Pub crawl couple rate 38 Chester boozers during 'wonderful' two-day city stay

They've now visited more than 5,000 UK pubs

A couple touring and reviewing the UK's boozers have returned to Cheshire for another pub crawl. The Great British Pub Crawl is a project taken on by Nottingham natives, Dale Harvey and Holly Booth, who have now rated more than 5,000 watering holes - including a whopping 38 new venues over two days following a recent trip to Chester.

It's fair to say they were completely won over by the city and its wide selection of pubs and bars - and they'll be heading back soon to visit the venues they didn't have time to sample. "What a wonderful couple of days in the amazing city of Chester," they said on their Facebook page. "Thirty eight pubs ticked off in total so far but so many more to come back and visit still!"

Here's what they thought...

Day one

The Deva Tap

Having rolled ourselves into Chester for 12.30pm, we kicked off the first of two days here on the city centre outskirts at a wonderful craft beer house called 'The Deva Tap' where you are literally spoiled for choice on keg and cask offerings with some EXCEPTIONAL choices and styles of beer on there! Chap running the place was a lovely guy, they have a great menu that's got some epic burgers on and a lovely small outdoor space that is a real suntrap as well... a wonderful start to the day in Chester.

The Boot Inn

We took as stroll through the historic streets of Chester to get our bearings and the next place we called in at was 'The Boot Inn' which sadly is a Samuel Smith's place, which made filming almost impossible and that's a real shame as you definitely need to be able to see this gorgeous place. Quoting 1643 as its year of origin, the place is full of gorgeous original beams and features.

Death By Tacos

It was then time to line the stomachs ahead of today's main drinking activity and along to a dive bar called 'Death By Tacos' which is decked out with skateboards, wrestling figures and guitars all across the place. Really friendly guys that run it and a fantastic little menu of Mexican delights... alongside some Fish Tacos, I sampled The Birria Taco and, if I may borrow a saying from the late, great Brian Clough... 'I'm not saying this is the BEST Taco I've ever eaten... but it's in the top one...' - absolutely phenomenal. I was only gutted that the Octopus Taco that was on their Facebook page from a couple of weeks back, is finished... as I would also have been all over that!! A great little dive bar doing exceedingly good things.

Bishop Lloyds

A couple of doors down, if you glance upwards, you'll spot Bishop Lloyds Palace where the newly opened bar, 'Bishop Lloyds' looks absolutely great (you'll find it up the steps, just above Be At One Cocktail Bar) Lovely chap that has set it up and this should do really well around here as its got a lovely look and ambience to it. A 500-year-old building that now houses this which is nice to see as the council owned space was actually a pub called 'The Yacht' over 200 years ago before having many other uses over the years and now returning to a bar...

The Watergates

Just along from there and back down at street level is 'The Watergates' which is part of an old crypt that has been there since the 1180s. As you'd expect, this place is now rumoured to be pretty haunted and some of the ghost stories surrounding the place include a little girl who apparently died in the Great Plague of 1665 who can be seen sitting in the snug area and a Priest who had assisted in an escape, who was captured by soldiers and 'bricked up' whilst still alive in the tunnels below. Now owned by Greene King, the place is a stunning one to walk into and highly impressive to look at with the temperature noticeably dropping as you walk in... spooky.

The Cavern Of The Curious Gnome

We then headed for one of the most recommended of the day... 'The Cavern Of The Curious Gnome' which is one that plays hide and seek with you to find... haha... as its situated above the wine bar called 'Paysan' but in order to access it, you have to go into Paysan, walk through and head up the stairs. It's a really quirky place with toadstool seats and plenty of interesting things to look at... but the beauty of it, lies within it's beer selection with 15 keg lines and four cask... in all styles and nationalities... a brilliant, rather quirky, beerhouse.

