The Old Harkers Arms in Cheshire West and Chester

The Old Harkers Arms in Chester is probably the best pub in the World! Scenically placed by the canal, with great food but it’s the staff that really make it. They literally can’t do enough for you, always welcoming and attentive. I started going about a year ago and now travel to Chester every week just to visit this pub. I don’t know how they maintain such a level of service across all staff members but I’m never disappointed. Special shout out to Mark who, having finished his shift, with coat on and half way out the door, spotted my nearly empty glass and came back in to pour and deliver me another pint before he left! I tell all the Uber drivers that take & fetch me about how good it is and they always agree it’s got a great reputation!

Adequate menu - not all items were available. Food was mostly enjoyed though some vegs were a little undercooked. The brownie was far far too sweet. Portions were a decent size Very good service despite being busy. A popular eatery, Booking recommended. Rather too noisy in some areas

We visit Chester regularly to visit our son. We often have a meal in Harkers. The food is excellent and there is always a good selection on the menu. The service is also good.

Been visiting Harkers since the 90s. Great pub, no TVs, no music, no children. But great atmosphere, great food, great drinks and great service. Long may it continue.

We stayed at the Mill Hotel which was awful and as the pub/restaurant was nearby decided to give it a try. It was very busy and we had to wait about half an hour for a table whilst having a drink.The meals were well cooked and the portions generous. we thought the menu was limited and could be expanded a bit. Overall a good experience it is quite noisy very good service

Eve is great as well as all the staff. Eve has gone out of her way to help us with all our needs.The Pub is very friendly and the wines are good would recommend the food not had a bad meal here they even did a chicken breast for my partner when it wasn't on the menu sat here know 29/09/24

Great pub didn't eat there as it was a bit noisy inside and it was a rainy day. But as a pub its great and on a nice day I imagine it's great to eat at

Always a first stopping point! Excellent food, drink and atmosphere. Excellent beer (and general drink selection) and so a very fine pub. Remains an outpost of the great chip age of B&P.

Had a pre-race day breakfast here. Breakfast excellent, service great and in a great location for the station.

Friendly staff and lovely Sunday lunch. Great Bloody Mary to help the hangover. 10/10 would recommend 🙌

Fantastic pub in Chester. First time coming here, walked past it many times and thought... Why not. Beautiful interior, plenty of seats inside and it. Lovely decor old style wood interior, good sized bar with lots to offer. Food was amazing, service was also very nice! Had a great lunch here before walking Into the city centre. Would recommend if you're walking to the center from the train station. Easily located and accessible.

Very nice, friendly pub with a good selection of beers.

Good food and an excellent selection of beers and wines. Can't fault it and the canal-side location just adds to the atmosphere.

Popped in yesterday evening. Was going to stay for one but the had titanic plum porter on, so opted to stay The staff was friendly especially the girl who poured my 2nd beer as she asked if I wanted to start a tab. I declined as was just going to have 2 but it was nice to be offered it.

Great food and location, place looked amazing. Good range of beers, staff seemed a bit distracted apart from one lady who gave us directions. We will visit again to see if I under rated the staff unfairly, a must visit.

The steak is fabulous and melts in your mouth you can tell is cooked with love . The pepper corn sauce is to die for . And the view from across to canal boats . . Just a shame a bit cold

A bit overworked and understaffed this evening, but it all came together. Great roast lamb Sunday feed.

A proper pub with plenty of choice and lovely view of the canal. My favourite pub in Chester.

Great location by the canal in Chester. Good range of food and drink. Excellent service and atmosphere.

Very nice place next to Canal and very close to City cente. İnside is little bit noisy if you wanna grab drink and have conversation with your friends. For sure u can prefer to sit outside as well 👍

👎A sign saying children not welcome/allowed as per the pubs policy would be most helpful We were told by a member of staff after sitting outside that children are not permitted on the premises! as per the pubs policy.....a no frills, dogs allowed pub.....really come on!!!!

Great food , good ale ,no TV, no music perfect

A characterful pub, like all B and P pubs, in good location by the Shropshire Union canal and a lively spot. Usual excellent range of drinks. However having just popped in for a drink we were surprised at how badly managed the pub was. Empty glasses on our table didn't get removed all the while we were there (and at other tables), staff standing around chatting, manager (I assume) chatting to one table all the while......you can immediately tell if somewhere is poorly managed. The manager should be sent to The Architect or the Grosvenor Arms for a few days (other B and P pubs) for training in excellence!

