The cellar bar in Cheshire West and Chester

I have enjoyed visiting this bar, with it’s great selection of ales, several times on visits to Chester in recent years. I was looking forward to doing so again on my visit this week, indeed I had planned to spend most of an evening there, before and after a South Indian meal at the delightful Coconut Grove across the road. I was therefore disappointed, if not disgusted, to be turned away from the Cellar Bar, early in the evening, because it was shut for an (apparently regular) private session for the landlord’s friends. Although it has bars on two levels, neither was available to we lesser mortals and I was not allowed a drink. I fully understand that it is a publican’s prerogative to decide when he opens and who he serves, but in my seventy something sober years I have never been treated in such an off hand and insulting manner by someone who has been happy enough to accept my custom and my money in the past. All was not lost! There is an entirely pleasant and comfortable pub across the road, with an interesting, if less expansive, selection of ales and a polite and helpful barman, who I was glad to visit both before and after my meal. His hostelry can be assured of my future custom when in Chester, with no need for me to darken the doors of the up itself Cellar Bar again!

Good sports bar with great selection of beer and friendly and knowledgeable staff.

September 2024: still a great venue, although disappointed the football was on and not some ambient tunes instead! Great choice of craft ales! Awesome craft ale & cider bar, loads of choice and has something for everyone! Situated just a few minutes walk from the train station on City Road, just over the canal on the right hand side. Always sunny on the inside, despite the cold wet and wind on the outside! Step in, relax and chill out on the big brown comfortable sofas. Camra pub winners & in the current 2022 guide. Definitely worth a visit!

Look out for exclusive first day pours from this venue - I was lucky enough to call in on Sureshot Brewing Milson Day (23 Aug ‘24) Some great, knowledgeable staff on hand to assist and really friendly regulars will direct you to other hot spots in Chester. Two satellite Sports channels on in the background and only 5 minutes walk from 🚂 make it a must call in destination.

Great place, great atmosphere, always fantastic beer lists, good bar food and brilliant staff. Worth a visit.

Been coming to the Cellar for many years and just realised never left a review. Without a doubt the best bar in Chester , Aki the landlord and all the staff are so welcoming every time. If you need advice on any of the huge range of beers and ciders on offer their happy to help. There's a selection of more generic beers aswell if that is to your taste. The monthly Beer Without Fear beer tasting night is also one not to miss and we try to never miss one , 6 super rare beers which are always top quality.

The staff are really friendly and knowledgeable about their beer, and the beers are fantastic. It was also opposite my hotel (premier inn near the station) so I was even more happy! 😁

We really had a wonderful experience in Base Service Apartments. Everything was nice, clean, and well furnished. Will stay there again.

A nice bar quite close to the train station. A nice feel to the place and very welcoming. A decent selection of ales and other drinks. The staff were friendly and helpful. Spot on

We had a fantastic night at The Cellar, Beer Without Fear the first Monday of every month, I’ve been unable to attend for 17 months due to work commitments, but we had a great night, experiencing six artisan beers, not all maybe to taste but it’s something to be tried. Aki was the host with the most, filling us with facts and figures of the beers tasted. In all a FANTASTIC night and as always the staff all very welcoming and knowledgeable. Cheers Aki, Sophie and all the Staff I’ll try to be back again soon!!

Hired the downstairs function room for a surprise 50th birthday party. Everyone had a brilliant time, the food was lovely and the staff were super friendly and helpful. Would highly recommend it for a great venue for a smaller more intimate party.

Beer !!! Lots of it, lots of choice .... c 20 beers. And wine, shorts on offer too ... my favourite haunt in Chester

Tuesday 29th August 2023 This great music and real ale pub does a great range of hand pumped and keg/craft ales on today The last behind the bar was knowledgeable on beers The real ales 6th of them had a 9% ale one and there was a 10 and 13% not real ale on The place was right up my street, a proper 20th century feel pub👍👍👍 I would strongly recommend anyone who likes real ale to drink in here Saturday 10th February 2024 We all came in this brilliant chester GBG pub tonighrt to celebrate Bradfords win at Wrexham Every thing here is still great Magnificent choice of real ales ☝️☝️☝️

Very accommodating when asked for rugby on the tv. Good choice of real ale. Comfy settee!