The Marlborough Arms

With a view to getting along to a place called 'The Church' for its opening time at 5pm to make sure it would be quiet enough to film a good video in... we started on the walk towards that and next stop off was to 'The Marlborough Arms' which is currently up for rent according to a board outside. It's a narrow old pub that goes back a fair way giving a capacity of around 100 probably. It does cask ale and has four hand pulls there on the bar alongside eight keg lines. It's a rustic looking little place and in any other city, you'd look at this place and say how beautiful it is... but with it being in Chester, there is a LOT of competition to stand out... however, I think this one would be brilliant as a craft beer and real ale house so if anyone is currently looking for a pub to let... this is worth enquiring after for sure. It also comes with a 4am licence every day of the week and apparently gets rammed late in the day.

The Church

We made it round to 'The Church' for 5pm and it is indeed a modern style bar, now housed in a beautiful old church. Plenty of space inside, across dual levels and a lovely terrace space to soak up some sun with a beer in hand. Decent little keg mix of stuff and plenty of spirits on board... feels like a younger crowd would frequent the place and make it a happening little late night venue.

The Lock Keeper

We needed to head to our accommodation for the night then and check in so on the walk to that, we made one quick stop off at the glorious looking 'Lock Keeper' who have an outdoor space that looks out onto the water front and is the perfect setting for any kind of sunshine beer! Pub-wise, it's nice enough inside, if a little generic looking but there isn't much to get excited about on the beer front with Doom Bar the cask ale offering and usual tap suspects also supplied by Molson Coors. The beauty of the place lies in the front outdoor space though of course...

The Old Harkers Arms

After checking in quickly at our lovely little guest house, it was swiftly back to the task at hand as we headed for 'The Old Harkers Arms' which is a mammoth pub housed in what looks like an old warehouse style building down on the water front. A food lead place that was absolutely packed with diners and drinkers that spill out into its ample outdoor space. Good mix of cask ale and keg stuff, friendly staff and a great looking menu...

The Cellar

Head up the stone steps and back to regular ground level where it's a very short walk to find 'The Cellar' which is a true craft and cask house with excellent mixture of both... whenever I spot an untapped beer board on a screen, I just know I'm gonna love the place and this one was brilliant! Great looking little bar inside that doesn't necessarily give you the wow factor at first glance from outside... but TRUST me... you definitely want to be going in here...

The Cornerhouse

Across the road from there is the sister pub for 'The Cellar' which is called 'The Cornerhouse' and this one certainly DOES bring the external wow factor with it... is the beer line up as good as The Cellar? No it isn't, but there is still plenty to sink your teeth into and the ambience and vibe inside is superb... These guys have two BELTING businesses within spitting distance of each other and are both well worthy of a visit.

That Beer Place

Walk down into the Subway and across to the other side of the road, you'll easily come across 'That Beer Place' and it is everything that the name suggests... This has EVERYTHING you could want from a micropub style craft beer house... tap selection is on point, the can offerings in the fridge are endless... and the landlord is called Dale... so they automatically have legendary status in my book... it's a 10/10... and just happens to be the NATIONAL CAMRA Cider & Perry Pub Of The Year...

Spookton Brew Co. Taproom

Then headed three minutes around the back of the side streets to get ourselves to 'Spookton Brew Co. Taproom' which is a great little brewery tap... sampled one of their own brews and was very impressed indeed. Nice little warehouse space, well tucked away round the back but 100 per cent worth seeking out...

Number Fifteen

Back out onto the main street where there are a cluster of places to do... so seeing as it was pub number 15 up next... we headed for 'Fifteens' where there was a karaoke in full swing with a top lad in charge of it who has a great voice and presence. Good late night venue this with plenty of screens all over for the sport.

The Square Bottle

Having 'accidentally' stumbled in to singing not one... but TWO songs... it was then time to quickly hurry to 'The Square Bottle' which is the city 'Spoons... mid-sized type Spoons... wide array of ages in and a couple of decent guests amongst the hand pulls.

Old Queens Head

Opposite that is the city's Craft Union pub, which is known as the 'Old Queens Head' and does exactly what you'd expect from a CU pub later in the evening, with a DJ going and a fun time atmosphere... also some karaoke on offer in here... and of course... the great CU drinks offers.

