The Cavern of the Curious Gnome — Restaurant in England

My wife's family are from the area, and we came to visit with the kids. Her cousin decided we should have a pub crawl, and I recon it was a great idea. So we are now at the third stop on our pub crawl... two things are becoming quite clear. My wife's cousin and I (oh yes, at this point I should mention he invited me out, and not her, his own cousin) are getting along great. Also, the 50pounds I took with me will clearly not be enough. I may get in trouble. I love that this is tucked away upstairs. I was a little disappointed that there were no Canadian beers (actually, overall from this tour, that was the big disappiontment, as Canada - Quebec specifically - produces great gins and beers, I thought someone would have reached out, since we have locally many English beers and gins on tap). Nevertheless, I wasn't here to try products from back home. I had a Chouffe. It was great. I can't remember if we had a second pint or not. I know that leaving I thought to myself I should probably switch from beer to gin, or at the very least alternate, as I was feeling a little heavy.

The ambiance is great. The staff was great. I would love to go back and try a meal at Paysan, as it looked awesome as well. Great little pub. If I were local, I'd be here all the time. (My ability to take nice pictures - if I ever had it - is slowly becoming affected by the sun going down, as well as the drinks...)

Follow my pub crawl...

As a bit of a Belgophile there was lots here that was spot on - the extensive beer selection in a clear menu on each table; draft Belgians, a rare treat; proper glasses; quirky ‘La Chouffe’ themed decor; even the crates and barrels stuffed in every available corner were nice. But inevitably, despite getting all this right, they miss out on half of the Belgian bar experience with typically reluctant UK style bar service. The place was empty both times we went - why didn’t the guy come to our table where the menus were? They would have in Belgium even if it was packed. And he would have during Covid. Why not now? He had to come out to collect empties after we left anyway. I just don’t get it… generally he was running around looking too busy doing more important stuff than making sure the customers were a priority. And whilst not rude by any means, he could certainly benefit from a bit of genial Flemish charm and warmth. We just felt in his way, and didn’t linger which I can’t help thinking is a real shame, as we went in without about as much enthusiasm and good will as you’re ever going to get for a place like this and plenty time to kill. This would be a five star place for me if they sorted this real weak link out. As it is, I’m not super keen to...

We had been looking forward to visiting The Cavern of the Curious Gnome in Chester for months. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we arrived with our two small, well-behaved dogs, excited to finally enjoy the much-hyped atmosphere. To our absolute shock, we were informed that dogs are not allowed anywhere on the premises—not even in the outside seating area.

This policy is completely baffling. The outdoor space is directly accessible from the Rows—Chester’s main thoroughfare—making it all the more absurd that they refuse to accommodate dog owners. I have never encountered such an unfriendly, outdated, and frankly antisocial stance. This is a pub, not a Michelin-starred restaurant (though even many of those now welcome dogs).

For a bar that markets itself as quirky and inviting, The Curious Gnome stands out for all the wrong reasons. In a city full of genuinely welcoming spots, this one goes out of its way to turn people (and pets) away.

Needless to say, we won’t be returning—and we’ll be encouraging fellow dog-loving friends to spend their...