalls. The large area inside consists of eating places, I personally found it extremely crowded and load with the noise making hard to have a conversation. Not a lot can very done to address this as its working as its busy. But personally just a bit to loud for me.

Fantastic space in Chester. Frequent live music and performances on the stage in front of plenty of seating. Huge variety of food and drink available and all that we tried was very nice. Good to be able to choose different cuisines at the same time and mix and match! We went back three times over the weekend as it was such a nice atmosphere! 😁😁😁

A brilliant market. Clean and vibrant. Plenty of places to eat. Also many different market stalls to buy a gift or something you want for yourself. Shall definitely be visiting again. Purchased some oatmeal dog shampoo for my Boston Terrier Vincent. Gave him a shower with this product. I'd like to thank the lady who sold me it... Thank you... 👍 It got rid of his dandruff....👍👍

We were visiting Chester and this was recommended to us. Have to say, it's a fantastic set up!! A lot of places could learn a thing or two. We were there on Friday night. There was a guy playing and singing. He was brilliant. The place has so many good places to eat and drink. Very reasonably priced! Very dog friendly too!

You can enjoy lots of different types of food! Everything other people were eating looked really tasty. There are family box seats and high chairs for babies, so it was the perfect place for us to have lunch with our two-year-old twins!

Really lovely food hall! Great vibe! Pleasant selection of restaurants. It also has a beautiful flower shop by the entrance and a nice, simple Asian supermarket. There’s a cute little vintage shop and Chester Zoo gift shop too!

Why does the city/council allow this lovely listed building to be kept close by the Sam Smiths estate? They should be forced to sell and then it could be re-opened for locals and visitors.

I guess not for everybody, due to the brewery's rules but we found it quite refreshing to have no mobile devices allowed, no swearing and no children. It encourages people to actually speak to one another. We had a great chat with people we had never met before going in to the pub. It was a throw back to how pubs used to be. £3 a pint for cask ale and £2:20 on tap, lager £3 to boot. Would definitely be back next time we are in Chester. Very friendly young couple in charge

Lovely warm feel (from a log fire) on entry on a cold wet afternoon. Only the one real ale but good. Sad thing was I didn't need to enquire the location of the gents toilet as there was a very strong odour from outside the door.

Nice refitted pub in a classic Chester building. But why so many signs telling you what not to do. If I'm spending my hard earned cash I won't be told to not take my phone out. Sam's Smiths beer is mediocre at best which doesn't help. Won't be returning in a hurry. Shame as the pub is gorgeous.

A Sam Smiths bar in a lovely old building. Loads of character and charm and a nice pint of cask ale.

Great to see this old historic pub open again. Some new beers I haven't seen, Dark Mild (Gold), and XXXX best I think, is £2.40/pt, both 3.4%. The cask beer was really good (£3) and and an excellent organic lager at 5% (£4.40), as good as the best German breweries No swearing, laptops, phones, kids and dogs as usual with these pubs

A characterful half-timbered alehouse offers value for money drinks, great atmosphere and plentiful seating.

Great evening here - we worked our way through a variety of the cocktails and enjoyed all of them! Get in early to secure a spot on Saturday night.

A few of us went to Craft & Company on Easter Sunday for some drinks and a boogie. Had an absolute blast. The live music was particularly good. Can't wait to go back!

If you appreciate mixology, if you appreciate a well crafted cocktail with the staff thirsty for knowledge and even expanding on thier craft, go there, go here if you want friendly staff who treat you like a well valued customer, go here if you want fine crafted cocktails. If you want an experience that feels you are thier only priority go between 6 to 8. These guys know thier stuff. We were treated to some great mixing and conversation by Tyler. It will be the bar we head to when we are in Chester again. We didnt have food. However the bar snacks were awesome. They went down with the cocktails. One of the best Martini's made, as well as a delicious paper planes.

