Upstairs at the Grill

We visited Upstairs at the Grill last night (28th December 25). We have been fortunate enough to have eaten in son great restaurants, the best of which was probably The Hand and Flowers in Marlow. Upstairs at the Grill comfortably sits alongside the best of them. The setting and service was excellent, staff were knowledgeable, attentive and friendly but not overly so. The steak was the star as you would expect, meat of the highest quality, seasoned and cooked to perfection (on the rare side of medium rare, just how I like it). However, the accompaniments , ohhhh the accompaniments! We started with the venison cone, (venison tartar, in a slightly meaty cone) and haggis fritters,, simple but ohh so good. We then had the scallops, sweet and salty and (we are detecting a theme here) cooked perfectly. Our sides with the steak were, carrots in Marmite (I could have dine with more Marmite as I am most certainly a lover), American style fries (they had run out of the Thrice Cooked Chips). Potatoes Dauphinoise, a pepper sauce and the Cafe de Paris Butter (this is a whole new flavour experience, and I spent five minutes trying to guess what was in it), Jay Rayner definitely should have chased his missing one up. I had the Brioche French Toast for dessert, which on reflection as I sit here the following morning is probably the finest dessert I have ever eaten, no exaggeration! Passionfruit, coconut, lime on a square of cooked brioche that had the slightest hint of meaty flavour (almost as if it have been cooked in the same pan as a steak) it was divine! All in all it was a fantastic experience and I hope to be back again soon. Thank you to the team.

We were visiting Chester for the night and found Upstairs at the Grill conveniently located in the centre. We were warmly greeted by the lovely Ben who was personable, professional and went above and beyond to ensure we had the best customer experience. He outlined the seasonal menu and made some good recommendations too. We opted for the Scallops, followed by a Fillet and Rump classic steak. Both were at least an inch thick! They were served with Marrow and Mushrooms, Triple-Cooked Beef Fat chunky chips and a rich Pepper sauce. The scallops were cooked to perfection and had a beautiful flavour and were perfectly paired with apple and Jerusalem artichoke Veloute; which was delicious! The. steaks were very tasty despite not being the Signature selection and we had to be rolled out with huge bellies 😂 Ben also surprised us with arranging cocktails that were not on the menu at our request, which really made us feel valued as customers. You won't get much change out of £100 but worth every penny. If you are coming to Chester Upstairs at the Grill is well worth a visit. Thanks Ben and the Team

This was an amazing restaurant experience. Freya and Dan were absolutely faultless. Never had service like this before in a restaurant. They both gave fantastic recommendations on what to eat and we tried it all. Would rate this as one of my best restaurant experiences ever. The food was amazing. The service impeccable. If you like meat and your in Chester then this place is a no brainer.

After reading reviews we knew we wanted to visit here during a recent trip to Chester and it did not disappoint. Booked for Sunday Lunch and the meal was fantastic, both myself and my partner agreed it was the best roast we'd ever eaten out. The beef was cooked to perfection, exactly how we had asked, and the cocktails were also so good. The desserts didn't disappoint either. The restaurant itself felt exclusive and high end without feeling unwelcoming. The staff were friendly and chatty. Highly recommend this gorgeous restaurant!

We had a wonderful evening at Upstairs at the Grill. The food was absolutely delicious – full of flavour and cooked to perfection. Every dish felt thoughtfully prepared, and it really showed. The service was excellent too, could not fault it. The staff were friendly, attentive, and impressively knowledgeable about the menu. It was clear that a lot of care went into making sure every detail was just right. Their attention to detail was second to none, and they made us feel completely looked after throughout the evening. It’s rare to find a restaurant that seems to nail every aspect but tonight Upstairs at the Grill did that. I can’t recommend it highly enough, and we’ll definitely be back soon!

An absolutely fantastic experience. A truly remarkable dining experience, provided by a driven and tremendous team of staff. The additional treats my wife and I were given after we celebrated our marriage was out of this world. Providing a memory that will stay with us as we embark on our journey together. A true feast on the eyes and taste buds! Our close friends also emphasised their delight due to the dining experience. Outstanding value for money. A truly amazing restaurant where food quality, service and wow-factor are evoked and displayed simultaneously!

Came here to celebrate my girlfriend’s birthday and couldn’t recommend it more. From start to finish, the whole experience and staff were fantastic, especially the blonde waitress and the gentleman host with the beard (sorry, I didn’t catch their names). The food was amazing and we can’t wait to return.

We celebrated our friends registering their marriage with a lovely lunch at the restaurant. The food, staff and atmosphere were amazing and every single person made the experience special. The cocktails were really creative and the food was outstanding, really recommend the creamy spinach as a side! Our waiter Davidson was so lovely and attentive, giving his congratulations and going above and beyond with the service. Thank you so much to the lovely team for allowing us to have an amazing afternoon. We’ll definitely be back!

This is a wonderful restaurant where the food is excellent and the staff are helpful & polite. My husband & I both had filets, cooked just as requested, & with 4 wonderful sides. (3 sides would have been plenty) We will be dining here again and will be recommending to friends.

