Shrub in Cheshire West and Chester

5 stars is not enough! This was truly excellent, and more. We went to Shrub on a recommendation while we were on a 1 night leisure visit to Chester and we couldn’t fault our experience here if we tried. We’re not vegan at all but very open minded and just love to try great food. The food here is all vegan but completely unpretentious and with no meat substitutes which we’ve found tend to be the norm at vegan outlets. Its just great food with lots of flavour and creativity and no need at all to advertise itself as vegan because when food is this good there’s no need for it to be pigeon-holed. Service was also excellent, and the atmosphere and environment was relaxed and welcoming. Our waitress was knowledgeable with great suggestions on the menu. She was also friendly and chatty without being invasive over-bearing. We focussed on small plates and our favourite was definitely the artichoke wings which had a lovely texture and loads of flavour but we also especially loved the Teriyaki Tofu. There very lottle on the menu with any meat descriptors (e.g. celeriac ‘steak’ - just to keep meat eaters happy!… not necessary!!), it just says what it is without any fuss. Can’t wait to come back, and really hope we find somewhere else with this approach… it’s definitely the way forward!

I can't thank Eloise and the team enough for their exceptional care, attention to detail, and kindness during our visit. The food was not only delicious, but the service was also outstanding. As someone with coeliac disease and several food intolerances, I truly appreciated how the team went above and beyond to be empathetic, understanding, and accommodating. They took the time to ensure everything was tailored to my needs, offering plenty of options and making sure I felt comfortable. It really meant a lot. This is a restaurant I would absolutely trust when it comes to food allergies—truly outstanding!

Absolutely fantastic place from start to finish. Anna our waitress was the best. She recommend foods from the tapas side of the menu and also a pumpkin pasta in the main dishes section. Her service was excellent . I cannot recommend this place high enough. I am vegan but my friend isn't but he said the food was the best he tasted. We decided to go for the tapas...2 dishes each and we shared a couscous. We then shared the pudding . Thank you Anna for your kindness today.

An excellent meal. I've been a vegetarian my whole life (I'm now in my 50s), and I can safely say this is probably the best vegetarian meal I've ever had. (Of course, it was actually vegan, too). We had two tapas each. Not huge portions, and we didn't fill up with carbs - we just focussed on enjoying the intense flavours. Highly recommend.

Beautiful place. Polite and helpful staff. And the food is absolutely delicious. The roast on a Sunday is particularly delicious.

This is a great restaurant in the city centre. The food is delicious and plentiful. The House Burger tastes great and the cookie dough cake is delicious as a dessert. The tapas dishes are also excellent as well. Friendly staff and a trendy, relaxed atmosphere. Plenty of seating on different levels too. Highly recommended.

Amazing food, friendly staff and great atmosphere. Really comfortable place and lots of options

Still the best vegan food in Chester. I love the flavours of the small plates, and the heartiness of the mains. Food and drink is always delicious, and the staff are lovely.

Had an amazing experience at Shrub today! The food was incredibly tasty, well presented and satisfying. The staff were friendly, helpful and always smiling. Despite Shrub being in the centre of Chester, the atmosphere wasn't overly crowded which made for a pleasant ambience, especially helpful on a first date! Couldn't have been a better experience, I hope to return soon.

Excellent service-thank you Zac! Friendly, helpful, kind. Food is great. I had the burger and fries and a tasty dessert with ice-cream. It's all vegan! We sat in a quiet corner away from the hub-hub of the restaurant- the bar side. Will definitely go back this week while I'm staying in Chester. Open a Shrub in Leeds- please! (Perhaps with fewer stairs?! Only downside to this venue is accessibility and three flights of steps to the toilets which are binary gendered.)

The food is all amazing. As two vegetarians and one meat eater, we all thought the food was delicious - the artichoke wings were our favourite. The total bill came to less than £20 per person and we all left stuffed so good value for money too :)

6 of us visited yesterday for my birthday. 4 of us had Sunday lunch and 2 had little plates. Everyone of us said how amazing the food was and can't wait to visit again. 😁

Went for lunch today. Was greeted by Anna, who took our order very quickly. Our food arrived, and it was delicious. The atmosphere was lovely, and would definitely recommend this place. Fantastic!

Exceptionally good service, great food, lovely atmosphere. Highly recommended

Beautiful bar with excellent food and drinks menu but table service outside is shocking. They won’t let you order or pay inside but leave you outside for an hour without a server. Servers occasionally bring things out but don’t look round to check on tables: Please fix this you have so much potential.