Lovely but Chester prices do knock the appeal

Sit by the canal and watch life float by Got plum porter on draught

As always, great food, excellent service and a welcoming atmosphere.

We were lucky to get the table on our pub crawl and enjoy the atmosphere when it started raining all of a sudden. Quick and welcoming service and so tidy and well thought of space, when you start looking at details. Another little find where I will come to enjoy a meal in future.

I like the decoration and good service. Dogs are allowed, children are not allowed.

Great range of interesting beers and ciders, enjoyed on a summers night

Chester On a recent visit to Chester, relatives booked a table at Harkers for an evening meal. This is the third time over the past few years we have visited Harkers in the evening. On this recent visit we found the venue very busy and extremely hot inside [cooler outside, but the tables were full]. What I noticed on our last visit and this most recent visit is the abundance of dogs inside the building. We love dogs, but this pub is serving food in very close proximity to dogs and with the constant flow of people walking through with their dogs to the loos, there was  considerable interacting/barking at dogs sitting on the floor, it was all a bit manic . Therefore we would not recommend this pub if you want to eat , as its prices reflect restaurant charges  but the hygiene and  dog free surroundings are lacking . A few days later a neighbour told us they have a ‘’dog free area’’ if you walk to the left once in the pub. We were not aware of this, nor was the person who booked the table. I suggest when people book they are informed of this option by the staff. Obviously it seems when the dog free zone is full your booking is put in the dog area .Other visitors informed us this pub is known as a’’ no children allowed pub’’, please check with pub if this is true, before visiting. We won’t be going there again for a meal, as besides having to share the space with dogs [towards the end of our meal, we had a very large German shepherd and collie at the table next to us].the meals were mediocre and overpriced, £16.95 for a beef burger and a mean portion of chips . Even though the pub sits next to the canal ,an investment of air conditioning or ceiling fans would really be an improvement during Summer months. The main problem was the amount of canine visitors, and the obvious oplressive heat, which I noticed most dogs were wearing fur coats ! They do not have a choice of where they are taken and some dogs do not do well in oppressive heat, especially if they cannot find shade or relief from the heat. I am astounded at the fact that management wouldnt provide air conditioning as pubs local to me do! Given the oppressive heat and the amount of food and smells of food around, it was tortureous to the dogs there. Most people choose not to eat in front of their dogs, my husband usually has our one in his room during meals, and he usually gets less food than the dog! I would call the pub BARKERS and hope that they at least aquire some air con ! The food is basic pub fayre not bad quality and staff ( Who must also suffer in the heat) did their best. Mrs Muir

Popped in for a drink, never been before. Great building and decoration. Very clean, good friendly service. Had a laugh with the barman as my daughter couldn't decide what to drink. Food menu looked decent, but didnt try it. But will be back again

Love this place. Food was lovely and reasonably priced. Friendly attentive staff and brilliant atmosphere.

Nice pub, good service. Over £7 for a pint and a half.

You would probably walk past this place if you didn't know where it was. If you're walking from the station towards the town centre as you cross the canal just walk down the steps to the canal side and it's there. It has a great menu, and I will need to come back to try it out. They always seem to have a very good selection of real ales and beers. It's a nice spot to sit under the umbrellas and watch the world go by.

Busy pub but staff looked after us really well. Food was excellent with good choices. Drinks were well priced and a good variety

Nice place, friendly and helpfull stand. Didn't eat just drinks. Great choices

Lovely canalside pub. Good food. Friendly staff. We were staying at Premier Inn (near railway station), so almost next door.

Great night out with friends, even with Chester races on the place had great atmosphere 👌

Excellent pub. The staff are friendly, the beer is good and the food is better. Pretty much everything you need after a day in the office.

A wonderful visit as ever. Fantastic food, service with a smile and as much Hoegaarden on tap as you can drink. Can’t wait to be back, definitely my favourite place in Chester.

