An Alternative Guide to Chester

FOOD & DRINK

Rooftop Social Club 

Rooftop Social is a very cool multi-functional space hidden on the rooftop of Pepper Street car park with independent street food, great drinks and a host of games and activities. Indoor / Outdoor seated & heated area plus an outside terrace with cosy cabanas, curling lanes and entertainment sun deck. DJs at the weekend.

Flat Earth 

The Flat Earth Bar is a super friendly bar with a Bohemian vibe and conspiracy-themed, left-of-centre interior serving great quality drinks as well as the best Fondue in Chester. Also serving charcuterie, cheese, pickles and random bar snacks.

Pars Kahve 

Pars Kahve is a wonderful Turkish café, restaurant and bar serving traditional food, including one of the best breakfasts in town, light lunches, and evening Mezze. The homemade baklava and Menengic pistachio coffee are off the chart, and their all-weather outside seating area is super comfortable with low tables and cushions, covered by the historic and unique Rows.

Dabba 

Dabba is a South Indian comfort food restaurant & café run by Stephen and Rekha, possibly the loveliest husband & wife team in hospitality. Serving delicious authentic dishes, excellent beers and wines and the most fantastic mango lassi!

Death By Tacos 

Death By Tacos is probably Chester’s most-loved restaurant serving tacos, beers, tequila (the best Margs in the city for sure!) to a very cool food-loving crowd. Expect skater rock music and an inclusive and friendly vibe. Also sell great merch!

DBT doesn’t take bookings, so just rock up and wait if necessary – it’s worth it!

Commonhall Social 

Tucked away on Commonhall Street is Commonhall Social, serving up plenty of Bites, Bevvies & Banter by Stewart and his awesome team. Epic outside terrace with covered spots and heating. Very relaxed and informal, the ultimate social city centre hangout.

4 Monkeys 

4 Monkeys is a super cute bottle shop and bar, owned and operated by the same team that runs Alexander’s Live, just next door in Rufus Court. These guys curate a fabulous beer selection to drink in or take out, and the bar snacks are pretty good too.

New Chester Market 

Chester’s Market offers a vibrant selection of produce and independent traders together with a fantastic choice of authentic global food stalls and over 400 seats. Since opening in late 2022, they have welcomed more than 5 million visitors. DJs, entertainment over weekends, and always a great vibe with a superb bar delivered by local operators Lockwood & Company.

Shrub

Shrub is a meat-free eatery right in the heart of the city at the cross up on the Rows with the best indoor/outdoor space, perfect for people-watching over the Cross. Multi-award-wining and very welcoming, great value and superb quality.

209 Farndon 

Just 20 minutes from the city is the beautiful village of Farndon. Self-sufficient and totally charming in every way, Farndon makes the perfect escape for a little out-of-town adventure. Here you will find 209 Farndon, a gorgeous little coffee shop (their brunch menu is simply sublime and served six days a week) and a restaurant serving dinner five nights a week. Husband and wife team Anna & Felix run 209. Anna takes care of all things front of house and Felix is your chef, proudly cooking the most local and seasonal produce with a British theme.

Porta 

Porta is a tapas and wine bar on Chester’s Northgate Street, opened in November 2012 by Joe and Ben. The food is absolutely delicious, and we especially love Bar Gallo upstairs, where you can wait for a table as they don’t take bookings.

Sticky Walnut 

You’ll find Sticky Walnut in the hip local neighbourhood of Hoole, just a short walk from Chester city centre. Created and delivered by Chef Gary Usher, this fabulous award-winning local bistro serves humble dishes using the best possible and super-local ingredients.

That Beer Place Bottle Shop and Taproom 

That Beer Place on Foregate Street is the local mecca for beer lovers! Owners Dale and Lisa seriously know their stuff and are super passionate about all things beer. They have 11 beer and 4 cider taps with over 350 beers and 120 fine ciders (plus wines and spirits). CAMRA UK Cider and Perry Pub of the Year 2024.