Amazing vegan food, great atmosphere and fantastic service from Anna whose friendly chat really added to the positive experience at Shrub.

Delicious veggy food, lovely atmosphere, staff friendly, service was very attentive, then super relaxed. Very nice place to visit, only good stuff to say, had a great afternoon❤️

I came for lunch, and 3 of us shared a selection of the small plates. Two us of are vegan but all 3 agreed the food was absolutely delicious. The restaurant is really lovely inside and the service was brilliant. Amelia was our main server and helped guide us through the menu, regularly checked in on us and was generally really welcoming. I'm sad I don't live in Chester so can't come back more often!

Great menu. Yummy food. Excellent drinks. Fun people watching and warm outdoor heaters! Might even go back again tomorrow!

Lovely place for cocktails on the balcony. Amelia L has been nothing but accommodating and lovely! Will definitely come here again!

Really good vegetarian and vegan food.been twice now. And enjoyed both times.

A little gem for quality and tasty food at amazingly reasonable prices. Service was excellent and a credit to all concerned.

Lovely atmosphere, really good food and all fully vegan.

One of the nicest meals I've ever had. Truly gorgeous. Highly recommend.

Service was perfect, the owner of the restaurant was a genuinely lovely guy, who really knew his stuff and was incredibly helpful with giving recommendations. The mains and sides were gorgeous, and without fault. The ONLY thing that was less than perfect was the desserts. My partner and I both got the cookie dough blondie, and unfortunately it was pretty bland, and the ice-cream has almost no taste... Which was a shame as the rest of the food and the restaurant as a whole was so so good. Strong strong recommend. Loved it.

Came in on a whim as Ive never been to Chester. The quality of everything was a cut above. Ann was informative and extremely welcoming. I'll definitely be back.

An absolute must if in Chester. Fantastic staff.... Anna was a delight. Chef Jason cooked the best food I've ever had. Can't rate it highly enough. I'm from Cornwall and would travel up again just to eat here. Well done you guys 🥰

Eat here today served by Anna with Jason the chef and although neither myself or my partner is a vegetarian or vegan this was one of the tastiest meals I have ever eaten. The courgette , potato and onion bhaji tapas dishes were nothing short of divine. Had them accompanied by hummus and red pepper tapas dishes. This place is nothing short of paradise for your taste buds , can’t recommend highly enough for anyone, vegan or otherwise. Great staff , beer was superb , lovely gallery seating and good value for money. Mike .

Lovely food, great choice, something for everyone. I had frickles and the burger, really tasty, that much so I forgot to take a picture of it! Wonderful service. It was fun sitting in the open area out front even though it was drizzly and chilly. I'll definitely be back to try the rest of the menu!

An excellent meal , I had 3 small plates ( all excellent) and my husband had the burger . We sat out on the balcony and it was just warm enough . The service was excellent and the girl who served us could not have been better . ( the toilets are a bit of a trek up stairs but ask at the bar and they send you next door to the pottery place )

Lovely outdoor terrace overlooking the streets and rooftops of Chester. Nice atmosphere and accommodating staff when we requested a cocktail not on the menu. Good spot for later afternoon cocktail, post shopping.

Naively considering the name but no idea the food was vegan until it came to order, persevered however and we had one had gnocchi and the burger plus fries, safe to say the food was really really good I would go again definitely. Additionally the staff and venue were fantastic.

The staff are knowledgeable and helpful and each and every dish was amazing. 2-3 Tapas dishes each is perfect and leaves you feeling very satisfied. One of the best of the very many vegetarian restaurants I have tried.

I went here for the first time today and I enjoyed it very much. The atmosphere was lovely the decorations were gorgeous, both of our servers were lovely and helpful. We ordered 3 starters including the balsamic vinegar and hummus and they were both delicious. I would 110% recommend and would go here again anytime :))

We were so pleased to find these vegan restaurant in Chester. It does tapas style plates so you can order a few things to nibble at. It's all fresh made proper ingredients (not processed fake meat stuff). We had bhajis, char-grilled broccoli, cauliflower bites and battered pickles. The dips and sauces were really tasty - really made the meal. Nice atmosphere too with mood lighting and a spiral staircase covered in fairy lights. The toilets are a long walk upstairs.

Came here on a random Sunday from picking my partner up from the Train Station. Was really impressed, so nice to have a full menu to choose from. We went with the Roast Dinner each and it was soo good! Deffo would recommend a roast here and we are coming back to try the small plates too.

