Pubs and bars in Chester.

Lower Bridge Street, the old inns

In 1664 the Earls of Shrewsbury built the Bear and Billet as their town house. Today it pours a pint under the same low beams.

Chester's most historic pubs line Lower Bridge Street. The Bear and Billet is a Grade I listed timber framed inn with rooms over three floors, so the upstairs seats are the quiet ones. High in its gable sit a pair of doors with nothing below them and a bracket for a hoist, because the top floor was probably once a grain store.

Further up the street, Ye Olde King's Head still carries Built 1622 above its windows, and The Brewery Tap pours cask beer, cider and wine in a great hall. The hall was once Gamul House, where King Charles I is said to have stayed in 1645, so the high ceiling and stone fireplace set the mood before the first sip.

The Brewery Tap fills early on a Friday, so a weeknight gives more choice of table. The timbered Falcon Inn stands at the top of the street too. Old buildings mean steps and different floors, which is worth knowing if access matters. Our Chester day plans fill the daytime, so the evening can be all about one good pub.

No pub or bar paid to be in this guide. Our family chose every one.

Paysan and Covino, for a glass of wine

Two glasses on a small table, while the gallery outside slowly empties of shoppers.

For a glass of wine on the Rows, Paysan sits up on Bridge Street Row East. It doesn't take bookings, so it suits an unplanned stop at the end of the day.

Covino is a small wine bar and restaurant with seasonal small plates, and a dinner table there is best booked. Both rooms are small, so Friday and Saturday evenings fill quickly, and an early glass is often the calmest one.

Local beer and cider

A row of small glasses on the bar, each a different shade of amber.

For local beer, That Beer Place pours draught beer and cider with tasting flights. Families and dogs are welcome, though event nights change the feel.

Spookton Brew Co brews right in the city centre and opens its taproom on set days. Smaller measures let you try a few, and the bar staff know which beers were brewed in Chester or elsewhere in Cheshire.

Before a show at Storyhouse

The bar hums, the five minute call sounds, and nobody has to rush their last sip.

Before a show, The Kitchen inside Storyhouse means no second walk to the theatre, and an early meal leaves time to find your seats.

Enjoy the Pause is a cosy two bedroom holiday home within Chester's old walls. Stay with us and Storyhouse is an 11 minute walk from your front door, and the evening ends with a stroll home through quiet streets, with no taxi to wait for.

For a later finish, The Guild fills the old Holy Trinity Church on Watergate Street with cocktails and a heated terrace.

Telford's Warehouse by the canal, and the Albion's snug

Around 1790, Thomas Telford built a warehouse on the canal where boats sailed in through arches to be loaded inside. Today the same brick building pours a pint beside the water.

Telford's Warehouse is a pub and live music venue now, so it suits an early drink by the water or a later one with a band.

For a quieter pint inside the walls, the Albion on Park Street is a Victorian corner pub with three small rooms and a snug, its walls hung with First World War posters, flags and enamel signs. It's known for home cooked food, and CAMRA lists its interior as one of special national historic interest.

A quieter drink comes early in the evening, away from race days and big match nights, and our Chester events calendar shows when those are.

The short walk home

Last orders are called, and home is closer than the taxi rank.

The best part of a night out in Chester is how close home is. From Lower Bridge Street your front door is 3 minutes away, through the quiet streets inside the walls, with no taxi queue and no last train.

For dinner first, our family friendly restaurants guide has ideas for every age, and our cafés in Chester cover the slow coffee next morning. When your dates are set, how booking direct works is a short read.