Boathouse, Chester

Called into the Boathouse for a pint as part of a �cultural� tour of Chester. Good beer and brilliant location. Staff were friendly and efficient,. Did not try the food but portions looked good and menu seemed inexpensive. Well worth a visit.

18 Jun 2012 19:03

The Old Harkers Arms, Chester

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.

18 Jun 2012 16:58

The Bricklayers Arms, Copthorne

Please ignore all derogatory reviews regarding this pub from 2010 and earlier. It reopened a few months ago after it was sold by Punch taverns (nuff said) and acquired by Joules Brewery (just proving that there is a god). Low and behold, after years of decline and neglect, it has now opened as a proper pub. And what a great pub it is. Good beer, friendly atmosphere and lots of customers (all of whom appeared to be over 18). Well worth a visit. Long may it survive and prosper.

10 Jun 2011 19:40