Fantastic atmosphere and very friendly staff. Isaac behind the bar was great all night - made us up some lovely cocktails/mocktails on the spot and gave us a brilliant birthday night out.

We had the great night 😁 great stuff, drinks and live guitar player. One of the best places in Chester.

Blown away by the interior design and structure. Of coarse my favorite spot is the "ladies". The lined tiles are mesmerising. It wouldn't be the drinks of my excuse to go there but rather the lovely loo. U late nighters, this place is opened till 3am on the weekends.

My wife's family are from the area, and we came to visit with the kids. Her cousin decided we should have a pub crawl, and I recon it was a great idea. This was our last stop. We fought valiantly, seven stops into the night. But it was a Tuesday night, and I had a big day of hanging outside in the sun coming up (big mistake this pub crawl was hahaha). At this point, we were gassed. It was getting late, and I don't remember the bar (like, behind the counter) being this aesthetically pleasing. Feels like it was quite dark, but that could also be my eyesight dropping... Had a lager, and a G&T. Service was great, the place was pretty quiet, which was great given our state. Looking forward to returning, and sampling more of their selection. Pub crawl out.

The Lodge is a very nice bar that serves food a very standard. Their main beer comes from the Salopain brewery but also have a number of other lagers and bitters. The bar is split into a number of smaller rooms with different types of furniture. On thing that is very popular at the lodge is the outside seating area that has large umbrellas and heaters

Nice place for a drink. Has always had very mediocre service, but seems to be improving

Really nice food and service. Staff is very helpful and kind. Prices are ok and reasonable compare to other places in the same area. 5 stars!!! 👍🏻

Helpful, friendly bar staff kept our drinks coming as we sat outside under a large cover. Heaters available if it got too cold. Good range of beers and wines - I was drinking Cheshire Cat or Oracle - and friendly atmosphere.

Sat outside with our dog. Just had drinks this time. Menu looked varied, will have food next time we visit. Good choice of drinks, good service. There are patio heaters under some of the umbrellas .

Can’t compliment them enough. The food is excellent and the variety is eclectic, from mussels to Chilli. Great pub food at sensible prices and the beer is also priced sensibly. You can sit outside or in but the tables inside do seem to be reserved by regulars which might be a bit off putting when you walk in as you can see a sea of reserved signs! Staff are great and helpful too the sharing platter for starters was excellent. Haven’t tried the desserts but they looked good. Ant understand why people would chose anywhere else in Hoole for lunch

U got to love ur local. Everyone from around the area converge in here.And the beer is good.

Excellent, homely bar with a great selection of beers.

Carrying on from where the Goat & Munch left off, Halcyon Garden continues to offer a great selection of beers, ciders, wines and spirits. A good selection of both cask and keg, with lots of changing stock, this little gem is tucked away in the Garden Quarter and is well worth the short walk from the city centre. Also an excellent choice for takeaway bottles, cans and draught.

Excellent micropub with well kept cask Ale.

New venture in an established micro pub. Good selection of cask, keg and bottled beers. Locally sourced and continental. Friendly bar manager and locals.

A great little micro pub with a good selection of beers both keg and cask and a good wine selection too. Friendly and welcoming. Also dog friendly with biscuits for them.

One of Chester's hidden gem pubs. Located in the heart of the Garden Quarter, the Halcyon serves a great range of real ales, stouts, lagers and ciders. As well as a great range of spirits and wine. Uncluttered by food, except bar snacks, it has a friendly welcoming atmosphere, and Amrik and the team have something special on their hands. If you like noisy chain pubs serving fizzy lager and bitter, probably not the place for you, although perhaps a taste of good beers and great company and banter will change your mind.

What a cracking little pub, with some wonderful ales on 🍺👌 I didn't try and food, as it was just a quick pint, whilst waiting for somebody, but I'll definitely be back.

