Chez Jules in Chester
Quick info
About Chez Jules in Chester
On Northgate Street in Chester, Chez Jules serves French bistro cooking in a room decorated with French posters and murals, with additional seating upstairs under a high vaulted ceiling. Mains come with a pan of seasonal veg and dauphinois potatoes, alongside recurring plates like beef bourguignon, French onion soup, and baked Camembert. A prix fixe menu runs midday into early evening with starters such as pate, soup, chicken liver parfait, or Waldorf salad. On Tuesday nights, the menu shifts to two courses with a bottle of wine to share, featuring dishes like escargots and steak alongside the regular bourguignon. Staff bring meals and drinks to the table rather than counter service, and the restaurant operates on a walk-in basis. It gets busy, and a wait can build at peak times.
Good to know
“Bustling, friendly bistro offering rustic French cooking from locally sourced seasonal ingredients.”
- ReservationsWalk-in only
- AccessibilityWheelchair: restroom, seating
Reviews
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention beef bourguignon, french onion soup, dauphinois potatoes and prix fixe menu.
What reviewers say
Reviewers most often mention beef bourguignon, french onion soup, dauphinois potatoes and prix fixe menu.
Customer Review Summary
Beef bourguignon comes up again and again, most describing it as tender and rich alongside seasonal vegetables and dauphinois potatoes, though one reviewer found their portion overcooked and chewy the same night an onion tart arrived undercooked. Close behind, the prix fixe and Tuesday set menus draw repeat praise, with starters like French onion soup, escargots, and ham hock terrine leading into mains such as cod loin and steak, and desserts including crème brûlée and lemon pie. Several call the choice of dishes limited, wishing for options like coq au vin instead of the standard chicken breast. Staff are consistently described as friendly, professional, and efficient, and diners repeatedly note the restaurant gets very full, with several suggesting booking ahead. One visitor mentions being greeted with a glass of champagne after staff learned of a birthday. When the beef bourguignon and a dessert fell short on one visit, staff offered to remake the dish and removed the dessert's cost from the bill.
Customer Review Summary
Beef bourguignon comes up again and again, most describing it as tender and rich alongside seasonal vegetables and dauphinois potatoes, though one reviewer found their portion overcooked and chewy the same night an onion tart arrived undercooked. Close behind, the prix fixe and Tuesday set menus draw repeat praise, with starters like French onion soup, escargots, and ham hock terrine leading into mains such as cod loin and steak, and desserts including crème brûlée and lemon pie. Several call the choice of dishes limited, wishing for options like coq au vin instead of the standard chicken breast. Staff are consistently described as friendly, professional, and efficient, and diners repeatedly note the restaurant gets very full, with several suggesting booking ahead. One visitor mentions being greeted with a glass of champagne after staff learned of a birthday. When the beef bourguignon and a dessert fell short on one visit, staff offered to remake the dish and removed the dessert's cost from the bill.
Featured reviews
- Google user
“Came upon this gem of a place whilst visiting the area for work - myself and my husband were served by the delightful Jo and enjoyed the Tuesday night menu - escargots - French onion soup followed by perfectly cooked steak and beef bourguignon - what a treat ! Thank you”
- Google user
“We had a truly excellent meal at Chez Jules. The meats were tender and the seasonal vegetables a genuine delight. The portions were just the right size to leave us well fed without being over full. The staff were helpful and efficient and the food was served at a pace where you felt neither rushed nor neglected but had time to savour your meals and drinks. Chez Jules is a popular venue and gets very full; I would definitely recommend booking in advance.”
- Google user
“The food was good, and the service was just as pleasant. Overall, we were very satisfied with the experience.”
- Google user
“Chez Jules is my favourite restaurant in Chester. We’ve visited many times over the years and still offers excellent food and service. The restaurant serves a French style menu.We had booked a late lunch to catch up with friends. The restaurant decor is bistrot style with French posters and murals on the walls. Additional seating is available upstairs where they take advantage of the high vaulted ceiling, beautifully decorated. It was busy when we arrived, with people finishing their lunch. We chose the prix fixe menu ( served 12-6pm). Starters included pate, soup, chicken liver parfait or Waldorf salad. We chose the mackerel pate and chicken parfait. Both dishes were rich with flavour. For the mains we opted for sea bass with risotto and chicken breast. All mains are served with a pan of fresh seasonal veg and dauphinois potatoes. The ingredients were high quality and perfectly cooked. Everyone content with their choice of food. We chose crème brûlée, a chestnut mousse and cherry and white chocolate cheesecake for desert. All were beautifully presented, sweet and delicious. A range of wines, beers and spirits are available. The staff are professional and attentive. A must visit when in Chester, as Chez Jules never disappoints. Booking is advisable, don’t miss this one!”
- Google user
“We’d been really looking forward to our visit to Chez Jules, but unfortunately it was a little disappointing. The starters were nice enough pleasant, but nothing particularly memorable. For mains, my partner had the beef bourguignon which was quite overcooked and chewy. I ordered the onion tart which sounded great in theory, but the onion inside was still quite raw and not really cooked through. The vegetables served with the mains were actually very tasty though. It might have been because we were one of the last bookings of the evening, or perhaps the kitchen was just having an off day. The restaurant clearly gets lots of great reviews, so we were a bit surprised by the quality of the food on this visit. That said, the staff were really lovely and very polite. When we mentioned the issue with the beef bourguignon they offered to replace it, but it was quite late and we didn’t want to cause a fuss. The manager also kindly removed the price of my partner’s dessert from the bill, which we appreciated. Overall the service was great, but the food itself was a bit underwhelming on this occasion.”
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible restroom
Show more amenities
- Accessibility· 1
- Wheelchair accessible seating
Location
Restaurants near Chez Jules in Chester
- Cosy Club4.46970.1 mi£10–30Good for kidsReservations
spanish chicken, steak dishes, cocktails (mojito, negroni, bloody mary)
- 0.2 mi£10–20Outdoor seatingVegan optionsVegetarian options
naughty badger breakfast, steep narrow stairs up, bloomer toast texture issues
- Panda Mami4.32,9140.3 mi
sushi bar, crab legs weekends, tandoori chicken
| Place | Rating | Distance | Price | Mentioned in reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chez Jules in ChesterWheelchair accessible | 4.71,959 | — | — | beef bourguignon, french onion soup, dauphinois potatoes |
| Cosy ClubGood for kids · Reservations | 4.4697 | 0.1 mi | £10–30 | spanish chicken, steak dishes, cocktails (mojito, negroni, bloody mary) |
| The Naughty Badger BistroOutdoor seating · Vegan options · Vegetarian options | 4.7235 | 0.2 mi | £10–20 | naughty badger breakfast, steep narrow stairs up, bloomer toast texture issues |
| Panda Mami | 4.32,914 | 0.3 mi | — | sushi bar, crab legs weekends, tandoori chicken |
The 3 nearest restaurants by distance. Ratings, hours and review terms come from public business profiles.
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