Old Harkers Arms

Pub Details

Address
Russell Street
Chester
Cheshire
CH3 5AL
Telephone
(01244) 344525
Opening Times
Weekdays
11.30 - 11
Sundays
12 - 10.30

Location

Good Pub Guide Recommended

Well run spacious canalside building with lively atmosphere, great range of drinks (including lots of changing real ales), and good tasty food The Shropshire Union Canal flows just feet away from the tall windows of this high-ceilinged early Victorian warehouse. Huge brick pillars cleverly divide the big airy interior into user-friendly spaces, and cheery staff spread a happy bustle. Mixed dark wood furniture is well grouped on stripped-wood floors, walls are covered with frame-to-frame old prints, and the usual Brunning & Price wall of bookshelves is to be found above a leather banquette at one end. Attractive lamps add cosiness, and the bar counter is apparently constructed from salvaged doors; selection of board games. You'll find a very wide range of drinks taking in around nine real ales on handpump including Phoenix Brunning & Price, Flowers Original and Weetwood Cheshire Cat, and half a dozen regularly changing guests from brewers such as Phoenix, Salopian and Titanic, more than 100 malt whiskies, 50 well described wines (with around half of them by the glass), eight or so farmhouse ciders and local apple juice.

Good Pub Guide Food

As well as a good range of interesting sandwiches, nicely presented carefully sourced bar food - a good balance of homely dishes and more imaginative ones - might include ploughman's, mushroom and cheshire blue on walnut and raisin toast, crispy duck salad with spiced plum dressing, smoked fish and cider pie, beef, ale and stilton pudding, cauliflower, chick pea, sweet potato and apricot tagine with apricot couscous, battered haddock, and rump steak with tarragon butter.

Bar food times: 12 - 9.30

Good Pub Information

Dogs allowed in: Dogs Anywhere

Rating

  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
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Rating: 3/5 (429 votes cast)

Reader Comments

paulhu

Monday 02 May 2011 7:51:37 pm


Popped in for a drink last week while on holiday. I had a great pint of 'porter' The place was buzzing lovely location. We were tempted by the menu but finally decided to eat in the Thai restaurant we had booked upstairs instead. Nice place !

capkeho

Thursday 28 January 2010 6:45:58 pm

Real gem of a pub. Where better to spend miserable Sunday than in this glorious pub watching the splashes of rain hit the surface of the Shropshire Union Canal a few feet outside. Inside a real comfortable feel with customers playing scrabble, reading the Sunday papers, enjoying Sunday lunch as well as the excellent drinks on offer. I had a pint of Weetwoods Cheshire Cat followed by their own brew of Brunning Original.
The girls selected from the excellent range of wine by the glass.
A first class pub wich combines comfort, excellent food and drink in a great city centre location.

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