Really nice spot for lunch. The staff were professional nice and smart and friendly and it’s a nice relaxing atmosphere. Plenty of parking available here and it’s all on the flat. Prices were reasonable I tried the £12.99 two courses lunch special. Very tasty burger and the staff came to check everything was fine - good touch actually.

Greeted and taken to a table for 5 without booking. The lovely Belle served us all evening, remembered our orders perfectly and was very personable and helpful. A nut allergy was quickly identified and a tablet menu provided listing ingredients. Lovely food, quick service.

After travelling all the way from London I decided to stop of for some food and a pint. Was served by a lovely bar girl called Ffion her manners and professional were outstanding along with all the bar staff definitely an assets to the company. Would definitely go again

It's a modern place only a few minutes drive out of Chester town centre. Plenty of parking. Staff were excellent. Ate late afternoon. Very good food. Good prices too. Well worth a visit if looking for eady parking and a friendly place to eat.

The venue catered for my father’s wake and did an excellent job. A section was cordoned off . The food that was served on the buffet was superb and the staff were very polite and attentive. Thoroughly recommended.

Seriously need to up there service game, took an hour from ordering the food using the app to it getting delivered to our table. Didnt seem short staffed as there was plenty people working here, so I guess they must only have half a dozen plates to serve food on and need people to finish and wash the plates to use them again. It doesn't take that long to cook menu oriented from a standard menu. Probably would have been better to pick a random table number and order it on the app an hour before I arrived and took the gamble the table was free To sum up, food good......service painfully slow!!

We didn't book a table for 3 as it was around 3.15pm , we were greated at the entrance, and asked to sit in one area by the young lady working behind the bar .wasn't sure why the lady who greated us couldn't sit us down , sat down and given the menus and wasn't told of any food not available at this point so got our drinks my the young lady and asked if we were ready to order our food , to which we replied, no but could you give us a little longer to look .on waiting to place our order in which seamed like ages ( pub only had a hand full of people in there too ) we placed the order with the lady who greated us at the very start . My hubby said he would like fried squid ( starter off the set lunch menu) and fried chicken goujons off the same set lunch menu, to which the lady replied, sorry our friers are out of order ! So these starters aren't available. Why not tell us this before we orderd, they had plenty of time to do so , my husband and son ordered the burgers without cheese which came with cheese and no bacon on which they orderd . Deep sigh . They said the burger and few chips that they got was OK. But why not ask if they would have preferred the original burger menue ? Any way got up and payed at the bar and left very confused.

Lovely welcome and easy check in. Our room was gorgeous. Modern, great layout and beautifully cleaned . Large bathroom, big bed, tea, hot chocolate and a cafetiere with proper ground coffee! A comfortable and quiet sleep and a fabulous breakfast included the next morning. Great free parking on site. Set on the river with easy access to river, town and walls. Perfect!

The location of the hotel is perfect for exploring the surrounding area. Short walk into Chester center is a bonus as city parking is expensive. The service we received during our stay within the pub area was exemplary. Nothing was to much and the staff were very chatty and made us feel very welcome. Being right on the river made it for a lovely view whilst dining. Be aware during nice weather this property is a somewhat local favourite so does get very busy at times. We had food during our stay both nights. The young girl that served us our Sunday lunch was fantastic. Very friendly and was interested about how out day had gone. Only a few things to note that stood out during our stay, there is no WIFI in the rooms themselves and there was no room safe. The beds were comfortable and the room was clean and tidy. Good pressure on the shower and the shower enclosure was very big a spacious.

We had a delicious meal here during our brief stay in Chester. The service was excellent & the food delicious. I had the Sea bass followed by Eton mess 😋 The views from the floating beer garden were fantastic. Thoroughly recommend this establishment & will definitely return in the future. Possibly even stay in one of the rooms!

One of my favourite places. Love the hotel and the setting. Food is very good - fish and chips are the best ever. This time we were put in a smaller room in the old part of the hotel, hence the lower rating. The ones overlooking the river are much better. Great staff too and look forward to coming back for a stay in another room.

