Arkle in Cheshire West and Chester

I had an afternoon tea at the Arkle in The Chester Grosvenor purchased for me as a birthday present. My partner & I selected a mixture of traditional & gentleman’s afternoon tea to share between us. The traditional is finger sandwiches and the gentleman’s was bigger items including Welsh rarebit, chicken roll & an amazing battered haddock sandwich. The sweet treats were beautifully made and it was made extra special with a chocolate happy birthday! The selection of teas was vast, I went for English breakfast and my partner chose the rum coffee tea which was really different but very nice. The service was great, it did get a bit quieter with servers after 4pm though. There isn’t a dress code at this time, I dressed a bit fancy as it was a special occasion but others were very casual so anything goes really!

Afternoon tea was excellent, superb food and excellent service, a real treat. Would recommend.

Delightful food and drinks, so attentively and precisely served.

It's clear Arkle are aiming for a Michelin star and there were some excellent dishes such as the brill and roast almond mousse of Michelin standard. The bread selection was amazing although showing loaves on the trolley table side as was done previously would be more theatrical. The wine list of just 5 red and whites was disappointing. There were some service errors - forgot a glass of red wine (although put on the house), dropped the pre dessert and served shellfish to my wife who had an allergy meaning I had to eat the fish course alone whilst it was recooked. The price point is very high given no star. The canapés were bland and lacked any punch. The mushroom custard dish was unusual and we both left parts of it. Overall a nice dining experience but still falls short of a Michelin standard and at that price point I would not return.

Very enjoyable way to spend a few hours having fine wines with special friends..

Stunning meal, had the 10 course tasting menu with accompanying wine flight and cheese course utterly faultless and stunning

We paid the Arkle a second visit with friends. My first review still stands. You pay for what you get. The food was flavoursome and artistically presented on the plate with top-notch service. Worthy of my previous 5-star review with excellence on a plate. Beautiful flavours, presentation, and service. We'll return and recommend.

Food and tasting menu, we’re absolutely amazing. Enjoy every mouthful. Staff were brilliant and the tasting wines were well matched. Rooms aren’t as spectacular as the food, but nice touch with the handmade chocolates and wine.

Been there last year for my other's half bday dinner and it was until this day our very favourite testing menu! Coming back for sure if we around.

Every dish boasts quality ingredients prepared with expertise, but the real star is the wild halibut, an absolutely standout offering that celebrates the fish's fine quality in a creative and delightful way. While the rest of the menu is executed well, nothing matches the "wow" of the halibut. The scallops, eel, sirloin and duck are enjoyable but not extraordinary. Deserts are tasty but miss a unique punch.

The food was incredible here, and the staff very welcoming, really making the experience. I must say one negative though as is my duty for allergy sufferers - I am lactose intolerant and had pre emailed this to the restaurant. When we got there, they knew this and referenced it. I was impressed that all members of staff seemed to be aware. On one course the staff member told me I could not have the lobster dish because it was cooked in butter. This was different to what the first member of staff had said as she had discussed with me if that was what I wanted. No bother, all the food was delicious. Imagine my surprise then that tucking into my tomato pasta alternative it was covered in cheese... To be fair to the staff, they did all seem mortified and gave us a free drink each. However, if I was allergic to dairy that's a really serious mistake to make. We were out celebrating so I let it slide more than I normally would and I did end up feeling bad for the servers! The end to end experience was fantastic, but be prepared for a long night. From the start of our booking to paying it was nearly 4 hours and we didn't have the cheese course. Not sure if that's usual but seems a long time...

Fabulous tasting menu enjoyed in comfortable surroundings with wonderful service

A delicious afternoon tea with fantastic service from the team.

The food (tasting menu) was excellent but the associated wine tasting menu was poor at £75pp. Order your own wine. And the service was certainly not Michelin star standard. Work to do on this front. Not quite value for money yet because it’s £125pp for the tasting menu so it’s Michelin priced but not a star classed experience.

One of the best restaurants I've ever visited (probably the best!). From the moment we arrived, we were treated with great care. We opted for the tasting menu, which began with a range of canapés (my favorite was the one with red caviar and pomegranate notes). Afterwards, we were ushered from the bar to a spectacular dining area where we had an incredible experience. The service throughout the evening was friendly and knowledgeable. We even had the opportunity to chat with the chef towards the end, amusingly about how to cook asparagus. Thank you so much for this memorable experience! We will definitely be back.

What can I say about this hotel, what a treat,from arriving the first day to leaving on the last.staff are very nice and very helpful the main menu in the evening is well worth a look at.the rooms are nice and comfortable and kept very clean,l loved my time here,hopefully I will be returning soon.the carpark is easy enough,put in the post code they give you and walla you end up at an entrance and a lift on the 2nd floor of the carpark,straight into the hotel.loved it.