Great pub with lots of beer options. Sport on too 👍

Great little pub, awesome to checkout if you happen to be staying at the nearby hotels. Great selection of beers

Everything about the Cellar is perfect. Good beer+ good staff= good place. If you want to know what a modern British bar should be- go to the Cellar. It's literally exemplary. Philosophers through the ages have said perfection needs a flaw; the Cellar bar's flaw is management's abject failure to furnish a full range of snacks. The crisps and nuts are good. Where are the pork scratchings? Eh? Aki????

Great bar on City Road, Chester. Always an excellent selection of cask and keg beers, particularly stouts. Recommended for real ale beer beer crawls...

Great bar in Chester city center. Lots of nice choice of beers. Staff are very welcoming

The sticky toffee pudding cider was amazing. Absolutely recommend the place!

Great selection of beers, sours, great atmosphere.

Not as many choices as I remember on our last visit, you really must stock at least one NEIPA....

CAMRA Good Beer Guide stalwart with six handpumps and a huge selection of craft keg, cans and bottled beers.

Very pleasant and well stocked bar. Friendly staff and a nice choice of beers.

If you get the train to Chester, this pub is well worth a visit, as it serves a good range of craft ales and has a nice ambience. Just a short walk from the station on the way to the town centre. Well worth a visit.

Found this little Chem when walking back your hotel Fantastic friendly staff and a vast range of beers Belgian and German Highly recommend will make a return visit

I have considerable experience of bars, pubs, and drinking joints. The Cellar is in my Top Five ever, and there are four below it. Seriously; if you're in Chester, you like beer or other drinks, and you're a nice person, go there. Even if you're not a nice person; going there will make you better. The management philosophy seems to be: great drinks, great staff, great place, = great customers. It works. Reading this in another county? Get on the train. Reading this in another country? Get on a plane. Just don't try the Canadian lager. Literally the only negative after 15 years sampling the exquisite choices here. Bloody Canadians... best people on the planet, how come they put up with beer like that? I've contacted the Embassy.

Always a good place right have a drink

I popped into The Cellar on a late Saturday afternoon as I had some time to kill before my train (the station is just five minutes down the road). I had a warm welcome from the staff to make me feel I wasn’t in a completely strange pub. The pint of Landlord was good: that is all I had, so I cannot comment on the food. This is definitely a place I will visit again. I’ll probably choose the wrong train so I can have two pints!

Hands-down the best pub in Chester. Lovely friendly staff, great venue downstairs, amazing range of quality beers, good music when there's music on, great food. Can't fault it.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Chester's best pub. Love the lot of ye.

Excellent place with friendly staff

I recently booked the private party area to host my 25th birthday. It was such an incredible night, thanks to the fantastic staff- especially Andrew and Rachel who were so friendly and attentive & being able to decorate the room made it feel so much more personal! The food was great, we had pizzas and fries and it was great that gluten free pizzas were catered for too. There was a perfect dance floor area that came with disco lights and the fairy lights and candles created such a perfect atmosphere. Thankyou so much to everyone at The Cellar- I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking to host a private party in Chester!

Obviously got told off for being loud when squiffy. However as with all these real ale type places I find them somewhat prentious, particularly when in quaffing mode and wanting either Guinness or cooking lager.

I came across this place by accident while walking. It was busy and looked good. There's a great selection of beer and I was tempted by the Cheese of the Day, which was delicious. Very friendly staff and a great atmosphere.

