La Brasserie at The Chester Grosvenor

Dark wood, granite tables & soft leather seating make La Brasserie a good-looking retreat from the genteel hubbub that tends to overwhelm the touristy centre of historic Chester. There’s more than a whiff of high-end Parisian café society about the place, making it a hot choice for breakfast, daytime snacking & fully blown three-course dinners. Service is calm, attentive & on the friendly side of polite, & the menu is a reassuringly attractive mix of traditional brasserie standards (calf’s liver & bacon, roast cod with chickpeas) pepped up with more creative ideas. Open goats’ cheese ravioli & seared scallops with shredded pork rillettes & Granny Smith apple are both excellent starters, while Gressingham duck is prepared, cooked & presented superbly. To finish, take the waiter’s advice & try the rum baba. The wine list is accessible & comprehensive without being labyrinthine, & there’s a decent selection by the glass.