Off The Wall

As we sailed past midnight, we sought out anything else that was open and ended up at 'Off The Wall' which looks and sounds like everything I should probably hate about a bar... but in all honesty, it's a great late night place with good vibes, a decent mix of tunes and fair mix on the bar taps. If you fancy a dance and a sing... you'll actually enjoy it.

So that was it for day one... but we cannot WAIT to get back out for day two and carry on working through this amazing city!

Day two

After a fabulous first day in the city of Chester, we were up bright and early to head out for day two, knowing that with it being a sunny Saturday, things would probably be very, VERY busy and we weren't wrong haha! Here's how our Saturday unfolded...

Union Vaults

To kick off day two in Chester it was out early and down to the city centre where we headed for the lovely little 'Union Vaults' where landlady Sarah has only been at the helm since December... but is doing a fantastic job! This lovely little pub is set on an unassuming residential street corner and is what I would call a PROPER PUB, a working man's, salt of the earth type place where the welcome men's you'll enter as a stranger but leave as a friend. They've got two Timothy Taylors ales on offer and a little mix of keg stuff, a pool table and... a bagatelle table... (you'll have to look that one up... but it does look a fun game). A lovely way to kick off day two!

The Leopard

It was then onto 'The Leopard' which we didn't make it into last night... which is a bit like a large, music playing 'Spoons type place with cheap prices, a couple of ales on and decent enough tap mix that look to me like they come from Heineken/Star... a proper sport pub with friendly service, a pool table and dart boards.

Brewhouse & Kitchen

Stop three took us to 'Brewhouse & Kitchen' which is part of the nationwide chain that brew their own unique beers at each site. Very impressive looking building, great mix of keg and cask offerings and a decent menu as they always are.

Ye Olde Kings Head

From there we took a 10 minute walk round to 'Ye Olde Kings Head' which dates back to 1622AD and is currently under the ownership of Heineken/Star. The history literally washes over you as you set foot into this glorious looking old house that's full of original beams on sloping ceilings and has that glorious musty old pub smell about it... the ladies running it are doing a great job, with three ales on offer and a welcoming nature. It's a definite MUST see when you're in Chester... and is also rumoured to be the MOST HAUNTED PUB in the UK.

The Brewery Tap

Just opposite that and up the old stone steps is 'The Brewery Tap' owned by Spitting Feathers Brewery... housed in Gamul House which was a Jacobean Great Hall, rumoured to have been built in the 13th Century. Over the years it's been a boarding school which closed in the 1860s and then remained empty and neglected for a number of years... bought by Chester City Council in the 1970s, it had some major work done to make it safe and help get it into the form we see today. Another eye watering place that needs a visit... Brilliant beer selection of keg and cask, lovely staff and decent looking menu.

Black Bush

Directly below that is a great little Irish Bar called 'Black Bush' run by a lovely chap. Decent authentic Irish mix on the bar alongside some European lager styles and a couple of ales. Nice looking little bar that's been built into tunnels.

Bear & Billet

At the base of the hill there is the 'Bear & Billet' which is another historic looking, white fronted pub with black beams... uneven floors and plenty of original features... Offering a Pieminister food menu, several great ales and excellent keg mix... this old place is steeped in glory throughout.

The Cross Keys

Over the road is 'The Cross Keys' which is a Joules pub and it's everything you'd expect these guys to deliver on. Glorious looking place that's been refurbed in the classic Joules style that makes it look and feel old... great mix of Joules cask and craft and a great stop off.

The Albion Inn

Then up into the side streets so that we could take in Chester's most 'traditional pub' - 'The Albion Inn' which is like a glorious little trip back in time... traditional pub values and a look to match... where you're just as likely to enter via the rear kitchen door as through the front entrance as this one still operates like it did back in the day! The landlady is lovely and just GETS IT when it comes to how a pub should be! Great old school décor and a lovely traditional vibe with three ales on offer.

