How to eat your way around Chester

Known for its famous clock, Tudor buildings and rich Roman history, Chester is also a rather good place to go if you like food

Eastgate is the second most photographed clock in the UK (Getty)

Did you know that the second most photographed clock in the UK – after Big Ben – is in Chester? Unless you’re a local or a horologist, then like me, you probably didn’t. This beautiful timepiece is called Eastgate, and it’s clear when you see it why passers-by can’t help but take a snap.

That’s not the only thing I was clueless about before visiting the city, aside from its plenteous Tudor buildings, rich Roman history and many a pretty cobbled alleyway – I didn’t know that it’s a rather great place to go if you’re into food.

Though it may not necessarily be the first city you think of as a foodie destination, Chester has a lot going for it. It’s small, everything is walking distance, there’s a pretty canal to amble along... and loads of places full of great things to cram into your mouth.

Take, for example, Twenty Eight, who are doing some really exciting things, particularly with veg. Their sharing set menu has certain things listed in green, highlighting the ingredients grown on their farm, Growing @ Field 28. Their seed-to-plate ethos makes for a brightly coloured, fresh and vibrant meal: beetroot tartare with parsley mayo is zingy and smokey; torched mackerel with pickled radish and turnip is delicate yet complex; a crunchy courgette flower stuffed with a salty feta mousse is insanely good.

Some things are a little lacking, but only a little bit, namely a cheese and chive potato salad which just didn’t taste of a whole lot and a lemon custard tart that needed to be a bit more, well, lemony. Overall, though, it’s a stunner of a lunch, leaving you feeling invigorated and nourished.

It’s not food alone that makes Chester interesting, though. Something that really struck me was the undeniable community feel of the place. Admittedly, as a Londoner, it’s not something I’m particularly privy to. I know neighborliness happens in pockets of the Big Smoke, but in Chester it’s on a concentrated scale.

Business owners seem to know each other on a first name basis – and there’s a shared benefit to this, a certain I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine-ness, whether it’s discounts, free meals, swapping supplies or a last-minute helping hand. It’s a thread I can follow through nearly everywhere I visit.

The Cheese Shop has been around for 35 years (Lilly Subbotin)

Rewind a day from the delightful lunch at Twenty Eight, to the start of mission eat-as-much-as-possible-in-24-hours, is Kookaburra bakehouse, an Australian-style bakery run by Sydney-born Jess. Not only does she supply local pubs with loaded sourdough focaccia, but her hand-crafted pastries are bloody brilliant; from cookie dough croissants to kim-cheese muffins. What began as a self-taught hobby in lockdown, delivering bread to local grannies by bike, is now a bustling business with a steady flow of loyal customers.

From sweet to savoury, The Cheese Shop has been around for 35 years, passed down from mother to daughter, and though there’s cheese from all over, there’s a proud emphasis on local produce – which they pair beautifully with mead. The sweet, liquid gold exquisitely balances out the rich dairy, particularly the tanginess of Burt’s Blue, a soft and creamy – you guessed it – blue cheese. For anyone who hasn’t tried it I urge you to have a glass of mid-strength mead with your next cheeseboard.

For those purists who prefer to stick to wine, Vin Santo on Watergate Street is worth a visit for the building alone. The shop and bar are located in 13th century crypted cellars that smack you in the face with that old, churchy smell that just reeks of history. The guys in there really know their stuff and offer tastings, paired with nibbles from none other than The Cheese Shop.

Australian-style bakery Kookaburra is a lockdown success story (Lilly Subbotin)

In typical North West fashion it rains for a fair bit of the stay, but it’s worth grabbing a brolly and having a mooch as there’s lots to see; whether it’s the aforementioned clock, Chester Cathedral where the Duke of Westminster just got married (I had no idea who that was, but apparently he owns Mayfair), or Storyhouse, a building which seamlessly acts as a library, cinema, theatre, social space and restaurant.

For dinner, it’s Upstairs at the Grill, considered somewhat of an institution in the city, being a mainstay for over 20 years. The terrace upstairs is a lovely marriage of what I’d call sheltered al fresco. You feel like you’re outside but you’re actually protected from all the elements; cosily lit and intimate. A New York-inspired steak house, there’s everything you’d expect: prawn cocktails, oysters, scallops, steak, chips, creamed spinach, etc, etc.

Some of the meal is perfect – my rare filet steak is stunning, well-rested, tender and melts beautifully in the mouth with whipped truffle butter, while my guest’s medium rib-eye is a little bloody. French fries with chicken salt are fantastic while beef fat chips are a tad unwieldy and more akin to a roast potato. The golden delicious desert is a matter of style over substance, all theatre and not a whole lot of flavour, while my creme brulee left me wanting more, in a good way.

Overall, though, the service, friendly staff and deliciousness of everything else makes up for some relatively small hiccups (it may have helped that all my food was great – maybe I just order well). I also liked the somewhat gimmicky touch of selecting my steak from a raw platter so large it nearly incapacitated our lovely waiter when he stood up, as well as my weapon of choice from a wide variety of steak knives ranging from the reasonably sized to the obscene.

Our stay at the Moxy was perfectly pleasant with all you could need for an overnight visit; a nice enough breakfast, lovely clean room and lovely staff with classic North West charm. There’s quite a young feel to the place and looks like it’d be great for group holidays, birthdays, stags and hens. In terms of getting there, in true Avanti West Coast fashion, our outward train journey was seamless, without a hiccup and enjoyable, while the return was the same – only the complete opposite.

Next time you want to go away for the weekend, be it with mates or your partner, maybe try something a little different from your Edinburghs, Brightons, Manchesters and Liverpools, and give Chester a go. It surprised me and may do the same for you.