Uk Barblog

Toby Carvery (Hoole - Chester)

Toby Carvery

You learn a lot about a restaurant/family pub on a sunday when you are forced to wait for a good hour or so to be seated in an almost empty restaurant. This building standing outside any town centre is a haven for those families of broad stomach and little mind. The Cavary itself is unimpressive when you do finally get seated and the bar itself is overcrowded with slow bar staff but well priced drinks. The seating is all crammed together on the right hand side and looking for a seat at the back you find yourself waiting in the garden on the coolest of summer days. I have to say that this place was not as impressive as i had hoped and although the bar is clean and the venue is filled with large oak panelling, arches and open fires the staff are rather unfriendly and management need to sort their act out.

Overall I am pretty certain I shall not return although it did not put me off the whole Toby Cavary chain, again the bar was suited only for waiting for the restaurant- do not be tempted to stop for more than a pint if you're just after a drink- 4/10.

The Living Room (Chester)

The Living Room

I haven't the faintest idea why this is called a living room when you enter what feels like the entrance to a stables guarded by two burly bouncers, entering a quiet and small courtyard-type room and then wading into what feels like a grand old style pub-house with thick oak finishings around, indoor greenery and absolutely jam packed with crowd. in fact its possibley one of the most crowded bars I have ever been into. i had to send a messenger to the bar who returned with reports of sleazy men and unconsented fondling. The drinks were of average chester price (too high for the area) and we were basically confined to a corner by the front door. The rest of the bar apparently sported a piano lounge and tables for food but none of these were apparent to me.

To get the most out of this place arrive early evening and get a couple in. Overall I was not impressed, the look outside gets the punters in but it is shabby and sleazy once inside, in all 4/10.

Number Fifteen (Chester)

Number Fifteen (No 15 Wine Bar Ltd)

In a drunken swagger we make our way around the streets of chester and into this interesting looking wine bar neighbouring the close by Vodka Revolution and Wetherspoons. The place was bathed in an orangey glow from a scattering of low wattage halogen bulbs and with a few tables sitting in the front window panned back into a long bar with tables to the right and bar to the left. The drinks were a little expensive at £2.80 a pint but there were available tables and it wasnt overly crowded. The staff were quite friendly and despite the blaring RnB I can still say we had a couple ofcomfortable pints.

Overall theres a lot better that Chester has to offer so this wouldnt be the first place I'd hit but then it wouldn't be the last either, could really shout home about it if the prices were more reasonable so on reflection its a 5/10.

Watergates Wine Bar (Chester)

Watergates Wine Bar

Apparently this bar used to be a crypt of some description but now it serves as one of the most popular venues in Chester. Two burly bouncers stand guard at the top of a staircase which leads down past a plateau of a couple of tables and into a dark and gothic venue jam packed with persons, pumping booming RnB music and a long medevil bar situated to the left (see picture). The bar is well stocked and the service is very fast despite the surge of persons with a pint costing  £2.80 and cocktails at £4.25  . We managed to make our way towards the back  of the room which opened out into a quieter drinking area with much seating which sat in the softer glow of dull-bulb lighting. This section was far better for having a sit down and a good gossip. The place itself is not at all large but is a much better place to come and drink than any old man pub.

I couldn't help but be impressed and despite how busy it was it was clearly the talking point of town because it was in fact so good. Overall undoubtedly 7/10.

NB: Ammie, the chav from Chester says "I love it in here, its dark so you don't look fat!!"

Loaf (Chester)

Loaf

I have come to expect a lot from Loaf as a chain, since my last experience at one in Manchester was so incredible. This particular venue feels somewhat like more of a double decker bar with less of a spruce than the deansgate bishop, this lower-class baron of a drinkery lays a long bar out in front of you spanning to the right onto a small makeshift dancefloor. To your rear and just inside the front windows are counches and comfortable furnishings. There is a large stairwell and the end of the downstairs bar which runs upwards into a large open plan effect bar, smaller than the one downstairs but just as well stocked. The age of the crowd is 20 something and the place seems even slightly empty at 9pm on a Saturday night, but then thats the effect of the place. Its £2.60 a pint which is a little expensive for up north but about average for chester.

Overall 7/10. Its a really nice place especially if you like those dance mixes and you like stretching your legs on a big couch ina  bar. Shame about the lack of drinks deals and prices..

