please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
Well worth a visit. Very popular and rather up-market. Great selection of ales. I enjoyed standing outside on a warm evening alongside the canal.
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Part of the same chain that have the Corn Mill, Llangollen so had a rough idea what to expect. Fairly busy but found a table as we were eating (on recommendation), had Rudgate Ruby Mild and Lamb Crumble (the crumble appeared to be minted peas) ale and found were very good an a reasonable price given the location.
A sign by the door advertises that they're trying to promote an adult atmosphere so no small children inside or out, if in doubt ask, please. Which I considered to be a sensible means of ensuring compliance.
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Upmarket place with a good choice of ales. Food is expensive but excellent. Nice to sit outside and watch the barges go by.
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Went in this the other day for what must be the furst time in over 20 years. Not much seemed to have changed. There are still old bookshelves around the place, and the food is still overpriced. What does seem to be new(er) is the tables outside by the canal and round the corner into the next street. There are two sets of 6 handpumps which sell mainly (but noy completely) different beers – so 9 or 10 different in all. I tried the Manchester coffee Stout which was very nice. The main drawback of this place is that it is firmly on the “bright young things” circuit, and gets packed out with very loud lager drinkers.
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Pricey but well worth a visit. Tremendous selection of ales. Great to sit outside yesterday in warm sunshine watching walkers and canal boats going by.
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This lovely old building in it’s canal side location houses then very good Old Harkers Arms.
Our 2nd pub after the Cellar Bar and even though it’s busy it’s nowhere near as packed as the Cellar was.
Large inside with the bar directly in front of you as you enter and 2 large seating areas on either side.
On the bar are 9 hand pumps with 9 different ales on. With all this choice I opted for a few pints of Weetwood’s Cheshire Cat @ 4.0% which were very good. There are a number of real ciders available from direct in the cellar as well as a selection of decent lagers. Quick service from the many bar staff every time I went to the bar.
Loads of pictures on the walls of many different subjects, including several of the local area.
We stayed for a couple of hours, the atmosphere in the pub was really good with a good mix of punters.
Food available but I only saw desserts being served.
Good location, Lovely building & a cracking pub.
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This clean and tidy canal-side pub features the cliche of some book-lined walls but others bore an eclectic pictorial mix of sportsmen, birds, old adverts, cartoon, bygone actresses and buildings of interest. I had the Brunning and Price Bitter, which was perfectly serviceable and the Brimstone Rhode Island, which was not so much to my taste. The latter was not fault of the attentive barman who had offered me a sample of these and the four other real ales on offer. Didn't eat but the food looked interesting if, like the beer, pricey. Clearly part of a chain, but a superior chain - Brunning and Price is no JDW.
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Nice canal side pub, with a traditional feel.
Good selection of ales (see blackboards for beers and notes). Food here was good, with efficient pleasant service.
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Have made many visits to this pub over the years it's been open (20+ now?). It was Brunning and Price's first pub and it's probably one of the more directly 'pubby' pubs, the others more like restaurants really.
Clientele is a mix of rugger-buggers, besuited staffers from nearby financial offices (though since the financial meltdown there are less of these now) and real-ale enthusiasts, together with a healthy dose of ordinary drinkers. I'm sounding uncomplimentary, it is actually a good place, well run and has one of the most outstanding bar-staff hiring policies in Chester (#letch). Food is usually good though quite expensive. One of the big downsides of the place is that most of the tables are given over to eating, meaning when it gets busy the place gets a bit stifling with standing drinkers. However, it's one of those places that tails off sharply after about 9-10pm, all the eaters having gone, the after-work crowd dispersing and other people moving on to different bars. It can then be quite relaxing to just sit and drink.
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I was arseholed by the time I entered here. I was too full with drinking pints all-day so opted to drink port.
Can't really say much about the place as I don't remember much in all honesty.
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Amazingly good for a corporate pub, my pint of beer was spot on, although the price was exorbitant, no surprise there. Full of office workers on the pull, the staff are young and superficial, it is Chester i suppose.
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Very busy when I visited on Thursday evening, appears to be one of the most popular bars in the area. Good selection of ales. I tried the Red Willow Smokeless which I found faultless. Overlooking the canal not far from the station and the Mill Hotel real ale bar.