We went to the Boathouse for a late lunch. There were a good selection of dishes. We ordered the black pudding on crumpet, Coq au Vin and beef steak. The food was delicious, beautifully presented and good size portions. The staff were helpful and attentive. We highly recommended this restaurant with a beautiful view of the river.

We stayed in room 20 4th October 2025. This was for my husbands birthday . The rooms overlook the car park and the bathroom shower had loads of mould in it. When I complained about the shower. Laura kelter the general manger said on email ‘Thankyou for bringing this to our attention ‘ we paid £249 for the night I’ve had better room staying with travel lodge! My advise is don’t waste your money staying there Julie Thomas - from York I certainly won’t be !

Lovely location on the river. Room was very comfortable and had a good bathroom/shower. Staff were very friendly and helpful. We ate there a few times and the menu was good and the food tasty. Would definitely stay there again.

Eating outside is a joy as it is right next to the river. The food took a while to be served, but I didn't mind. The view was pleasant and the meal was obviously freshly prepared

Visited today with my son. The staff were lovely and really attentive. My toddler had the sausage chips and beans which in all honesty I wish I had ordered! The sausages were thick and juicy and I was very jealous. I had the garlic ciabatta and wings. Now the menus stated the wings came with a buffalo dip but it was some weird tasting sauce smothered on top, the wings were really soggy and just full of batter couldn’t even pick them up, I tried a bit and just though hmm nah I’ll pass. The garlic bread was okay! Not amazing but not bad if that makes sense. I’d probably return for a drink or a kids sausage meal 😂

I didn't eat, just popped in for a quick drink. Lovely location, right next to the canal. You can watch the boats, very relaxing

Short break in Chester and popped into here on a Friday evening after a long day walking. Atmosphere was good, food and drink also good (sizing gave value for money as well) and the service from Stu was very friendly. Had starters (chunks of chicken in crispy batter) and mains (including pie of day) and Stu took the time to check if we were ready for mains rather than just bringing them out - would come again!

My wife & I visited on Friday 6th June and to say our visit was poor is an understatement. The customer service was shocking. The worst we have ever encountered. We ate but decided we’d just have two ‘Doorstep’ sandwiches and drinks. As the owner will already know he fobbed us off with Iceland bread but still charged us the same. We had past other places but really fancied some thick crusty doorstep sandwiches which made us stop at this place. We mentioned the problem to a middle aged blonde haired lady but she did nothing about it even though she said she’d tell the chef & we even mentioned it to the chef who was having a break outside and he said that he was told to do it by the manager even though he had said it wasn’t doorstep bread and should he add an extra piece of the cheap bread to make up for it but the manager according to the Chef said no. We ate our food as we were hungry and although it was cheap bread it was okay but we felt disappointed and a little ripped off and deceived and the poor response to our complaint made it feel even worse. We asked to speak with the manager but they had left. Then it became a circus of us asking for details of the owner and suggesting a partial refund but nothing. There was a younger blonde haired lady there who seemed like she was a manager but she had either just finished or was not working & she wanted nothing to do with it and just walked off. Another male member of staff was not happy that I was asking about who the owner or that we had been served and paid for something that was advertised completely differently. It was totally wrong and it wasn’t even mentioned to us when we ordered and paid. At least give us the choice. There was another younger man who tried to help but just kept walking away ringing someone whilst leaving us standing at the bar. No one wanted to know and no one could make a decision. The whole customer service was some of the worst we have ever experienced. I asked repeatedly for owners details or for some sort actual customer service but no one wanted to know. There was no one there to take responsibility or offer apologies. At one point it was suggested we come back. Really??? The customer has to come back? No apologies or small offer of drinks or partial refund, just awful service. We left as we were getting no where however we carried on our complaint via Facebook messenger but again whoever we were messaging just did not see our complaint what so ever and again no offer of a partial refund for a total misrepresentation. If this was the manager then no wonder all the staff treat customers the same way. There were other customers at the bar when we complained and even they were saying that we should never have been given cheap Iceland bread when it was advertised as ‘doorstep bread’ and should have been given a refund or partial refund. Not once did we shout or swear but we did get very frustrated as the staff just did not want to know. The culture in this place is extremely poor stay away. It is a closed shop in that they are only concerned about each other and not the customer. A complaint to trading standards will be submitted. A nice outlook onto the canal for a drink but stay away if you want food and be prepared to be totally ignored by all the staff if you have a problem. We ate elsewhere in Chester over the following three days and all were much better quality and much better value. You have been warned. Update! Yes the owner has replied and is right that the description given on their menu is what a customer should expect however they used thin cheap Iceland bread because they had ran out of the more expensive and hoped that as customers we would not notice. When it was raised by us firstly the middle aged lady who asked us about our food did nothing even though she said she would speak to the chef and then your own chef admitted to us when we saw him on a break that the owner had instructed him to use it knowing full well it was not what it should be. This place just has a culture of lies, no responsibility and zero customer service.