We’ve just had the most wonderful evening. The food was fabulous, and was made extra special by the lovely staff who made the evening for us. Thank you x

Amazing food and service... definitely recommend....

Visited to do the taster menu on a Thursday night, was excellent from start to finish!!!! Highly recommend

Excellent meal and service. Staff were friendly and the food was really amazing. Had a lovely evening.

Very nice afternoon tea with very good service The only thing I would criticise is the table we were given was far too small for 3 people to sit comfortably and enjoy considering it was quite expensive a proper table would have been more suitable than a low sofa and a small coffee table

Quite outstanding. If the Arkle doesn’t get its Michelin star back, then there is something wrong with the system. The tasting menu was imaginative and not a course failed to impress with ingredients and flavour combinations that both surprised and worked. Fantastic attention to detail and precise presentation. Feeling obliged to use local produce doesn’t always equate to quality, but they seem to have found suppliers up to the task. The fish was perfect. Friendly, knowledgeable and unpretentious service. Couldn’t fault it. I don’t normally photograph my food.

Fabulous fine dining…..well worth every single penny spent!

Had a lovely 8 course tasting meal here on the 27th of December for my 40th birthday. The food was absolutely stunning and the service was fabulous, very knowledgeable staff but very welcoming and friendly. Couldn't fault it at all. Made our evening very special as we had just gotten engaged then came for our meal and it was exquisite 👌 so thankyou very much for making our evening perfect .

My wife and I had the tasting menu and it was excellent to be honest, certainly up there with the best we've had. The service, as you can imagine in an establishment such as this, was top notch. All staff were friendly, professional and very knowledgeable. We ate at the Savoy a couple of months ago and the service and food at the Arkle genuinely blows the socks off the Savoy. Very expensive by the time you've had a bottle and a few cocktails (our bill was just shy of £500 for 2 of us), but you genuinely pay for what you get here. It's very good.

Exceptional all round. Professional and tentative staff in the dining room combined with flawless dishes from the kitchen.

Terrific afternoon tea. Impeccable service.

Fantastic high end food we had the taster menu. The staff really make the effort to make sure you are pampered and want for nothing.

Delicious afternoon tea. Great service.

Absolutely amazing! Food was outstanding, service was excellent and the ambience made for an unforgettable evening.

Wonderful dining experience. Attentive, very polite, well presented staff which blended well with the overall dining experience. Expensive evening, but for special occasions worth it.

Visited here for afternoon tea with a friend. What a fabulous experience! The Arkle was beautifully decorated, the staff were welcoming, friendly and attentive and the food was divine! The cakes were out of this world, fresh, light and delicious. The attention to detail from the kitchen and front of house team is second to none. I cannot recommend this enough, it's a must for a special occasion.

Had a pleasant drink in the bar.

Tasting menu was very good. I was impressed with how fresh and light the menu was and so full of flavours. Waiting staff friendly and willing to listen. Only small thing I would say is staff need a little bit more knowledge about the cheese they service on the trolley The bread was very good. In fact a wonderful experience all round.

Had a lovely afternoon tea food was lovely and staff very Helpful and friendly would definitely go back

Without doubt the best restaurant I have visited.. everything was first class

Had such a lovely afternoon tea here with Mum and sister. The staff were great and the food was exceptional!

Lovely staff and a great afternoon Tea experience.

My husband and I went here for our afternoon tea two wks ago. It was a Christmas present from our son. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The food was lovely and fresh and the pot of tea very nice too, and of course my glass of champagne I thoroughly enjoyed. Staff were lovely and looked after us both.

Really enjoyed the experience. It had been an Xmas present from my grandson. Goid beautifully served and staff very helpful even taking photos if us

I've got a week staying at the Chester Grosvenor. Reserved a table at Simon Radley (booked it in March). They just phoned to say that they're not going to open that evening and they can't honour the booking on any of the other evenings. They offered the option of coming back to Chester "later in the year" which is not very convincing now; customer service is about trust.

Fantastic experience. Warm welcome followed by excellent service, amazing food and wonderful wine. Superb sommelier and waiting staff. Couldn't have asked for more. Top notch!

Had coffee at this hotel. Staff very attentive. Wonderful experience.

We do love our afternoon tea at the grosvernor. Could be more generous with the sandwiches!!!

Its an experience.. didn't love a lot of the food but that's me being fussy, no fault of the restaurant. The service and quality is great

Exceptional food and service, a real pleasurable experience in these difficult times.

I worked here myself back in 1985 to 1995 under the leadership of Gilbert Schneider and Pete Woodward. The ambiance of the hotel is a wonderful now as it was back then. Excellent food. Fablous staff who genuinely care your experience from the 1st step through the doors.