We were lured in by the Erdinger sign above the front door which gave promise of exotic ales a plenty. And there was. I can't even remember the name of the stout I had, but it was delicious, with rich coffe notes and slight burnt toast taste. Despite the varied choice I had another pint of that. My mates had a variety of IPAs and the like and all seemed more than happy. The bar staff were great fun, but I was particularly impressed by how professionally the boss man dealt with a crowd of around eight or nine, 30 somethings that entered obviously a bit worse for wear. He quickly spotted the potential of them upsetting his regular clientele and tactfully showed them the door without having to resort to anything other than a firm insistence they weren't welcome and would not be served. I would definitely reccomend The Cellar and it will be on my list to visit when I'm next in Chester.

Stopped off here on a Sunday afternoon whilst on our way into town. First time here and was blown away by the overall experience. Friendly, lovely staff. Massive array of tasty beverages to choose from. Inviting atmosphere. Oh and don’t forget the free bacon butty!! Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try the lunch menu, but the food being brought out looked great. See you again!

Nice bar with a good range of drinks.

Great Bar and fantastic people ! The manager was funny and a brilliant host ! Do you sell guiness? No we sell much better stout ! And he was not wrong ( London Black ) absolutely beautiful and gorgeous drink . Our first drinks and last drinks of a night away in Chester were spent in The Celler .

Was staying over the pub in an AirBnB so had to pop in. Its a great pub with a huge selection of beers and a very efficient friendly and knowledgeable set of bar staff. I didnt have anything to eat but what was brought out looked great . This would bey first port of call next time in Chester

One of my favourite bars in Chester. Great beer selection.

Smashing beery bar with a friendly happy & knowledgeable team behind it. I’m not a ‘big’ beer drinker but they’ve always a selection of interesting, often fruity & lower alcohol beers available. Ask them: they’ll help! A great Chester bar.

Belting pub very welcoming good beers spot on 👍

Reasonable selection of craft beers and we’ll located for the city centre and a 5 minute walk from the train station. Prices were varied at best, pint of Erdinger, Weiss beer cost me an extortionate price of £7.

The Cellar has been around for a good few years, over which time it has been a very consistent seller of very well kept and very well chosen interesting ales, craft and real, served up by very knowledgeable and friendly staff. It is I reckon the best place in Chester to sample unusual ales from the smaller breweries, and if that isn't enough there are screens showing sport and great bar food is available. Compliments very well it's sister bar across the road The Cornerhouse, both locally owned and refreshingly independent.

What a fantastic place with a fantastic atmosphere. Plenty of beer to choose from

What a nice place with plenty of ale to chose from a warm welcome and friendly staff and a good atmosphere have to say this is a place to visit

Been going since I moved to Chester, 10 years ago. Great selection of beers.

I organised a party for my other half on Friday 9th December at the Cellar and it was absolutely amazing. The staff were fantastic, very organised, friendly, helpful and couldn't do enoughfor us. The food was delicious, top quality, and more than value for money. You can't go wrong with the brilliant selection of alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks, and there is literally something for everyone!!! We had the most amazing time, and I couldn't recommend The Cellar highly enough. Thank you to everyone at the Cellar for making our evening so special. XxX

Fabulous little bar, plenty of great ales on tap. Friendly and helpful staff, very knowledgeable about the ales. Good atmosphere.

We booked out the cellar for my partners 30th birthday and all I can say is that I’m so glad I did. The venue space fantastic, the staff were great, nothing was too much to ask for. We all had a great time and I can’t recommend enough. Plus the drinks were well priced for Chester too, which was a surprise!

Nice place, great cask ales, particularly stouts.

Excellent choice of beers,helpful,pleasant staff. Good atmosphere and a great place to watch the match. Pricey but well worth a visit

Fabulous beer. Wonderful food. Great atmosphere. Brilliant staff!!! Don't need anything more!!!!👍

What a great bar, good wide choice of beers five minutes walk from the main rail station. Friendly staff. Bar is cozy and a nice atmosphere gutted I could not stay longer. I will be back

Great choice of beers and friendly staff and atmosphere, highly recommended. A brilliant place to book for private functions as well: you get the basement, with its own bar, for your party at very reasonable conditions.

Heaven for real ale drinkers, actually heaven for all quality conscious drinkers. All in impecable condition.

Awesome place and was given a free bacon sandwich from the barman!