Great place next to the canal. Easy access. Across from the main bus exchange. I didn't have food though, moonday to Friday have lunch menu discounts.

Food good. Most of it the chicken to start. With sauce was brick hard. Filthy fries were amazing as was the sandwiches. Our afternoon was ruined listening to one very loud woman who had a very small baby and her loud partner who befriended another couple and began drinking shots. Got their whole life story. So we left as it was their show !! Couldn't listen to it or watch folk drinking shots while being responsible for looking after a baby. Nice calming view of the canal. But sadly ruined by these idiots. Atmosphere could have been a five !

Had a delicious Sunday dinner! Owner is lovely and they've got events for most days of the week. Loads of seating options, too.

Booked this place for a big family Sunday lunch purely on location, but it turned out to be a great choice. Didn’t look that promising to start with as it’s a cavernous place and there was virtually no-one there at 1pm on a Sunday. But the roasts were excellent — a lot better than many pub roasts — and very reasonably priced too. Even the roast potatoes were great. Everyone enjoyed their food, so would definitely recommend.

We came to meet up with Family, The pub was so cute , Food Amazing and the service was brilliant will definitely be back !!!

A truly great place, to stop off have a drink and something to eat, great atmosphere and excellent service 10/10

We stopped by this pub on a whim after facing a long wait at Toby Carvery—and we’re so glad we did! What started as a backup plan turned into a brilliant surprise. The food was absolutely spot on: full of flavour, perfectly cooked, and clearly made with care. The service was just as impressive—friendly, attentive, and more than happy to accommodate custom tweaks to our orders without hesitation. It’s rare to find a place that nails both the food and the hospitality, but this one truly delivered. Top marks from us. We’ll definitely be back—and next time, it’ll be our first choice!

Always excellent third visit this evening with all the family and everyone very impressed. The steak was perfectly cooked. The mushroom bourgenion was delicious and the sticky toffee pudding and the crumble are must haves. Service and atmosphere great too and obviously a locals favourite.

Good grub reasonable prices friendly staff could do with a few more choices of tap Beers only downside is I wish parents could control their kids a bit more especially when Sunday lunches are being served. We didn't have a Sunday lunch lot's of others were and to be fair it looked and smelled good.

We love our local pub! We love visiting the Handbridge, as there is so much space including indoor and outdoor space as well as really nice food and a good atmosphere. I highly recommend you try the tacos 🌮 . The staff are always friendly here and it’s a plus that dogs are allowed.

It was okay, the owners seem friendly. Service was slow and prices on sign difference to indoor menus plus other signs inside said different things,so a bit confusing. But can be easily rectified and owner honoured the price. Place needs tlc but with a few small changes could be great .