The Golden Eagle

Back across Bridge Street and up the road to reach 'The Golden Eagle' which is the first place that I've seen Bass on the hand pulls in the whole of Chester... which is alongside another couple of ale choices. A bustling side street pub with its own traditional values and history that dates back to 1622... well worth seeking out...

The Saddle Inn

Head down the alleyway at the side of the pub and within 60 seconds you'll have reached the true Rock Pub of the city... 'The Saddle Inn' which is so rock n roll that it's hand pulls are Guitars... With a gig venue attached that had some 'Doom Metal' bands playing and a very extensive food menu for a rock pub... this one seems to also cover all bases... top atmosphere, great staff and a real ROCK PUB vibe... We grabbed a bit of scran whilst here too... a meat feast pizza and a bowl of chili nachos and they were 10/10... I don't think you'll find a rock pub anywhere else that's offering better quality food to its punters... Also doubles up as a hotel but sadly was fully booked by the time we were looking for somewhere to stay... rooms look awesome though!

Guild Bar

Next up was 'The Architect' but with a 20-minute queuing system even to get TO the bar and a garden and building so packed that there was barely room to swing a cat... we opted to crack on with our day meaning that we headed up the road to 'Guild Bar' which is another that's housed in an old church building. It's doing a roaring trade without a single available seat in the house but, much like the other place in Chester that's just called 'The Church' it has been very modernised inside and is definitely trying to appeal more to the younger party vibe crowd than anything else...

Ye Olde Custom House Inn

Opposite that is 'Ye Olde Custom House Inn' which is a really friendly Marston's owned house so, the beer may not be my favourite but I certainly can't fault the glorious looking building or the staff, who are just lovely. It's a really decent sized place with good food offering, that's made up of two old buildings knocked through into one to give the modern look of the place as it is today. A great looking place that's got some lovely features throughout...

Beer Heroes

Next up it was on to 'Beer Heroes' and this one is very aptly named and can be my hero any day of the week as its got some absolute STONKERS amongst its 12 key keg lines... including the awesome but lethal... Delirium Red... and that's before we even move into the 'Beer Cave' and start to take in some of the can range on offer... a brilliant little beer house packing a serious punch...

The Dublin Packet

With the city centre area still absolutely vibing along the main street and most places too packed to even consider trying to get into... we headed around the corner and up to 'The Dublin Packet' where there was a really great acoustic singer belting out some tunes... a long, narrow pub with an ale on offer alongside a decent tax mix...

The Pied Bull

Next up, we headed along to one of the other most recommended places we'd had... 'The Pied Bull' which is a brew pub for the micro brewery of the same name housed within this stunning old hotel and pub. Dating back to 1535, this one is full of character and charm alongside a great mix of cask and keg offerings. Gorgeous inside and out with very friendly staff and some lovely looking rooms...

Red Lion

Next door is the 'Red Lion' which is, of course, our most recurring name for a pub on the crawl... a mega party style atmosphere at 9pm with decent and varied age range of folks in... both cask and keg on the bar...

The Shropshire Arms

It was tonight's Craft Union place up next and this one, on the other side of the city to the one we visited last night, is called 'The Shropshire Arms' and it's had a brilliant bit of live music going that had packed the place out! Standing room only downstairs... however they do have some additional seating upstairs... and yes they did have the classic three x WKDs deal on offer... although it wasn't the usual three for £6... but three for £7!!! Haha... I'll let them off though...

Liverpool Arms

Stop 19 of the day and our penultimate stop off for Chester had us take a short stroll to the 'Liverpool Arms' which is an LGBTQ pub that had disco in full swing, a friendly and inclusive atmosphere and good mix of folks in... nice looking old pub again with the classic white frontage covered in those gorgeous black beams...

The Bull & Stirrup

The final stop of my five day long road trip took us to 'The Bull & Stirrup' which is the other of the city Spoons... this one feels by far the better quality of the two Chester Spoons and has a really good craft beer selection of cans in the fridges...

38 of Chester ticked off so far... SO many more still to come back and do...

You can visit the couple Facebook page here.

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