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I had another very nice pint here on Sunday evening. Obscure football regalia does eem okay here though. It was a cold night and I borrowed an Ayr United scarf to wear and had no problem being served. This place was pretty busy for a Sunday night whereas the Canalside Inn (literally a little further under along under the bridge) was literally empty despite the ale there being quite good.
anonymous - 11 Dec 2012 21:33 |
We called in at The Old Harkers Arms whilst on a day trip to Chester, the first pub we stopped at on the way from the station. It was the Friday lunchtime on the day that England were due to play Sweden in the Euros and one of our group was wearing a white polo top with the Three Lions England badge. On entering the pub we were refused service because they would not serve anyone wearing a football shirt. It is worth pointing out that there were five of us in the group � the youngest being 33 and the oldest 63. They failed to notice that one of the other guys had a Natal Sharks sports shirt (very big in S.Africa apparently). So if you are OK to go in this pub wearing an obscure sports shirt � but not one with an England badge.
As we obviously did not stay we cannot comment on the pub or its beers but we got the impression they were aiming for a more �upmarket� clientele. I would suggest, therefore, that for the average drinker, this pub is well worth a miss.
The upside was that the pub next door was really welcoming and friendly, as were all the other pubs we visited in Chester that day.
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Amazing food and friendly service. Nice atmosphere.
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Lovely atmosphere, and right by the canal, well kept beers and good range of them too.
Food excellent and generous portions, but a little pricey - �12.50 for fish & chips for example.
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Last pub of eight we visited so cannot say much - friendly enough and we got chatting easily to people next to us - �20.70 for 6 ales - busy - looking at notes one of our party (The Lovely Bob) has noted - affluent and potential pick up joint...
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Pleasant enough conversion of a canalside warehouse (has an unconnected Thai restaurant 'upstairs'). The pint of Brunning & Price Bitter was an excellent start to the day.
anonymous - 8 Oct 2011 11:21 |
Excellent. highly recommended Although canalside I have not seen any boats moor here. good food and beer.
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Very friendly staff who know about the drinks they are selling. The food was very nice and reasonably price. Loved the decor. Cant wait to go back.
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Always seems busy and the staff rushed off their feet...the food is nice if you can find somewhere to sit. Quite expensive, other cheaper places for the same feel in Chester.
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In here on 22 January. Plenty of ales including Weettwwod, Abbeydale and Facers and there was somethiing like looked like a house beer. Different beers on pumps around the bar. Large, open and quite smart. Ok.
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I'm a fan of this place. It's a tad expensive, but the quality of beer and food is very high. It's a well decorated pub and I like the canalside setting too.
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Brilliant pub. Plenty of choice of well kept beers for my real ale loving other half and a stack of good wine choices for me. Packed on a Friday night and rightly so.
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Enjoyed our visit this weekend for the Beer and Sausage festival. Great beer selection even though it had been on for almost a week, and the sausage menu brilliant. Food was a bit pricey, but very enjoyable. Had no problems with any of the beer we tried.
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Another Chester canalside pub. Not quite as good a selection of real ales as The Mill Hotel, but still a reasonable choice - Spitting Feathers 1862, Boggart Rum Porter, Flowers Original, Weetwood Cheshire Cat, Thwaites Original, Wincle Wibbly Wallaby and Moorhouses Pride of Pendle during our visit. They also have a few different Westons ciders and perries to choose from. The interior was more wine bar/restaurant than pub and the bouncer on the door (early Friday evening) reinforced this message. However, the bar was very busy. We'd intended to eat here. But finding a table was a major problem. Parking is also reasonably difficult. Although we did find a nearby street where we could park for free. I'd probably try this pub out again at a quieter time. But for me it was slightly too busy to enjoy and after the Mill, a bit of an anti-climax.
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Was always a sure bet when in Chester but it's now over priced and the food is really not that great of late.
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I love the Harkers, but we went there last week and they have upped the price of ALL beers to over �3 a pint. Theres a credit crunch on chaps. Wont be going back.
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best pub/bar in chester in terms of the quality and range of the beer in my view.
mps77 - 18 Mar 2009 13:42 |
Up market pub with a great range of beers. Don't expect it to be cheap though. Food is OK but it's mainly bought in from Brakes/3665/other and it shows at times. Selection of beers is ever changing and I have never been served a bad pint on any of my several visits. Handy for the top class Siam restaurant (Terriyaki or Thai) as well as it's above the pub but with a separate entrance.