Paysan / The Cavern of the Curious Gnome 

Definitely the city’s favourite wine bar, Paysan serves excellent wines and fizz with so many by the glass. The team is super knowledgeable and helpful, and the Parisian vibe is relaxed and welcoming. We love the food – quite simply amazing cheese, charcuterie and the best Rotisserie chicken with fries and aioli you’ll ever taste.

And that’s not all…

Venture upstairs, where you’ll find the Cavern Of The Curious Gnome, serving the most extensive selection of European beers in the city, and it’s beautifully odd!

Prohibition 

This is the bar for true drinks aficionados. Hidden away off Watergate Street, Prohibition serves the best cocktails with a soundtrack of blues, jazz, and funk. 

Disguisery 

'Disguisery' is a collective noun for tailors, and you’ll find Chester’s Disguisery boutique bar somewhere on Watergate Street Row, but you’ll need to look for it! This is a beautiful bar serving gorgeous drinks and Lanson champagne by the glass, with wonderful singers and acoustic acts over weekends. It’s definitely worth seeking out.

Covino 

Covino is a small owner-run wine bar & restaurant in the heart of Chester. They serve a daily-changing menu of seasonally inspired small plates, guided by the quality and provenance of ingredients, with a real focus on simplicity and flavour. This is served alongside an extensive, yet thoughtfully chosen array of over 130 different wines from around the world, ranging from the classics, all the way through to the more left field.

Spookton Brewery & Tap Room

Another hidden gem of the city, Spookton is a very cool space with its own brewery tucked away on the far side of the city. Serving a number of their very own brews, Spookton is the perfect destination for established beer lovers and beer-curious folks alike.

COFFEE HOUSES & BAKERIES 

Jaunty Goat Coffee 

Jaunty Goat has gained local cult status over the years, and every visit to either of their shops on Bridge Street (they also have a bakery over the road) and plant-based Northgate Street is always a great quality experience. Delightful team, delicious cakes and light bites and, of course, excellent coffee!

Hulsons Bakery 

New to the city in Autumn 2024, Hulsons is a light and airy bakery and shop on Lower Bridge Street. This is their second site following their first site in Mold which has been trading successfully for generations. Many describe it as 'the best in north Wales', the family-owned pie shop and bakery has been going since 1882, opening its doors in the town in 1933. Today it has an army of super-loyal fans and now a brand-new brigade in Chester!

Ushers Bakehouse 

Gary Usher is one of the city’s – and region’s – most loved chefs. His revered neighbourhood bistro, Sticky Walnut in Hoole, has not only won countless awards, but he has also built up a regional empire of excellent restaurants and eateries. Ushers Bakehouse is a very welcome addition to Chester’s food & drink scene – you’ll find it just a short walk from Sticky Walnut on Lightfoot Street – also in Hoole.

Kookaburra 

Kookaburra is a charming artisan micro-bakery in the heart of Chester city centre, specialising in Aussie bakes and all sorts of scrummy cruffins. The full menu repertoire, however, is pretty epic, and the coffee is considered among the best in the city. Every freshly baked item is delightful and delicious! 

FOOD & DRINK SHOPS 

Milby’s 

You’ll find this lovely little shop on the cutest street in Chester, Godstall Lane, which links the Cathedral with the city's main shopping thoroughfare, Eastgate Street. Milby’s is a superb independent drinks retailer specialising in local, award-winning artisan and always great quality spirits, beers and wines.

The Cheese Wedge 

You're missing out if you love cheese and haven’t visited The Cheese Wedge yet! Kev is the ultimate cheese aficionado, and he is always ready and more than willing to give you the very best cheesy advice. His beautiful olde-worlde little shop tucked away on Watergate Street is jam-packed full of the best cheeses (many of them local) and the most delicious chutneys, superb wines and condiments to boot.