Recently booked the Basement of the Cellar out for a retirement do. We had around 30 guests it's a great sized room and we could have easily fit many more. The staff were very polite and easy going. We will definitely look at booking again. Good choice of drinks and we had the pizzas which went down a treat!

I love The Cellar Bar, City Road, Chester! The atmosphere and the ambiance is what hits you when you walk in. The warmth and friendliness of the amazing staff, the selection of ales on offer (something for everyone) among other drinks. Then there is the food.....well, absolutely gorgeous food from Meze platters served beautifully to pizza. I have tried the lot, and I cannot fault any of it. The Cellar Bar is a true gem.

Love this place great selection of beers. I mean outstanding selection. Really friendly and helpful staff and a relaxing space with sofas and other nicely set out tables making the best of the space without over crowding. Gents toilets are novel.

Nice place ,,,,,but very expensive, a pint , pack of crisps and a double gin and lemonade 16 pound

Staff very friendly and knowledge of the ales outstanding. Will be back.

Love it. Best selection of beer in Chester. Always persuade whoever I'm with into here for a beer.

Great selection, very friendly bar, always call in when I'm in Chester

Great atmosphere and selection of beer!

Great choose of real ales and they had a dark one on

Came out of the Cornerhouse further down the road and decided to visit the Cellar, another great drinking venue on the same street,, very good range of cask beers and craft beers too, I decided to buy two cans of craft beer home with me before boarding the train back to Birmingham,, those who like sports would like the Cellar as it has screens showing live sport.

Lovely little bar which was very close to our hotel so we called in for a drink. Very lively with a mixture of clientele but the seats are pretty uncomfortable.

Great range of cask, keg and bottled beers.

Good selection of ales, great atmosphere, friendly bar staff

On a freezing cold and rainy afternoon my twin brother Stephen and I decided to drop into one of our favourite bars in this famous walled city namely The Cellar. I love the look of this bar,it's cosy,exposed brickwork,a cool looking serving bar,pubby decor and furnishings including superb looking brewery and beer enamels adorning the walls,there's also plenty of seating options spread throughout this bar,all in all it's a really good bar to unwind in. We were greeted with a smile by a very pleasant member of staff who served us a pale ale each ,these were served in excellent condition ,we grabbed a table were we just kicked back and planned out the day ahead while sipping our pale ale's. My pale Ale was superb,a rich,hoppy and very drinkable ale,hints of coffee and a slight bitter finish which I really enjoy,my brother also gave a big thumbs up to his ale. We really enjoyed our pale ale's in here before we moved on and as on every other visit to here we had a great time. The Cellar is easy to locate along City Road. Opening hours are; Monday to Thursday,2pm till 12.30am. Friday & Saturday,midday till 1.30am. Sunday,midday till 12.30am. A wonderful bar well worth seeking out if you're in the area or planning to visit Chester.

The Cellar Bar fully fulfils its mission statement re supplying a good range of real ales. It is a smart bar very much in the modern style - and therein lies my only negative note. Quite simply, I like traditional pubs and this is certainly not one of those, and it somehow lacks the cosiness and warmth that I want in a pub. Having said that, it is only fair to say that the service was friendly and very good, and the beers were excellent. And on a practical level, our group of assorted derrières (albeit aged!) all declared that the undoubtedly fashionable narrow stools are the most uncomfortable seats ever, and almost designed to deter long visits.

The best bar I have ever seen ! Friendly & incredible service, beers select by staff with passion

Various tasty beer and cider. Incredibly friendly staff !

Convenient for the train and other pubs and restaurants. A great selection of ales and spirits with a lively atmosphere every time I visit. Staff were very friendly. Worth a visit before going further into chester, or before the train home, or just spend a few hours with good friends sampling the ales and soaking in the buzz.

Always nice and cosy with a quality array of real ales and ciders.

Lovely little bar for ale lovers in Chester.

This is an atmospheric bar located to east of the city centre. The beer selection is very good with a nice range to choose from. The bar staff are a little more reserved than in some of the other locals pubs, but are efficient. Definitely worth a visit.

