The Old Harkers Arms

Featured reviews

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  Mark Isherwood

  ·1 month ago

  “Great location next ti the canal with seating outside so you can watch the world pass by. We stopped here on way back from town stating at Moxy hotel and had some lunch from the light bites oart of menu Fish Finger sandwich and a crispy beef wrap, both were great tasting and served with a small side salad which was different for both dishes. Nice selection turn of drinks available in this old warehouse type setting with a long history which is celebrated with history documents on the tables.”

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  Macauley Edwards

  ·2 months ago

  “Refused service!!! Turns out management don't serve people with children regardless of it being a preferance. My wife sat down outside accompanied by our 13month old son asleep in his pushchair, a manger walked past nothing said. I proceeded to the bar with a small baby change bag over my shoulder. Manger rushes over "chipper grin on his face" we don't allow children, we can't serve you! I referred to the sign, I thought it was a preference not a rule. To be met with sorry no we don't allow children!”

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  Tim Dunn

  ·4 months ago

  “Outstanding food. I had Shoulder of Lamb with a truly memorable gravy (they provided extra jug of it for me!). Unique beers like Plum Porter. An absolute treasure.”

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  Simon Lakin

  ·5 months ago

  “Busy old pub with a great beer selection. Dog friendly with pooches having their own water "keg" outside. Lovely to be able sit outside overlooking the canal and watch people go past. Interesting Spitfire replica opposite which was left after a charity raft race in July 2025. Recommend a visit. Oh and there are electric patio heaters outside with a button to turn them on for a short period (but you need to flick the switch behind them first).”

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  Richard Hurn

  ·5 months ago

  “Spent a lovely weekend in Chester a couple of weekends ago and visited The Old Harkers Arms for a Sunday lunch. Straight off the bat I will say it is not the cheapest in the area, and for comparison with other places in Chester I can't comment either -as we were there for only the one Sunday. But what I can say with some conviction is that this was one of the best Sunday lunches we've experienced. We were served by Hamish who was excellent throughout, thank you Hamish. The food; we both chose the lamb, which was succulent and like a small joint that moistly slipped off the bone, the roast potatoes were crunchy on the outside and perfectly fluffy in the middle. The vegetables tasted like they'd just been pulled from a nearby allotment / garden and were cooked to perfection not overdone or reheated. I cheekily asked if I could have a Yorkshire pudding even though I hadn't ordered the beef - no problem there. Compliments to the chef and all the staff serving and at the bar. Exceptional. I gave the restaurant 4 stars for the atmosphere because it was overshadowed by a rather loud brash and overexcited 20-year-old woman sitting next to us. Americans eh ! I'm guessing she enjoyed her meal as well. All good.”

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  MADDOGLEP

  ·7 months ago

  “Been here a few times. A first visit with Madge. A CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular with a great choice of ales on handpump. The canal side location is great for outside drinking in good weather. The large interior is very plush. Have enjoyed the food here in the past but a flying drinks only visit today. Gets very busy.”

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  Felicia C

  ·8 months ago

  “Went on a pre-booked work do. Pros: -food was delicious. -I phoned about being able to take my furkid as I was at work all day and didn’t want him to be alone for any longer, and a lovely cheery lady said I could because we had a pet friendly area in our booking. -Lady in black top who greeted us when we arrived at the bar to await our table was lovely and another young lady in glasses and jeans too. I don’t get your names but thank you for welcoming us. Pictured are some of our orders, I forgot pictures of tiramisu, Alaskan slice and waffles as we were starving after a full shift! -Portions were generous! -Beautifully plated. -Ladies(bathroom) was very clean. Cons: -some of the servers attitudes were really poor. We work in retail in Cheshire Oaks so we have seen all sorts, it didn’t seem like a swamped place like any of our restaurants in Cheshire Oaks nor in city center of Chester but 2 staff members particularly seemed to be in a bad mood/that we weren’t supposed to be there. -No one asked how I’d like my steak cooked and items asked for were not honored-eg. Asked for ketchup to go with chips but none came. Table was booked for 7.30pm and a few of us arrived early but we weren’t seated till later after checking 3x if our table was ready. This was for a work do pre-booked for 8 people, 3 course meal each and multiple drinks… I heard that their chain of restaurants are great so will visit the others but unlikely to return to this or recommend it unless service standards doesn’t matter to you. If service was attentive/welcoming they’d have 5/5.”

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  Errol Simpson

  ·8 months ago

  “We visited The Old Harkers Arms for Sunday lunch during a weekend break in Chester from London. What a great choice it turned out to be. We reserved a table and were attended to by the manager. The service was excellent as we were advised on our orders and received the food without a long wait. The food was delicious and there was a good selection of drinks including a number of ales on tap. There are no distracting TVs or background music making for a laid back and calming atmosphere. We would highly recommend the Old Harkers Arms which is also in a great location on the canal and near the city centre.”

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  M R

  ·9 months ago

  “Ale pie wasn't homemade which for the pricing it should have been. Very dense dough and crust, no fluff, clearly an industrial product. I could've gone to Whetherspoons at half the cost . My wife's meal was a bit bland too. Service not quite up to par with what's expected in an establishment like this. Wouldn't go back.”

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  Jake Lewis

  ·1 year ago

  “Stunning pub. We booked a table here for dinner and it’s a good job we did because the main part of the pub was heaving. Thankfully, they have a small, quaint area for dining bookings, which is where we were sat. The food was unreal. I had the wild mushroom and tarragon soup for starters. It was packed full of flavour and had a perfect consistency. The black pudding sausage roll looked, and apparently tasted, incredible. The braised shoulder of lamb was cooked beautifully, falling apart with the slightest tug. The gravy was so rich and complimented the lamb well. The veg had a good crunch to it, and the carrots were sweet, which worked well with the gravy. It was my first time trying dauphinoise potatoes and I wasn’t a big fan. Were they unpleasant? No. Were they cooked badly? I don’t think so. I likely just don’t like dauphinoise potatoes. The sticky toffee pudding was nice and didn’t seem to be bought in, as desserts so often are. Service was very friendly throughout, although towards the end, as the main pub got packed, we struggled to get the attention of a waitress as they were occupied with that part of the pub. We can’t wait to go back here and sample whatever is on the menu next time we’re in Chester!”

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