Pretty quiet mid afternoon, we just had a couple of beers in beer garden, which needs sprucing up a bit to be honest,, ate there many times in the past, always decent food,,

Absolute little jem of a find. Lovelly tasty food with a varied menu and excellent value for money. Lovelly friendly staff.Just outside of the tourist hussle over the river. Definitely recommend. ( also excellent soundtrack in the beer garden )

According to social media says they do brekky even seen to have a takeaway menu on just eat. Walked there when said was open and all locked up. Please update accordingly it’s annoying when come out of way.

Lovely beer garden, great atmosphere and very friendly staff

If you want a cosy atmosphere where dogs are more than welcome and the food is brilliant then this is the place for you. We were greeted by the energetic and wonderful Malu. She offered a seat by the open fire, which was naturally gratefully accepted. Anderson was equally attentive. He advised us "if your not feeling the heat of the fire, please put more on" first time in our travels we have heard this, so welcoming. Brilliant establishment, fantastic food. We can't wait to go back. Oh I forgot the live acoustic guitar too ❤️👍

I arrived at 00:15 with 3 friends, bouncer said "we're not letting in any more in" despite Google and their own website advertising closing time as 2am. We then went back to our hotel rooms which are next door to Popcorn and heard them blasting music until after 02:00 disturbing our early sleep due us not being allowed into their bar. Bar had about 15 people inside, why stop 4 more from entering? Does Popcorn make their money from actually letting people into their bar to spend money? If you don't let people in after 00:15, turn your music off so they can get a good night's sleep.

Popped in for a drink on a lovely sunny afternoon. Staff were friendly and welcoming, good choice at the bar. Open plan and lots of light inside. They have a rear beer garden and seating out front. We sat out front and were able to people watch whilst enjoying a cold refreshing beer. 👍

went to use a bar tab with friends, the bar staff were very reluctant to let us use it and kept avoiding serving us. i was then kicked out by a bouncer and separated from my friends (i'm a drunk 18 year old girl) for "shoving a member of staff", who had actually just walked into me. i have had good experiences here and go often, so i was really upset by the way i was treated.

I think I'm a bit old for Popcorn in the evening, but my daughter loves it. I'm here having a lovely coffee at lunch time and the music is great and amazing fresh lilies, tulips, etc on the tables. And the staff were great 😃

This is the second time we have visited this establishment and although it was quieter than the previous visit staff were still friendly and drinks delicious. They have some nice outdoor seating both on the main street and in the courtyard.

Went in for an end of evening drink. It was Halloween and I'd say we were comfortably the oldest in there in our 50's. Nice friendly atmosphere and lovely decor.

Nice bar, customer service was OK. Cocktails are ok. Lovely outside area (at the back of the bar), outdoor heaters, blankets and cushions are a lovely touch. Bathrooms are on the lower floor so not suitable if you have mobility issues. Parking is not very close by.

We came here by chance after seeing it from the Chester walls, I'm so glad we came in. The slider game they had at the back was so much fun. We decided to book a table to watch the England match the next day and had a great time. The dirty fries are the best we have ever had

The bartender who served us was very nice and friendly. We played shuffleboard which was fun. Great bar to watch sport with the plethora of big screens they have in there.

Had a lovely lunch here. Staff were nice and food was so good too! They have loads of screens showing a variety of sports, they also have pool tables and shuffle tables. It is right by the cathedral so very central too.

Such a fun bar....made our night. We had a drink here before eating at Sergios Italian and after the beautiful food we came straight back as it was such a welcoming bar.

Nice pub with lots on offer like music, sports,pool,shuffle board and a good beer selection,would definitely recommend.

A nice pub that is hidden away but also right next to the city walls and cathedral. £6.00 a pint seems a bit excessive even for a city centre pub. Worth a visit if you're in chester and want a pleasant ambience.

Five stars are not enough for the fabulous dinner we had! We opted for the flat iron steak, and let me tell you, I will always remember this steak! Absolutely divine! We were very well looked after by our lovely waiter. I do recommend this place!