The Cellar bar on City road in Chester is a superb cask and craft beer bar and is one of the best bars we went to on our two day trip to Chester. This is a superb bar with an excellent beer themed interior with...

Alway a good atmosphere. Had some very nice single malt whiskey last time I was there 😊

Brilliant beers, rustic place, staff are amazing, could quite happily sit here all day.

Came here one evening with friends & found this bar very cosy & welcoming with an array of ales & beers & wines. The barman was very knowledgeable & guided us to nice choices of yummy beer. I'd be happy to visit alone to drink...

Brilliant service, incredible beer selection, absolutely great. Everyone behind the bar tonight has been fantastic.

Had over an hour to wait for my train when changing trains at Chester last Sunday, so visited this place. Spent an hour here, nice friendly staff and a good choice of beers. A five minute walk from the rail station for me. Next time...

If you like good ale from excellent breweries then this is a highlight for Chester.

Beautiful environment with well disposed staff and exceptionally decent choice of lagers. In the event that you lean toward quality over cost this is an optimal spot. Great help - basically all that you'd need from a fair lager setting.

Popped in here for a drink one night . Bar staff very friendly and helpful Interesting range of drinks . Would def go again

Absolutely shocked by the rudeness of the man in the mask allegedly managing front of house ! There were many tables available and we eventually negotiated a table of six and orders drinks. Friends of ours came in to the pub and were given tables for two which was fine and drinks orders were taken. From a distance one of our friends spoke to us whilst seated to which the unhelpful front of house person said he wanted them to leave for no apparent reason but perhaps as they knew us. Two more attempted to buy a beer and were given a table but then asked to leave by the stressed man on front of house. The tables remained empty whilst we were there and we were staggered by the lack of customer service and arrogance shown to us. Whether these people have been on furlough and prefer 80%pay instead of working for a 100% but what is evident that any business looking for success should avoid employing staff that lack manners and customer care. We won't be back !!

An enjoyable afternoon in a well managed establishment

I’m not a beer drinker, but hubby says beer here is very good. If anything, thesis a comfortable place with solid block wood tables and furniture and flooring. Plaque decorated pubs can be educational. Seating furniture well spaced out making this a spacious looking place with very attentive service. Located along City Road so therefore a walking route from the train station to the city ;if you take the left turn.

Great bar in its own right, but also fantastic venue downstairs for private functions. Owner and staff very friendly and helpful, one of best bars in Chester

Lovely atmosphere with friendly staff and very nice selection of beers. If you prefer quality over cost this is an ideal place. Good service - pretty much everything you'd want from a decent ale venue.

Very friendly welcome. Happy to see they’re taking their Covid responsibilities seriously too with check in and table service etc. Great choice of beers, cosy, rustic feel with very attentive and friendly staff. Maybe a little on the pricey side (£5 a pint) but I...

Great staff and choice of beer;

One of four or five good pubs near the railway station, much like The Cornerhouse and Old Harkers it can get very busy at peak times but the beers are well worth the wait.

Three nights we had a drink here. (3 days in Chester as part of our holiday.) A nice range of beers and I sampled some of the stronger ales. Delicious. The wine, unfortunately, wasn't to our taste and limited options. (This is why I haven't given it 5 stars.) Various whiskeys (sic) on the menu and obviously, other spirits. I partook in a whisky or 2 as well! The staff were very welcoming and it's an enjoyable venue to sample half an ale.

Three nights we had a drink here. A nice range of beers and I sampled some of the stronger ales. Delicious. The wine, unfortunately, wasn't to our taste and limited options. (This is why I haven't given it 5 stars.) Various whiskeys (sic) on the...

Staying at the Premier Inn opposite made this a perfectly convenient pub to go to but it is also one worth travelling to as it is so good in so many ways and worth a visit to Chester for. Very welcoming and friendly and great...

Absolutely wonderful bar, very good atmosphere and service beers are in excellent condition. you should always make it the first stop of the railway station