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Always been a favorate but popped in for lunch last week and found the menu very pricey. The food was Ok but not as good as previously - the fish and chips soggy and too greasy. Perhaps just a one off. Ale choice great as always.
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Really lovely. Food pricey, but the portions were huge, and the staff friendly.
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Popped in whilst visiting Chester for the Beer festival and on Friday afternoon/evening its was fine, good beer and a nice atmosphere....however on the Saturday night we had the bouncer, a man who tells you "sorry we are closed" when its 10.45pm (and people are being served) and when politily questioned tells you "we have two many dirty glasses (his accent meant that was nearer misinterpreted)". Suddendly he notices some other people have sneaked in, goes to say something and then just lets them go in....
If your going to be in the good beer guide your going to get people who want to try the beer, having a bouncer who thinks its a club isn't really the right way to carry on!
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A canalside warehouse conversion, nicely laid out which is the trademark of the former Brunning & Price chain. Handily placed just below the bridge carrying the road to the rail station, it boasts a selection of cask ales. There is a large food selection, however, fish, chips and mushy peas at �10.95 gives an inkling of the meal prices here. Worth it for the beer though.
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Best bar for real ales in Chester, food petty good too. Lovely surroundings, even better if it could secure a canal-side drinking area.
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This is great pub, only visited during the day so it hasn't been too crowded.Unfortunately they don't sell mild but they advise on what the darker ales are and let you have a sample.Loads of real ales though so always able to find something good.
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Lovely L shaped drinking area round the bar. Wooden floors nd comfortable seating. Good choice of ales on offer, and friendly staff.
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Former canal-side warehouse converted into a bar/coffee shop/gastro pub by a regional chain.
Not short of a few paintings.
Great service, good choice of wines, excellent food, great atmosphere.
For those on foot; a bit out of the way but a rewarding trip, and just another 'stagger' away for those on a canal boat.
Sweet.
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nice airy atmosphere, excellent choice of ales, food good but a little pricey. good service. all in all highly recommended
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excellent pub!
good well mannered staff, lots of choice of drinks.
Real ales, with chalkboard descriptions very helpful!
would recommend.
I wish I lived in Chester!!!
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Lovely pub. Lots of choice on the ale stakes. Even on Race day staff coped well with numbers of staff.
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Exceptional ale pub with 8 regularly changing interesting real ales. Excellent tasting notes readily visible. The menu and food is fine, good value, if a bit pricey for a pub. No music, mature clientele make this a must visit pub.
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Pleasant surroundings, good beer with helpful descriptions, and good well-cooked food.
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Fantastic location, and good selection of beers. Imagine it would be great in summer...
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A large pub in bare-bricked american style. Very good
selection of beers but faces stiff competition from
the Mill Hotel. Lucky Chesterites!
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I dropped this place from my Chester list years ago after an uninspiring encounter with plainly hungover antipodean staff. It was a pleasure earlier this year to return and find it improved out of all recognition. Beer is excellent, and there are tasting notes on blackboards. Not cheap, but worth it for the quality of the place and the people.
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Excellent pub, ever changing real ales served with a smile. Great food. No pool table, bandit, tv, or background music. A more mature crowd.
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Good relaxed atmosphere, good food & service and a bit of a find away from the hordes of shoppers.
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Great to see a pub in the center of town not reforming to the usual beers, nice place to drink. the croud can be a bit on the old side tho, but great daytime boozer.
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Part of the Brunning and Price chain (all good) - Agree with "rofessionals Pub" tag as the age group tends to be late twenties upwards. 6+ real ales, generally well served and food definitely pub top-end. Service v. good.
Bob - 27 Sep 2004 17:01 |
One of (if not) the best pubs in Chester. Great food, 4 or more real ales which change. Great atmosphere. Always use it for meeting up with mates now I've moved away from Chester.
simon - 7 Sep 2004 15:20 |
Great real ale and food pub. Lively proffesional atmosphere, related to Black Jug in Horsham
Nick - 23 Apr 2004 16:25 |
