The Brewery Tap

The beef and Shepherd’s pies were both excellent, the former served with great, fat chips, and the latter not at all gamey. The prices seemed a bit steep but the servings are large. Many beers on tap, mostly local and eight drawn from beer engine taps.
The main room is a great interior space.

During a recent trip to Chester, my girlfriend and I had a little bit of time to kill before our train left to go home and so we set out in search of a good beer or two. We decided to check out The Brewery Tap, having walked past it earlier in the day and debating whether or not to go in whilst we were in the city.
Firstly, let me say that their door is pretty tiny — I mean seriously tiny — though this is really only because it’s a full size door frame with a twin door in it which opens separately at the middle. So, not really a tiny door, just that you’re inclined to open only half a door. The entrance itself is also up a small flight of stone stairs, and I’m not sure whether there’s any other access arrangements for disabled patrons either. (Perhaps this is a good reason to return and check, right?)
Once you’re inside, though, the atmosphere is pretty cool. The building which The Brewery Tap occupies is an old Jacobian holding, and the interior certainly oozes with period charm. It’s softly lit, there’s a lot of wood and stone, and it is definitely the kind of ambiance you’d expect for a tap house this close to The Rows and Chester’s famous walls.
The range of ale was decent, with around 6 on tap. I opted for a walk down memory lane and went for a Kelham Island beer, Riders on the Storm, whilst my girlfriend opted for a cider. They had at least one ale on from the local brewery, Spitting Feathers, who I believe are associated with the pub, though I can’t recall the name of it unfortunately.
The beer was good, as I remembered it being, and the staff were really friendly. The chap behind the bar explained when I asked that there was a £10 minimum for card payments, but that if it came to less he’d give me some cash back to make it up or sort it out in some fashion which was cool.
As well as the bar area, there’s a separate section off to one side of the building which is a dining area for those who want food here. We’d eaten elsewhere earlier in the evening, though, so we didn’t sample their food.
The Tap was a bit quiet, but then we were visiting on a Wednesday evening so not really prime time for a session on the ol’ ale, but The Brewery Tap is the kind of place which I would almost certainly be a regular at if I lived in Chester.
If you’re in the city and want a good pint, you should definitely check out The Brewery Tap. Cracking little ale house.

Such a charming place. Very grand and olde in appearance. Jacobean apparently.
They were serving the excellent Pogo from Salopian among about 8 ales I think. I followed it up with Spitting Feathers Thirst Quencher, which did what it promised but no more. Spitting Feathers are the brewery that owns the pub.
Enjoyed their cheese plate while discussing European and UK politics with a couple of very nice chaps from just across the border.

Popped in here for lunch before visiting Chester Christmas markets. Good food, good wine, nice atmosphere, friendly staff; worth navigating the steep steps in the rain for! The only down side for me is that they let a dog in whilst I was eating.

I could have sworn I’d written a review about this place. obviously not!
This is one of my many Chester haunts, hidden away at the end of Bridge Street, just after another good pub called the King head…
You have to make it up a steep set of stone steps and squeeze through the very Very narrow doorway to get in, but the reward is worth it. This place is draped in lovely medieval like tapestries hanging from high beams, encompassed by old solid wooden furniture. This place sure feels like a step in time, all you need is a beer wench and a roast hog in the middle.
if you are a dirty Carlsburg drinker then you may want to leave now, this place only serves good local ale, from Chester’s own Spitting Feathers to Magpie pale ale. Most of these beverages pack a punch too from 4% to 7% so eat the victuals here before you proceed !
The food here has never let me down in all of the years I have been coming here. Here you will find good old honest pub grub but non cliché and full of quality and flavour… This time i ordered the cauliflower soup which was served in a earthen bowl, it was so creamy and tasty especially with the huge chunk of bread and butter to dunk in!
For the main i usually go for the fish, this time I asked for the Pollock to be baconless. this was cooked perfectly with such amazing leek mash…
Everything tastes natural, and there is such a nice ambiance especially at night when everyone has finished work and warms their hands around a candle flame.
This is indefinably one of my favourite retreats in Chester, definitely a winner for the cold season :) my only grumble is that its too quiet in the early afternoon and some good music would fix that. Even have the local violinist Ed Alleyne-​Johnson play the night!

Beautiful place & it’s so full of character. Great setting and friendly staff. It is as the name would insinuate — a traditional ale house, not my thing personally but I can definitely see the attraction here for those that do and I certainly wasn’t left out just because I don’t drink ale– there was some lovely cider available and an array of other options!
The only let down is the steep steps in & out– which are the only option as far as I’m aware (but I couldn’t be 100% on that there could be another entrance hidden somewhere!) so don’t make this your last stop after a few too many but definitely make it a stop at some point in your evening– worth a visit!

Such a unique real ale pub, owned by the Spitting Feathers’ — a local Chester based Brewery. Entry is actually on the first floor and you climb a set of stone steps to reach it — so not that wheelchair/​buggy friendly. You enter into a high vaulted ceiling room which is the main bar and there’s a separate small side room dedicated solely for dining.
The whole place is slightly themed. WAIT… don’t click away! This is actually good thing for once, as they avoid tacky uniforms and instead theme the menu, subtle décor in keeping with the age of the building and most importantly the authentic ale. It’s all very nicely done and surprisingly affordable, with main meals costing between £7 — £12.
I found the menu exciting, you can forget your ubiquitous gastro pub burger. Here they’ve taken historical references, so expect less common options such as hare stew and whole partridge. I found it so difficult to decide, but in the end opted for failsafe sausages and mash (exotic, non?) and my OH ordered the frisbee-​sized beef pie. Both were delicious and completely home cooked, even some of the condiments are made in-​house. I tried the house tipple and can highly recommend a pint of ‘Smoked Autumn’ one of the current seasonal ales, it’s not too smokey and has a lovely slight sweetness.
My midweek visit meant that the atmosphere was very laid back, yet there was enough bustle and other drinkers/​diners for it not to not feel dead. However, I’ve tried to eat here on a Saturday lunchtime in the Summer and there were punters lined up from the bar to the door — so be warned it can definitely get busy and if you’re planning to visit maybe book ahead.

An absolute must visit! This and the Boot are the best places in Chester. Food here is brilliant, the beer is great and the staff are wonderful. The Tap is Chester’s best kept secret!

I love this Pub. It is a ‘Real Ale’ lovers paradise. There are lots of guest beers — so if you’re not driving — it’s wonderful. The food is very lovely as well. Because of the popularity of the place — and the fact that it’s a bit small — it can get a bit cramped in there.
The nearest car park is Pepper Street Multi Storey.
if you like good beers — you must visit!