Such a amazing place, such a great cosy atmosphere, the service was second to none, food was amazing, all round a great restaurant. Highly recommended.

What a revelation! We had booked a table for a late lunch at 3pm on a Wednesday. From the off this place had class. It has a very apt bistro feel to it. Everything is top quality; from the glassware to the napkins to the toilets - which were incredible - boudoir style, curtain entry, Thomas Crapper pull chain loo, proper towels (!!!), there was even a luxurious corner seat incase you fancied a sit down somewhere else in the room. We ordered the special; rump, chips and a parmesan & black pepper dressed salad. In the short wait we were offered house-baked baguette and butter. The salads arrived - a lovely mix of leaves with generous shavings of parmesan and a creamy peppery dressing. A trough of fries followed (to share between us) and then smoking skillets carrying perfectly cooked steaks. My parents commented on every single brilliant song in the playlist that accompanied our tasty steak meal. Wearing my favourite Fleetwood Mac tshirt, I sat with a mouth full of juicy rump steak and listened to one of my favourite Fleetwood Mac songs. Heaven.

This restaurant is a very nice place. It looks very appealing, although, where we were seated was not upstairs as the name suggests. You may be able to sit upstairs, I am unsure. I did not stay long enough to ask. Thankfully we were seated, as our online reservation did not register and we were told that this has happened a few times previously. We were also told that if this had been say, a Friday night, opposed to Sunday noon, we would not have a table as they get very busy. How humble. We ordered. A few minutes later we were told that they do not use the same supplier for their drinks, instead their drinks are homemade. My guess is that they had to specify due to the 'Sweet Dixie Kitchen' story that came out of Long Beach, CA. The need to specify where your food is from is probably a priority after that story. When we were waiting for our food, a table next to us left, the reasons why I do not know. They left in quite a rush. A few minutes later, another table left. This table sent their food back, moments after being served, and left moments after that. Their food was presumably not satisfactory, though they left so quick I could not inquire. Two members of my party ordered the Sunday roast. Very nice. I, on the other hand ordered Popcorn Chicken. Bad move. The meal consisted of a few (maybe three) pieces of chicken, some strangely nice chicken chorizo things (no idea what they were) and what I suppose the restaurant meant by "Popcorn Chicken". Actual pieces of popcorn that looked like they were dipped in chicken batter or some thing like that. Full disclosure, they were very weird. The actual chicken was nice though. I deducted half a star for the reservation mix-up. Half for the first table that left, and another half for the other table that walked. The last half a star was for the popcorn chicken. That being said, it wasn't a complete disaster. Therefore, three stars.

Perfect Sunday roast. Great service. Upstairs is a bit more private. Gents is a must see. Well done.

Upstairs at the Grill is a quirky little restaurant on the edge of Chester town centre. It's extremely small - with only 4 or 5 tables in total - meaning that pre-booking is 100% essential. The thing I like about this place is that they treat you to the full dining experience. You have to ring the doorbell when you arrive - you are then let in, they take your coats and then they show you upstairs to a tiny bar. They will take your drinks order and then begin talking you through the menu - before allowing you relax with your drinks whilst your table is prepared and your meal cooked. You then move downstairs to the restaurant to enjoy your food. The food itself is excellent - fantastic steaks, cooked just how you want - with a great range of sides and sauces. The only possible drawback is the price. Other than the Grosvenor, this is probably the most expensive place I have eaten in Chester - and the portion are not huge by any means. The wine list is good, but also very expensive. So all in all, a great place and a great experience - but the high price means it just misses out on 5-Stars.

Great cocktails and the service was excellent..... Food and wine perfect..... Back soon!!

Dinner Done Right. If you are after something a bit special, you'd do well to have an evening here. The dining area has only a handful of tables (so book *well* in advance), which means that each one receives excellent service on top of an outstanding meal. Very much recommended.

Best steaks I've ever had. I usually order the TV bone. Great service and atmosphere.

I like this place a lot, really good place to eat. Steaks are cooked to perfection and service is really friendly. I would recommend this place to everyone who likes a delicious steak. Its hard to get a table on weekends.

One of the nicest steaks that I have had. Waiter really made us feel welcome and had good knowledge of the cuts of meat. The whole evening was an experience. Will be going back for sure.

A truly excellent place to eat. The Sunday 2 for 1 is a remarkable offer and though we paid less than £30 for two we had three superb courses - a deconstructed prawn cocktail, stilton souffle, two chicken supremes with beautiful gnocchi and a superb creme brulee and huge pavolova - for less than £30! The offer doesn't include the roast which looks huge and very good qualiity and the food is quite light and not huge portions but we will be back very soon.

Have visited this restaurant twice when they have special offers on to give it a try. The Sunday Roast was one of the best we have had and we will definitely go again for this. The evening 2 for 1 special midweek was really tasty but very small portions. It is however a good way to see if you like the restaurant before booking a special occasion at the busy weekends. And we will do so. The staff were absolutely superb and clearly enjoy working there. The only criticism I have is that the house red wine was not good and overpriced. Remember to ask where the secret bell when you book or you may find you can't get anyone to answer the door!!