Pleasant enough place. Gets a bit rowdy at the weekends but nice through the week. Not allowed to wear a hat, apparently…

We always eat in Brunning and price pubs. The red fox and the architect never have they refused children. If it's a chain why is it only this one that does not allow children. We booked a week before hand for my birthday and travelled to chester only to recieve an email when we were outside to sat kids not allowed. But it's OK for all sizes of dog to enter.

Excellent canalside location but limited outdoor seating.

Good variety of drinks at reasonable price. Nice place to chill and hang out with friends. Atmosphere is nice, especially sitting outside near the canal. In the winter outside it may become pretty challenging since sometime the heating is not working properly.

We hadn't even stepped foot into the restaurant when a woman approached me to let me know we weren't welcome because we have a child! Pure discrimination and no need for it.

Good pub by the canal in Chester. Decor is lovely and fun, with a wonderful bookshelf and welcoming, cosy, warm lighting. A decent amount of seating, and various options for food, all of which is well prepared and tasty, as well as good value for money. Service was standard but kind and nice nonetheless, although not above and beyond what's typically seen.

Nice food and drink on the canal best to book to avoid dissapointment we were luckey to just walk in .watched the boats going pass and was sunny so got to sit outside

Nice welcoming and food lovely.

I try to go into The Old Harkers Arms whenever I visit Chester. The food and atmosphere are brilliant, as is the seating in and out, and there is always a great selection of drinks available! Thoroughly recommend to any in the area!

Thoroughly enjoyed our meal on Sunday night, bread oils and balsamic to start were delicious. Then the fish we opted for was a great choice. The Ale and House Red were also very nice.Great service and the lady front of house with short dark hair greeted us with a smile, and a warm welcome. Would definitely recommend

Had lunch with my cousin am gluten free What a fantastic choice they had for me Food was lovely staff were all friendly and great .Will be back soon

Only had drinks, but good variety and great atmosphere.

Came here for dinner while in Chester. We have been before. So, a returning customer. Friendly staff. Good choice of food on the menu. Freshly cooked. Tasted delicious. Outdoor and indoor seats. Located next to the canal. Would recommend.

Too lovely and cozy. My heart melted.

Booked a table for 6 o’clock tonight, arrived early and got settled at our table with drinks we got at the bar . Eventually had to go and ask to be served , as we were being ignored! Waiter came round lighting candles at the tables, but not at ours or table next to ours ! Very disappointed with harkers. Got our meals, very expensive for what it was

Absolutely loved my pie 🙂. Literally everything on the menu is gluten free too. Amaze balls.

Great location alongside the canal and very dog friendly. Also has a great selection of gluten free options on the menu

5star great food, drinks and atmosphere, we booked a table in advance, gets busy. Will be back again soon.

Great stop along the canal fantastic choice of beers didn't need to book for food nice meal and oldie world pub would stop here again.

Great location friendly welcoming staff

Loverly steak burger and fries. Great place and good service. Loverly view by canal

Have been along a few times now to Harkers & have to say they deliver the best roast in town..delicious & cooked to perfection..😋 Great atmosphere & dog friendly.. Thank you..😊

It's a compulsory stop-off when walking from the railway station.

The staff dealt superbly with me - a transgender crossdressed woman. They treated me with charm and humour. And directed me to the appropriate toilets and referred to.me as a lady.

Beer excellent, great seating outside by the canal

Food was lovely, good beers/ciders to choose from, friendly and attentive staff, great atmosphere and just an all round great spot. Will definitely be returning 💯

What a great place.beer,food spot on.service is excellent. Recommended to us by our niece and this place does not disappoint.made very welcome and next time we're in chester this place is a definite return for an evening out.what a find.

Lovely food, excellent choice of beers, staff attentive sit out and watch the world go by on the barges

The place looked really nice and I’d been recommended there by friends for food Guinness. We found a seat to accommodate all my family, went to the bar and was told we couldn’t stay because we had a child with us! 3 in the afternoon. I can’t believe in 2024 pubs/restaurants don’t accommodate for children. We witnessed another customer with a small child being asked to finish up their drinks quickly and leave, he’d been into the bar and ordered they weren’t aware they had a child when ordering.

Nice place. Great food. Offers only benefit very local people, if you don't come as often, your vouchers expire. But I guess them's the breaks we head over once every two months or so, we always tell other people about this canal-side gem. Never had to wait long to be seated, even during the height of summer. Great bar staff who pay close attention to who is next... A lifesaver in this rude and hectic world, hate being ignored at bars. Ted talk over, great gaff... Give it a try!

