The best restaurants in Cheshire

Arkle is the feather in Chester’s foodie cap. The three AA Rosette restaurant, located in the grand Chester Grosvenor Hotel, is the hautest of haute cuisine in the city. It offers five and seven-course tasting menus as well as wine flights from some of the finest cellars in the country – as well as an appearance in the Michelin Guide, Arkle also has the AA Notable Wine Award.

There’s a story behind the American and British flags that fly over the entrance to The Bells of Peover, a country dining pub in a village south of Knutsford.

La Boheme is a well-thought-of, family-run French restaurant near Lymm. The decor and the plating are a bit dated but considering the quality of the food, it offers impeccable value, particularly the lunch and early-evening menus.

Located in a Grade II Listed building from 1626, The Bridge is full of charm, whether you’re going for a weekend away or Sunday lunch. This hotel and restaurant sits on the banks of the River Bollin in the picturesque Cheshire village of Prestbury, and has been newly refurbished.

This independent, 30-cover restaurant in Chester is the brainchild of local chef Liam McKay. Sourcing is a priority at Chef’s Table with 90% of veg supplied by the Natural Veg Men and a list of fully local and British suppliers for everything else. They also commit to using only sustainable palm oil.

Chez Jules is one of Chester’s must-visit restaurants, especially for fans of relaxed French cooking. The daily-changing menu offers simple bistro fare with dishes like French onion soup, tartiflette, beef bourguignon and steak with cafe de Paris butter. Think market-fresh ingredients shown off at their peak.

The Cholmondeley Arms, or ‘The Chum’ as it’s known, is a country estate pub that’s as welcoming for four-legged furry folks as it is for us mere two-legged types. Both Sawday’s and the Sunday Telegraph have recognised the pub as a top place to stay with your pup

The Church Inn is a gorgeous country pub with a big reputation. The food and drink lives up to its quaint chocolate box charm and draws in punters from all over Cheshire and Greater Manchester.

Cibo Wilmslow is a stylish Italian restaurant where you can enjoy good food and a spot of people-watching. (Wilmslow is part of Cheshire’s ‘Golden Triangle’ of affluent, celebrity-favoured towns and villages).

Covino Restaurant and Wine Bar is a small, owner-run establishment located in the heart of Chester.

The Dysart Arms has roaring fires, antique prints, higgledy-piggledy bookshelves kind of look while being quite light and airy at the same time. There’s also a lovely beer garden overlooking the churchyard. It’s a good place to finish off a country walk – in fact, you can download a circular route from the pub’s website.

Evuna Knutsford brings together playful Spanish tapas dishes and an excellent wine offering.

Full of character and history, The Golden Pheasant is a cosy village inn with real fires, dog-friendly sections inside, and large gardens with a children’s play area and views of the Cheshire countryside. There’s also award-winning JW Lees cask ales and seasonal home cooked food.

Next Door is one of Cheshire’s most delightful restaurants. Housed in Frodsham’s timber-framed old butcher’s shop, it’s full of charm and is well-known locally for its superb cooking. It has a place in the Michelin Guide and has been awarded three AA Rosettes.

Housed in a Grade II Listed building with a neo-classical facade, Chester’s Opera Grill is a grand, 400-seater restaurant from Individual Restaurants (the team behind Piccolino and the Restaurant Bar and Grill).

Pendergast’s Steakhouse offers a less butch take on the traditional macho steakhouse. There are standout cuts of beef but you’ll also find small plates, seafood and lighter mains as well as carefully-thought out dishes for vegetarians and vegans.

Piccolino Knutsford fits in perfectly with the Italianate villas and chic shops of this quirky Cheshire town. Situated on the narrow, buzzy High Street, it offers alfresco rooftop dining, a semi-private area for groups, and a second-floor bar.

Piccolino Grande Wilmslow is an elegant and glamorous restaurant with an airy open-plan design, a Tuscan terrace and luxurious furnishings. Service is excellent and a meal here always feels special.

This small family-owned French bistro is tucked away in pretty Marton, near Macclesfield. Heavily influenced by classical French cooking, the owner of La Popote is Dutch, his wife Scottish and their first restaurants were in South Africa. But the blend of influences works.

Multi-award-winning pub in the Cheshire countryside. Winner of countless ‘best pub’ awards, and established in 1708, the latest incarnation of The Roebuck Inn is owned by Cheshire Cat Pubs. The Grade II Listed building is now a bonafide ‘rustic country inn’ with six bedrooms, a bar, a bistro and a tiered beer garden.

The latest addition to the San Carlo family is the impressive £3 million Alderley Edge restaurant, boasting a sunlit dining terrace with a retractable roof and open flame fireplace. 

Located in Hoole, just outside Chester, this contemporary bistro falls under the Elite Bistros empire of chef-turned-restaurateur, Gary Usher. Having trained at The Chester Grosvenor, Chapter One and Chez Bruce, Usher is a chef with a passion for getting things just so.

Upstairs at the Grill is a class act. It brings together the polish of a swish Manhattan steakhouse with a beautiful historic setting on Chester’s Watergate Street.