7 bread choices, great waiters, great food and drinks really nice place for a special meal!

Outstanding tasting menu Fabulous service

Amazing experience for that High Afternoon Tea Total luxury outstanding service in a beautiful building.

A fantastic evening for my wife's birthday. Five star plus from start to finish with impeccable food and wine. However this is only half the storey as the restaurant staff create the ambience for the evening ,all very attentive and knowledgeable. One day I must go and thank the chefs for the fantastic creations who hide behind the scenes. A massive five stars.

Cold, gloopy and lack of flavour. We didn't bother to even finish our mains. I think people feel that it must be good and they are embarrassed to say they don't like it in case it reflects upon them. We felt ripped off even with a discount.

Bread selection was the best I have seen at any restaurant michelin starred or otherwise. The food was exquisite, not the most technically wow food I have ever eaten, but everything on the plate served a purpose and added something to the meal. The only potential downside to this, is that for a couple we ended up on a quite large table which took away some of the intimacy of the restauran

The most amazing afternoon tea you can find. Stunningly well presented, world-class service, explosions of beautiful flavours. Not a cheap treat but definitely worth the effort for a special occasion. Would definitely recommend booking in advance.

For people who does not dispense refinement, good taste, being treat as VIP all the time and are a 5 stars food eater, I suggest this restaurant. Is it cheap? Of course not. But the experience in there worth every single penny.

Summary This place has a one Michelin star, is definitely not cheap and as such has to be compared to restaurants of the same caliber. We had the tasting menu with the wine pairings. The actual food was way below par and would only be worthy of 1 out of 5. The food lacked everything. Taste, seasoning and flair. The wine pairings were decent, hence the extra point. I have a more detailed description below to justify the score. The experience May I start by saying that the service was good. Our gastronomic experience started with some cripsy bites before we were seated in the restaurant. The actual crisp element was not as crispy and it also lacked flavour and seasoning - what eventually was a common theme on all dishes in fact. Our artichoke based amuche buche was ok but again weak on the seasoning. The artichoke component was not very obvious on the palate too. The sea trout starter was just ok. You ended up tasting just a smoked fish in your mouth. The lemon tapioca was ok but needed more. The dish did not feel special and was not balanced. The pie was probably the best dish but was really under-seasoned. The next fish base course that combined prawn, tuna and an unpleasant dumpling did not work. It was an unbalanced dish again where the components did not seem to complement each other. The roe deer was another gastronomic misfire. Even though the meat was nice and really went well with the Primitivo wine, the dish as a whole had too much fruit in it and as a whole dis not work. The meat on its own would have been better! Unfortunately the last 3 desserts were terrible. The meat was followed by a cheese based and fig dish. This was the worst dish of the night. It was pointless (cheese between main and palate cleanser dish), tasteless and with an unpleasant consistency. The palate cleanser was nothing close to what it should be. The acidic component was nowhere to be found and again was left with a bland sensation in the mouth. The final dessert (carrot candy) looked nice but again lacked flavour. It just felt like a soft, sweet thing in your mouth. Overall felt disappointed and given its price point would definitely not recommend.

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This is more than just your average restaurant... it is a wonderful dining experience and you fully deserves the reviews you see. I can highly recommend you visit and can almost guarantee you will return.

Quite impressed by the 8 course tasting menu!

Fabulous food. Combinations were a delight.

Luxury afternoon tea at it finest.

An absolute delight. A well earned Michelin Star that's been held decades. The room itself is very traditional with little room for fineries but the food is a pleasant dance on the palette. Technically perfect each course is full of flavour and memorable. Ingredients are fresh and the sommelier knows their wines (a wonderful trip of new world grapes). The bread selection was a welcome surprise but I'll remember the talbot most fondly (after the rabbit). Service is excellent (though waiter's rushed the food explanation a bit too quickly). An excellent evening and the menu will be changing soon which may give another opportunity to taste the chef's creations.

Lovely experience, definitely recommend. Would do it again...

Went with my wife for a birthday treat which my daughter paid for. Very comfortable seating and tasty afternoon tea. I think the charge was expensive, and BEWARE!! they automatically add a 12.5% gratuity, which they should really ask may they take, rather than taking it and then saying "you don't mind do you?"

Shocking place food tastes horrible

Exceptional service, food and atmosphere

Fabulous restaurant. What a wonderful weekend in Chester

Beautiful restaurant with delicious food! A great experience I had in this place!

Expensive. But treat yourself to a Gentlemen's Afternoon Tea.

Lovely afternoon tea. Service ok.

Superb service matched by top quality food and drink. The wife and I just celebrated our Anniversary enjoying a sophisticated afternoon indulgence and were served with the highest of professionalism.