Chester is a wonderful historic city, and well worth a visit, in no small part thanks to the wealth of excellent restaurants in and around this beautiful place. These are just some of the highlights of the culinary scene in this quietly excellent area. Try them all. Trust us, you won’t regret it.
Chester’s Storyhouse cultural hub opened in 2017 to widespread acclaim. Not only does this beautifully-designed venue put a major cinema and theatre at the heart of Chester, it also boasts a carefully planned in-house restaurant, simply titled The Kitchen.
Attractive steak restaurant and friendly cocktail bar in Chester, specialising in local produce. Their Sunday roasts are famed across the land.
Sustainability is high on everybody’s agenda right now and Chester’s Hypha restaurant is leading the field in the UK for delicious and exciting plant-based food. Founded by Nicholas Friar in 2019, Hypha was Chester’s first plant-based and sustainable restaurant and has earned high praise with eco-conscious foodies ever since.
Award-winning, independent restaurant in the heart of beautiful Chester, with a focus on locally sourced, seasonal produce. The atmosphere is laid-back and the food high-quality.
Barristers is a one-of-a-kind high-end restaurant a hop, skip and a jump from Chester in nearby Knutsford, and part of the equally unique Courthouse hotel (as reviewed here). It is, as the name suggests, the in-house restaurant for a former crown court, and as such the menu is laid out in an amusingly law-related manner.
Time seems to stand still at The Chester Grosvenor, its traditional splendour proudly overlooking Eastgate and its world-famous clock. This award-winning five-star hotel incorporates a Michelin-starred restaurant helmed by Simon Radley, and it’s a must for foodies.
Chester has raised the bar for wine lovers in recent years and Covino has become a firm favourite with the city’s oenophiles thanks to an incredible wine selection, laid back atmosphere and fabulous selection of food.
A meal at Groobarbs Field Kitchen is something special indeed. Based at Groobarb’s Wild Farm in Knutsford, Cheshire, they offer field-to-fork dining, which is exactly as it sounds: ingredients sourced from right outside, from the 6.5-acre kitchen gardens you can see from the window.
The restaurant at the heart of the Carden Park country estate, The Vines is a retreat into culinary excellence.
The Spa at Carden is a high-end well-being experience, part of the luxury Carden Park complex.
Huge luxury estate, featuring high-end restaurant, beautiful rooms, a fully-packed spa and much more.
Simply Books is an award-winning independent bookshop based in the heart of Bramhall.
A private school in Prestbury with a custom built auditorium for concerts.
Historic castle and gardens, regularly hosting exciting events in Chester.
Cinemac Cinema in Macclesfield is a cinema and live-performance venue which hosts a regular variety of cinema, comedy, theatre and more.
St Mary’s Creative Space in Cheshire is a rehearsal and exhibition space which regularly has exciting projects on for the public.
Live music, comedy, quiz nights and special events – all to be enjoyed alongside sharing platters and, of course, an extensive range of drinks.
This small and atmospheric bar is a cosy venue with a resident Jazz pianist, fantastic staff and a record player filled with, naturally, iconic jazz.
This contemporary Art Gallery In Chester displays and sells original and affordable works, with regular new exhibitions listed on their website.
Contemporary art on display and for sale in Cheshire. Come and browse their varied collections and converse with knowledgeable staff.
Our guide to food and drink in Cheshire, featuring restaurants and bars in Chester, Crewe and Macclesfield.
The North of England is blessed with countless stunning stately homes, many dating back decades and even centuries. Here are some of the very best.
A range of walks, hikes and places to wander around in Crewe, featuring cultural landmarks and routes through rural landscape.
Our guide to the parks and natural landscape available in Macclesfield, including rural retreats and hiking routes.
A round-up of the best walks in Liverpool, including the city centre, its many parks, and over the water by Creative Tourist.
To make life easy when it comes to booking your stay, here’s our guide to the best hotels in Cheshire, including Chester, Crewe and Macclesfield.
Our guide to the best shops in Cheshire, including independents, boutiques and markets in Chester, Crewe and Macclesfield.
Presenting the best walking tours in Manchester for history buffs, culture enthusiasts, and those looking to scratch beneath the surface of the city.
Take me there
Eclectic as ever. You'll find inventive reworkings, world-class contemporary dance and Greater Manchester's inaugural Improv Festival in our guide.
We've got many a good time in store this month as we round up the best walking tours, cultural classes and makers markets in the land.
We've got laughs and we've got leftfield on the live literature radar this month. Something for everyone, from poets playing with form to short story writers looking long.
With these lighter, brighter days and warmer temperatures, it's really starting to feel like summer here in the North West!
Open air clubs, new festivals and long-awaited gigs. The North West's live music scene is heating up this spring.
Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.
Willow weaving, textile collages, digital arts and ecology - all this and more in our exhibition top picks this month
Live scores, midnight movies and the latest from Wes Anderson are just some of our upcoming film highlights.
