Quick info
About The Architect
The Architect is a pub in Chester on Nicholas St, opposite Chester Racecourse. Thomas Harrison designed the Georgian building as his own residence, and a modern garden room has since been added, so the pub has an original section and a newer one. The garden room is built around a large bar. The kitchen runs a daily menu of home cooked dishes, including fish and chips served with garden peas and tartar sauce, and a beef roast dinner with roast potatoes and cauliflower cheese. A cheese and chicken pie-style dish also appears on the menu. The pub looks out over the racecourse.
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Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention fish and chips, roast beef dinner, roast potatoes and outdoor seating garden.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention fish and chips, roast beef dinner, roast potatoes and outdoor seating garden.
Customer Review Summary
Fish and chips is the draw reviewers raise most, with crispy batter, tender fish and generous chips, and one family of five calls it the best they have had in the UK. The Sunday roast beef comes close behind, praised for generous portions, crisp golden roast potatoes and a side of cauliflower cheese. Others mention a cheese pie, a chicken pie-style dish and a steak sandwich from the light bites menu, all described as delicious. Staff are repeatedly called friendly, and reviewers like the outdoor seating, the beer garden and the view over the racecourse. The one recurring caution is practical: one reviewer says the cobbled stones make disabled access a little challenging for people with mobility needs, and another found free parking possible for only some of their group, while others paid in the car park across the road. One reviewer, celebrating a birthday, found a card left on the table by the team, and another had a lost bank card kept safe until collected.
Customer Review Summary
Fish and chips is the draw reviewers raise most, with crispy batter, tender fish and generous chips, and one family of five calls it the best they have had in the UK. The Sunday roast beef comes close behind, praised for generous portions, crisp golden roast potatoes and a side of cauliflower cheese. Others mention a cheese pie, a chicken pie-style dish and a steak sandwich from the light bites menu, all described as delicious. Staff are repeatedly called friendly, and reviewers like the outdoor seating, the beer garden and the view over the racecourse. The one recurring caution is practical: one reviewer says the cobbled stones make disabled access a little challenging for people with mobility needs, and another found free parking possible for only some of their group, while others paid in the car park across the road. One reviewer, celebrating a birthday, found a card left on the table by the team, and another had a lost bank card kept safe until collected.
Featured reviews
- Sarah Bee
“Lovely Dog friendly pub with spacious beer garden. I had lost my card here, and staff were quick to respond when enquiring about it, kept it safe for me untill I collected. Thank you ❤️”
- Sophie Rigby
“We came with friends who'd never been before. It was very busy after the races. All well organised. We had a lovely meal. Our friends were impressed too. Thank you”
- Nathan Prince
“We had an amazing Sunday dinner at The Architect in Chester for three people today. The roast beef was absolutely superb, cooked beautifully and full of flavour. The portions were very generous, and everything felt like proper quality comfort food done really well. The roast potatoes were unmissable — crisp, golden and genuinely some of the best we’ve had. We also had the cauliflower cheese as a side, which was delicious and well worth ordering. A fantastic Sunday roast in a lovely setting. Highly recommended.”
- Toby L.
“Good food and friendly staff. Worth noting that disabled access can be a little challenging because of the cobbled stones, which may be difficult for some people with mobility needs.”
- PF
“The Architect in Chester is part of the same group as Harkers, so you can expect solid, reliable food without any surprises. It’s conveniently located near the race course, right in the heart of the city, making it easy to pop in whether you’re exploring or just want a proper meal. I went for the fish and chips with garden peas and tartar sauce. The fish was nicely cooked—crispy batter, tender inside—and the chips were generous and well done. The garden peas were simple but fresh, and the tartar sauce complemented the dish perfectly. Service was attentive and friendly, making the experience easy and relaxed. Nothing flashy, but for classic comfort food in a well-placed spot, The Architect hits the mark.”
Hours
- Monday
- Tuesday
- Wednesday
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Good to know
“The Architect is a classic pub restaurant within Chester's city walls overlooking the racecourse at Roodee. We are named in honour of Thomas Harrison, a prolific architect who designed the building as his own residence, along with designing Grosvenor Bridge and much of Chester Castle. The pub is a story of two halves: turn right through the glass connecting passage and the original Georgian building has cosy, domestic rooms that naturally lend themselves to a series of intimate dining rooms in classic style. Turn left into the new garden room and you'll find a spacious open plan room with a large bar at its heart and a buzzy, pubby feel to things, with glazed doors leading out to the dining terrace.”
- AccessibilityWheelchair-accessible car park · Wheelchair-accessible entrance · Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Amenities
- Wheelchair-accessible car park
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 2
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Wheelchair-accessible toilet
Location
Bars near The Architect
- 0.3 mi
outdoor terrace bar, former church setting, crafted cocktails
- That Beer Place4.85260.6 mi
craft ales on tap, bottles and cans fridge, beer tasting
- The Old Harkers Arms4.53,3250.7 mi
braised shoulder of lamb, canalside outside seating, real ales on handpump
| Place | Rating | Distance | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Architect | 4.53,613 | — | fish and chips, roast beef dinner, roast potatoes |
| The Church Chester Bar & Restaurant | 4.31,927 | 0.3 mi | outdoor terrace bar, former church setting, crafted cocktails |
| That Beer Place | 4.8526 | 0.6 mi | craft ales on tap, bottles and cans fridge, beer tasting |
| The Old Harkers Arms | 4.53,325 | 0.7 mi | braised shoulder of lamb, canalside outside seating, real ales on handpump |
The 3 nearest bars by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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