From plush wine bars, pricey pavement cafes and award-winning restaurants to cosy tea rooms and charming traditional pubs, Chester is a city with a wonderfully varied dining scene. The picturesque walled city sees vast numbers of tourists pass through each year, so be prepared for some popular spots to be seriously packed during  the summer (July to August), and book in advance at formal restaurants. The city is gaining a reputation as a top spot for gastronomic delights, but be wary of over-priced style bars where food comes second to the image.

The Beautiful People

A well-heeled city renowned for its wealthy, style-conscious residents, Chester has an abundance of chic, often expensive, dining spots catering to an image driven clientele. Many famous football (soccer) players live here, as do many members of the attractive cast of locally-filmed soap opera Hollyoaks. As such, a number of the city’s dining spots aim to court the ‘beautiful people’, and can be more about style than substance. If you don’t want to pay through the nose for the pleasure of dining with the stars, look for restaurants with a solid reputation. For fine dining that justifies the high price tag, try Simon Radley at the Chester Grosvenor. This is the Michelin-starred restaurant at the Grosvenor Hotel, and the eponymous chef Simon Radley has headed up the kitchen for over two decades. The French-inspired restaurant has held its Michelin star since 1990, so is far from a flash in the pan.

Best of British Cuisine

This ancient city is home to scores of antique buildings, many of which now function as pubs selling traditional British dishes such as pie and fluffy mashed potatoes, fish and chips and hearty Sunday roasts (roast meat or chicken with vegetables, roast potatoes and yummy extras like crispy Yorkshire Puddings. A ‘ploughman’s lunch’ – cheese, pickles and salad – is a nice choice on a warm summer’s day, especially when washed down with a pint of cider. While there are plenty of such pubs in the city center, a good choice for families is to head out to the ‘country pubs’ in the suburbs, which boast plenty of outdoor space for kids to play. The Cock O’Barton, at nearby Barton Village, is a stylish country pub serving high-quality British dishes.

Bargain Bites

Many of Chester’s café bars and restaurants offer good ‘early bird’ and set menu deals, and those on tight budgets can take their pick from any number of low-cost sandwich shops, tea rooms and fish and chip shops. Avoid the style bars, and Chester’s watering holes can be very good value places to eat.