We were thrilled to be celebrating our friends' wedding at Shrub, our first but not our last visit. The staff were friendly, patient, and helpful. The food was exceptional, every dish beautifully crafted with an explosion of flavour! A spotless venue with a relaxed atmosphere. Can you tell I loved it, and I wasn't even drunk! Thank you guys, see you again soon.

I am a meat eater so was a bit apprehensive going to a vegan restaurant. We were there for a wedding. The place is lovely and the staff very friendly. The food was out of this world. So fresh, homemade and so tasty and full of favour. Would highly recommend. Great business and keep up the good work. 5 stars well deserved.

Vegan food, health and tasty: the days when eating vegan was a sacrifice are in the past and Shrub is a perfect example of a great restaurant with plenty of choices for a nice night out. Wine list was good as well although I wish they had more Italian wines but that's just my preference.

I had a mixed experience. While the food was quite good, the wait time was excessive. I was reading and didn't immediately notice the time, but after about 30 minutes, I began to wonder if vegan food just took longer to prepare. I decided to wait a bit longer, but when people who arrived after me started getting their meals, I was understandably frustrated and asked the waitress about the delay. The manager came out and explained that there had been a "technical issue," which I appreciated. In the end, they did comp my meal, which was a nice gesture and softened the blow. However, the nearly 50-minute wait time still put a damper on the overall experience. While I enjoyed the food, the long wait made it hard to fully appreciate the meal. Hopefully, the technical issues are resolved in the future because the restaurant does have potential.

The menu was so varied & creative we wanted to try one of everything. One of the stand-out dishes we went for were the artichoke wings, which were divine. Great selection of drinks with homemade options, which brings lots of variety. Really friendly & attentive staff.

We stumbled across this place on an overnight trip to Chester…. And I’m so glad we did. The food was some of the best I’ve ever had. I live in Australia but will 100% be visiting this place again on my return visit next year…. Amazing 👌

Really tasty Vegan food using lots of interesting vegetables which were beautifully presented. Serving staff are very friendly. Drinks are quite pricey. £4.50 for a non alcoholic lager seems expensive to me. They also put a 10% service charge on so be aware(they will remove it if asked) I would definitely return. I removed one star for the expensive drink for the driver! A cheaper alternative would be great! Otherwise amazing ❤️🌽🍄🥒🥕🫑 Toilets are upstairs, quite a long walk not sure if they have disabled ones downstairs.

The best vegan food in Chester!! Such great plant-forward plates each done so well that we can’t wait to be back!

Food is fantastic, highly recommend. I had the pesto gnocchi and teriyaki tofu and it was so flavourful. I spent just under £20 for a soft drink, a small main and the side of tofu, so it's not cheap but top notch quality. Please open a branch in London!!

Delicious food and lovely atmosphere

Had a lunch time meal with my daughter and my dog. Great vegan food, friendly service from Amelia

Great food, great vibes... Everyone in there had a smile on their faces while serving us. I will be back when I visit Chester again!

The food was INCREDIBLE and good portion size considering it’s small plates. The staff were so friendly, especially Amelia who went above and beyond to make me feel welcome. She couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful. The artichoke wings were out of this world. 100% reccomend and it’s a beautiful place especially the balcony.

Great drinks excellent service from zach and ella

Absolute gem of a place, went in a on a Sunday, wife had a Sunday dinner, which she absolutely loved, i opted for the small tapas plates (ordered way too much) food was delicious, sat outside on the terrace ppl watching over Chester, service was great, highly recommend and would definitely visit again.

The food is absolutely brilliant! All of the staff are friendly and polite. Caitlin and Amelia provided excellent service. We will be going back as we want to try everything on the menu!

Wow, spectacular food! I literally had to restrain myself from licking the plate after I finished the cabbage dish. Great recommendations from the servers and so well priced. Rivals our favourite london plant based restaurant.

Amazing food and service from Amelia

Gorgeous food, lovely staff and a chilled and ambient atmosphere. I can't really do it justice with this review, just go - it's beautiful!

Anna was amazingggg. Food was soo good!

Good vegan restaurant, very friendly staff.

This was some of the best food I've had in a bit. The fact it's vegan is a bonus.

Wow! Just wow 🤩 So we’ve been wanting to come here for some time .. we was actually late.. as was travelling from St Helens.. Caitlin was so welcoming and friendly she was are waitress and what a wonderful experience she gave us! Explained all the meals and talked us through them. Food was just outstanding , atmosphere fantastic .. if you’re looking to try somewhere new give this place a try! It won’t disappoint we are already planning our next visit! Thankyou so much .

