The building came first. Thomas Telford conceived it in the 1790s, when Chester was still a working port, and it stands on the canal basin as a proper piece of Georgian engineering: high ceilings, exposed timbers, brick walls, and the old cast-iron gears and crane machinery kept in place because they earned their spot. The glass frontage looks straight out over the water, which is where you will want to be sitting when the sun goes down.
An independently run freehouse in a 1790s canal warehouse at Tower Wharf. Cask ale and pub grub downstairs, a restaurant and art gallery upstairs, and live music that has been rattling the beams since 1993.
We opened in 1993 and have run it ourselves ever since. Downstairs is the bar and the stage, and the list of people who have played that little room is faintly ridiculous: Coldplay, Robert Plant, John Martyn, Richie Havens, Courtney Pine, Frank Turner, Nitin Sawhney and plenty more. Upstairs is the restaurant and a contemporary art gallery, with relaxed service, a proper menu and weekly specials.
This is a drinker's pub first and it is proud of it. CAMRA rated cask conditioned ales on the hand pumps, a Good Beer Guide entry, an exceptional run of European beers, craft cans in the fridge and an extensive wine list for the restaurant upstairs. Ask the bar staff what is on, they know their cellar.
Menu and prices as in the restaurant.
The crowd is the point. Locals, students, walkers and boaters, all drawn in by friendly staff, a big open bar, CAMRA rated cask ales, a serious run of European beers and a long wine list. Come for a pint by the water, stay for the band.
| Monday | 12:00 - 23:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 12:00 - 23:00 |
| Wednesday | 12:00 - 23:00 |
| Thursday | 12:00 - 23:00 |
| Friday | 12:00 - 00:00 |
| Saturday | 12:00 - 00:00 |
| Sunday | 12:00 - 23:00 |
People keep coming back to the food being better than pub grub needs to be: thick smash burgers full of flavour, generous fish and chips, and a chicken karaage that gets called superb.
The staff come up again and again as friendly, chilled and knowledgeable behind the bar, the sort who make a first visit feel like a local.
The setting does a lot of the work: a lovely old building on the canal basin, well kept cask ale, and a view over the water that regulars are quietly protective of.
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