Great selection of Ales, fantastic Service

Just a great place, great atmosphere, food and drinks. Right on the canal down from the train station...its a must

Lucy was amazing. She made us feel So welcome.

Nice place on the canal Great friendly staff

Great place to stop for a refreshing drink on a bike ride

Didn't have any food. Good selection of real ales and spirits right by the canal.

Loved this place just for adults really busy at weekends !!! Staff super attentive and great service 👏

What a fabulous little find in Chester! Lovely outdoor seating area and the inside is quirky and spacious with lots of seating. Service was fantastic, food outstanding! Could not fault our visit at all today, can’t wait to return for a Sunday lunch (Which from what we saw, looked just as tasty! ☺️)

Lovely pub, great food just a little high when it comes to the prices!

Had a teriyaki chicken burger with wasabi mayo, there was zero wasabi🥲 For the rest of the good atmosphere and friendly staff were good

Excellent local pub. Nice outside terrace, great selection of beers and ciders. Only had food here once but it was delicious. I have it on good authority that the fish and chips are some of the best in town.

Always good food and a great selection of independent ales and beers. Tried a lovely IPA called Mosaic. The staff are knowledgeable, friendly and attentive. Will be back very soon.

Went for a lunch. Very pleasant food and good service.

£11 cheeseboard with 30p of cheese and 7 crackers. Queried it and was told it was the managers problem. Avoid.

We have been to this pub for a couple of meals in the past. Never disappoints. All food dishes were amazing. We worth a visit!

Really like the place. Excellent real ale and friendly staff. The doorman was a decent fella too!

Love this place, good food in a relaxed atmosphere and my dog is welcomed with a smile and a dog treat.

Great location in chester, large selection of food and drink. Well worth a visit

Brilliant place for a reasonably priced meal. Portions are huge and taste scrumptious. The staff are extremely accommodating, I would suggest making a reservation. It was so good we went twice.

Not a great experience for me, pop in for a pint and sit in a non-reserved table but asked to leave as the table for some people wants food but without reservation. There was not explanation from the staff until I made a compliance. it ruined my evening. Not back there again.

A pub where I actually meet my now wife. It's a lovely pub and a great location, and it's nice to sit outside and chill with a beer. The price for food seems a bit steep, though, so we only went for drinks this time

Wonderful pub. Great service. Turned up with no reservation but the manager found us a table pretty quickly despite the pub being very busy. Service was excellent and the food exceeded our expectations. Very good manager who was continually checking the customers were being taken care of. Would 100% recommend this typically British pub

Lovely bar next to the canal. Great atmosphere.

absolutely disgusted the way we were made to feel,my daughter and her family had travelled over from Australia, we had been for a meal in Chester and called in to Harkers for a drink, only to be told to leave because we had children with us and it was there policy of not allowing children inside or outside of the pub, how humiliated we all felt, I live in nearby Gresford and will never visit this pub again, I will try and get email of ceo of the company and will tell him of our experience, what a way of welcoming tourists and visitors.

Great selection of drinks served in a fabulously atmospheric pub totally devoid of music and the food going out looked and smelled excellent

The bar staff are the best in Chester. Friendly, engaging, efficient and numerous.

I visit Harkers a few times a year for a catch up with former colleagues. It's a convenient place to meet, good beers and friendly atmosphere. The food is typical Brunning & Price pub menu. I chose the Lamb Pie, followed by the Cheese Board. I should have taken photos. Although the pie was tasty, it was devoid of lamb and the cheese board. Wow, I would have been embarrassed to serve it. 3 small triangular pieces of cheese, Jacobs crackers a few grapes and a clump of shredded celery. Very disappointing. The cheese board was certainly not worth £10.95. I raised my concern and disappointment with a member of staff. All I received in response was, "oh, somone else has said the same. I'll mention it to the chef". I think we'll look for a different venue next time!! Our bill was £180 between 3 of us.

Great venue and lovely view of the canal

Went in for breakfast on the start of birthday weekend in Chester . Staff were nice breakfast was a bit over cooked for me but was very tasty.

Decent real ales next to the canal