RB's Night Club (Chester)

RB's Night Club (Rosies)

Who remembers when this one was called Rosies? Well frankly neither do I but it is indeed an old classic in some of the most respected parts of Chester. Its a one off fee to get into what is essentially a 3 tier club, the ground floor being on of the chain of Reflex clubs. This one aside the hallway stairs snake up to a first floor with a cloakroom ahead and to the right a champagne bar and a larger club/dance area with two bars and a dance floor with serious house tunes pumped into the crowd. The place gets very busy but not over-crowded and the drinks are a lot more expensive than they are on the ground floor. The forst floor is smaller than it looks though with mirrored walls to make it feel huge. The next floor up is an RnB floor with comfortable seating and a dark dance floor which trails off into a rounded area with a long bar and some more back stairs leading down to the lower levels. the place is a little bit of random with nice decoration in parts but all messed up in others. The top floor gets insanely overheated though and the crowd is in general a little violent.

Overall a good place to end up on a night out at the weekend, plenty of places to wander and thigns to drink even if it is a little expensive. The manner of the staff needed to improve- so its 6/10 for this classic number.

Reflex Bar (Chester)

Reflex Bar

Strictly the setup of bars/clubs is a little messy so although reflux bar is part of a national chain of 80's bars it sits in the same building as RB's Club in Chester town centre. Therefore its the same fee to enter both but be warned the bar prices are way cheaper in this little saturday night fever festival. Expect to enter a long plush bar ablaze with neon signs, giant rubix cubes, disco balls and one hell of a crowd. The bar follows the legth of the room before the rets of the club snakes into a dancefloor. I admti to spending most of my night at the bar- dont get me wrong the drink proces were amazing! £1.20 a shot, £1.50 a bottle but the bar was totally rammed! I waited in excess of 45minutes for a round and this left a sour taste on my night even if the bar was practically free.

Flares has nothing on this place its atmosphere and music totally overshadows the bar wait and as such it gets a sick little 7/10.

Slug and Lettuce (Chester)

Slug and Lettuce

Entering off the cobbled streets of chester town centre plants you amidst a thriving crowd of young persosn as the entrance to this long pub divides into a platform which trails off onto seating at the right and on the left a very long bar. The bouncers a quite friendly and will let most people in but the drinks are a mean £4 a pint and there are mirrors at the far end of the venue to make it look longer. There is green lighting all around and long waits at the bar to be expected. The place is in fact artificauilly crowded. Poeple seem to mill towards the entrance and its almost empty at the back. The crowd is packed with sleazy blokes and bisexuals but the furniture is comfortable and the music, although commercial steers away from the cheese.

Overall a 5/10, the prices realy kick you in the teeth.

Temple Bar (Chester City Centre)

Temple Bar

Dashing around Chester in a drunken manner should plant every reveller in this welcoming establishment. Temple Bar, opposite yates in the town centre has a very pub-like feel about it but approaching the bar it becomes apparent that there are cheap cocktails and fine brews available. The staff were friendly and it was fairly easy to get served. I definitely recommend attending during the early evening as I am sure this place gets packed later on. At £2.80 a glass of cocktail we ordered up a great number followed by shots- a quick parade around the fruit machines before heading back out into the town centre.

Quick and Easy- no fuss cheap Bar- 6/10

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Wetherspoons (Chester)

Wetherspoons

In the town center of chester sits a large wetherspoons but with a disappointingly low ceiling. Ok its not that noticeable but there are bouncers on the door, youths perched outside gagging to get in and a bar with two sides at which it seems to take forever to get served. Its a very dingy smokey wetherspoons which is hard to imagine given its so big so its easy to find a cove to hide in and eat you cheap cod and chips. The drinks are obviously cheap and being that you are literally next to Vodka Revolution you couldnt be in a more prime location.

Its dead weird for a Wetherspoons but cheap all the same therefore 6/10.

Yates(Chester City Centre)

Yates

A charming little Yates and im sure theres more than one in this heavy drinking city. This one was just a ground floor establishment with some old men up for a cheesy bop and the usual cheap prices, not overally popular and a good location to reach other bars around. I didnt get the full effect i'm sure because it was still light out when I went in for a drink but i did enjoy it.

Overall 7/10 cos as far as I could tell there was nothing wriong with the place.

Destiny & Elite Nightclub (Chester)

Destiny Nightclub

Another oversized masterpiece on the outskirts of Chester city Centre. This club plays the best of house, trance and dance with a dazzling setup and massive dance arena. There is a lot fo seating outside this dancefloor with many bars, however the rpices on drinks is too expensive to bear, After four rounds i found my wallet empty so landed myseklf in the dance pit. A powerful experience..

Warrenting this monster a 7/10.

Vodka Revolution (Chester City Centre)

Vodka Revolution

This was the first Vodka revolution I went in and I was very impressed at first glance but be aware that the 1000's of shots they offer at the bar are all revolting. They are all as strong as they taste and the best bit is actaully the cocktails. The bar staff are friednly but it is almost impossible to get the bar, you have more luck finding a seat. The place trails off towards the back with toilets upstairs and a loud student crowd fills this place every weekend. The variety of drinks is what sells this place everytime.

Therefore it gets a 7/10 because its so good at getting you smashed!