Chester Restaurant Guide

“A great sense of energy and enthusiasm for the cooking makes a visit fun and very satisfying”, when you visit Gary Usher’s original venture – “a cosy” and “relaxed” bistro in Hoole, “just on the outskirts of the city” (beyond the train station). Having opened in 2011, it’s “still the best eatery in Chester” (unless you are determined to spend a bomb), and – to an impressive extent given the expansion of his north western empire – “standards have been maintained over several years”: particularly the “excellent modern British cuisine” (“with dishes to suit all tastes”). Top Menu Tip: “do try their signature starter of beetroot and sticky walnuts”.

“Sheer class and quality” shine through the “slightly old-fashioned setting” of the dining room at the Duke of Westminster’s grand city-centre hotel, where exec chef Simon Radley celebrates 21 years at the helm in 2019. His “inventive tasting menus (including a vegetarian version) are served theatrically” and still impress all diners, even if “the price is high for this show”. Baking has always been a feature here: “the pièce de resistance is not the courses themselves, but the amazing bread in between!” Notable cellar here too, which offers a heavyweight selection numbering 700 bins.

“A lovely compact little restaurant (albeit “not quite as tiny” after a recent refurb’) serving really innovative dishes, tucked away in a passage off Northgate Street”; seasonal options use “really unusual ingredients” and “the whole experience feels special”.

The “best steakhouse” in these parts is a classy and buzzy sort of spot, spread across two floors and also featuring a cool cocktail bar.

Joe & Ben Wright’s produce-led deli-restaurant is a “real find”, close to the city walls, with every dish “tasty and well presented” (and a particularly “excellent value fixed-price lunch”); “attentive and charming service” to boot.

“A firm family favourite and as close to the American BBQ experience as you can get in our country” – this “lovely” and “very busy” outfit by the River Dee offers a “massive menu” featuring “great smoky burgers”. The chain is obviously onto something – following the brand-new Worcester branch, their ninth outpost was due to open in Gresty Green in December 2018.

Local brewery Spitting Feathers’ real ale and real food joint is a solid performer with a winning line of cask ales, hand-pulled ciders and locally sourced grub; the location in a Jacobean great hall adds to the joys of a visit.