Absolutely fabulous service from Caitlin

Scran was insanely good, pretty cheap for what it is. The staff were really lovely too.

Amelia delivered great service for my lovely birthday meal - best thing we had was the potato terrine which was exceptional but potato is always great! Would highly recommend and thanks Amelia for serving with a smile and answering silly questions!

Nice outdoor area (balcony on the first floor) with a view of the pedestrian zone. As far as my English understood, there are no meat dishes.

Delicious food and lovely friendly service from Sophie! Highly recommend a visit.

Delicious food and a nice atmosphere. The tofu was perfectly cooked and crispy on the outside! The service was great. Shout out Amelia!

Had a lovely meal here. Food was excellent, good portion and Amelia provided great service! Definitely recommend.

Great Veggie food, my wife was overjoyed and the rest of the group loved it too..the artichoke wings were amazing! And Sophie our waitress was fab too!

Fabulous food and great service from smiley Sophie

A fabulous plant based tapas style menu. I really enjoyed every dish and I'd normally be a meat eater.

What a fantastic cosy and fresh feeling reastuarant / cocktail bar. Great menu and an extensive Gluten Free menu. For those who are GF or coeliac, I highly recommend Shrub. Service is great and with a smile. Going again tomorrow, can't wait !!

Went in on a whim on a lunch out by myself and was amazed at the quality of food and their "Soft Drinks" (as listed on the menu but are I suppose nom alcoholic cocktails) blew my mind. Will definitely be back.

Anyone doubtful about vegan food, needs to come to Shrub. Anyone into vegan food, needs to come to Shub. Anyone into food, needs to come to Shrub. Basically, vegan food coming of age.

There are a *lot* of food choices in Chester but we chose this as most of our family are vegetarian. Restaurant is light and airy food is fantastic and good value for money. I can totally recommend the Teriyaki Tofu, but Szechuan fries were a close second. I was told the Asparagus and Muhammara were good too. I order the Lamb Ragu, and I was half way through it before I was told that the whole restaurant was vegan - anyway I liked it. People liked the Tortellini and the Gnocci so, with the Cider and a coupld of glasses of the Bobal Rose, everyone had a good meal. Toilets are a three story climb, but very clean. Waiter service is as good as it gets. Main courses are under £10 and the small plates £6-8 making this one of the more reasonably priced meals in our travels around the Borders. Thoroughly recommend - and did I mention the Tofu?

Such a great menu with interesting ideas for alternative ingredients (artichoke wings, anyone?). Being served by friendly staff makes it even better.

Horrible experience. Not mediated at all by the staff. In fact, the lady who was apparently in charge made it worse as her attitude was indifferent towards us and evidently would have preferred for us not to have been there. Took the hint and left.

Great venue, room for our dogs, amazing food, lovely staff

Absolutely 1st class food and service. This was one of the best meals we've had in a good while. Neither myself or wife are veggie but we appreciate good food and shrub did not disappoint. Highly recommend the teriyaki tofu and artichoke wings they were to die for. Everything we ate was delicious. When back in Chester we would have no hesitation coming back to shrub. Amazing place.

Very nice restaurant with outdoor lighting with a view of the old town. We had the mezze and everything was heavenly (see photos). Nice service and pleasant atmosphere. Definitely a recommendation!

What a find. Great place and the food and service outstanding

Excellent tapas, delicious flavours and lovely service. A great find on a Tuesday evening. Definitely go again if in Chester.

Hands down one of the best places to eat in Chester - if not the best. The cocktails are amazing and the food is even better. Even if you're not vegan (and I am not), you'll absolutely love the food here.

An accidental find but wow. The food was amazing! Being gluten and dairy intolerant, I was spoilt for choice. Plenty of flavours too! The staff and decor were great too. We will be back!

The best vegan restaurant I’ve ever been to. We had a selection of small plates, all of them were good, especially the artichoke wings, cumin ‘lamb’ fries, onion bhaji, roasted cabbage, padron peppers. Staff were lovely.

Great place for a different type of lunch, excellent service. Not cheap for lunch but the exoerience makes up for that.

If food, service and atmosphere are good, why the 1 star review? Because of the automatic addition of “gratuity” to the bill. This isn’t America, and tips are earned not expected. Yes you can ask for it to be removed from the bill but think, would you like to ask any Tesco worker or a petrol station employee to remove something from your receipt if you didn’t want it added in the first place. If you can’t afford employees salaries then raise your prices to reflect that.

Food, service and atmosphere are absolutely spot on. The gratuity added at the end is more than earned 👌

Quite possibly my favourite "normal" vegan restaurant. Food is great.

Simply amazing! My family and I stumbled on this restaurant when visiting Chester and it was superb. My daughter and her partner are vegans and we were a group of 9, 6 adults and 4 little ones. Everyone was blown away by our meal, even us meat eaters. I'd genuinely choose this restaurant above meat ones. The food was amazing and nothing was too much trouble for the amazing staff. Thank you for helping to make our holiday memorable and fun 🙏

Incredible flavours! The most delicious food- seriously good! Caitlin our server was amazing and Sammy was a 🍑 peach too. Great meal out. We shall be back!

We have been wanting to go for dinner here for ages and finally did. Food always sounded amazing and it didn’t disappoint. Always a nice friendly place with a great atmosphere. Ella was our very friendly server. Great place for dinnner, lunch or just for a drink

The best spot in chester for food - whether you are vegan or not, you're in for a treat. The food is amazing, different to most places in chester, shrub has a very eclectic offering, with something for everyone. I love that they do small dishes, so you don't have to make Sophies choice between your favourite foods...you can just have them all. Every dish has a fresh and unique flavour to the next, and my absolute favourite thing about shrub is that most dishes come with at least 2 delicious sauces...for someone who can't eat without condiments, this is heaven. The staff are friendly, the prices are reasonable and I couldn't make the dishes as well myself...which is the whole point of eating out for me. Almost forgot...it's very child friendly and the terrace is dog friendly, with specific dog friendly areas inside too...but the outdoor terrace does have heat lamps.

Came here last night and could not fault it. Service was friendly and the food was all very well executed. We had the frickles, beetroot borani, pardon peppers, ‘lamb’ ragu and the savoy cabbage. All very well cooked with the flavours & textures well balanced. Very reasonable pricing and portion sizes. The savoy cabbage was a stand out and not to be missed, hats off to whoever created this dish.

Incredible food. Lovely environment to sit in. Friendly and helpful staff. Amazing for vegans, but try not to be put off if you are not vegan - you won't miss your animal produce! 🌟

Food was amazing, not a vegan myself but came with friends as they are, wasn't disappointed! Also drinks were amazing! Would recommend!

What they do with vegetables would make meat eaters so jealous !! Caitlin was amazing ..great experience .Thank you

We visited here on Sunday night to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. We had an amazing time! We pre booked and had a wonderful table overlooking the main street. It was open air but had over head heaters so I was warm on a chilly night. The service was spot on and the tapas style veggie food was to die for. We eat too much, drunk too much and really enjoyed a special anniversary meal. 5 stars!!

Food was amazing the member of staff that served us called Adam gave a very good customer service well done to your staff

Amazing food! Great sharing small plates that had loads of flavour. We sat outside on the terrace bit which had a really nice feel with heaters and is covered. Even better it’s dog friendly outside and in the bar.

My partner, dog & I were visiting Chester and stumbled across this place on google maps - thought we’d give it a go due to the high ratings and it did not disappoint!! Amelia who served us was so lovely and helpful, bringing our pup some water. She stopped to chat to us when it wasn’t busy which was lovely. The food was amazing, couldn’t fault it. We went for 5 hot dishes between us and they were stunning! Such large portions and amazing tastes and textures. Also the fermented drinks were wow! We just wish there was a shrub near us back in Beverley! Will be highly recommending this place to friends and family visiting the area.

I guess the clue is in the name, it’s plant based food (vegan). The menu is lots of small plates, similar to Tapas. We sat in the Rows with the tussle and huddle of Chester below- they had patio type heaters so it was conformable (despite it being spring). The inside is a good size, so plenty of room if needed. We ordered two plates each and a couple of sides, including the baked ‘Camembert’, Frikles, hummus, Szechuan fries, gyoza dumplings and a raspberry crème brûlée to finish. Basically, if you weren’t told the Camenbert and Crème brûlée were vegan you’d probably not notice (although the subtle cheese flavour was missing if you looked for it. All came with differing yummy dips…very handy for the crispy battered pickles (Frikles). We both enjoyed our wines (Sauvignon for me and Pinot Grigio for the lady), the only very minor niggle was the tap water for the table…not to my taste. For Chester, given the careful prep and presentation the price is about right, around £80 for us and we were stuffed. Definitely on our return visit list, would recommend unless you really are a ‘must eat meat person’.