The Chester Arms
The Chester Arms things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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Feast on THIS! The Chester provides absolutely beautiful platters... Options are limited and quantities are managed on blackboard near the kitchen. But servings are plentiful, delicious, and well-matched. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, on a platter tastes wonderful together. So, I can guarantee this is NOT a restaurant for people who hate food to "touch" or intermingle. My meat was served on top of most my fries. Meat juices made half the fries soft-crunchy... In a wonderful smashed potato way. And some of the bacon, sautéed with the greens, moved into the region of the salad. The sliced baby tomatoes from the salad provided a bright pop. The meat platter we ordered was sized to serve two. With this soft herb focaccia and butter, the meal was more than plenty of for two medium eaters. Pair the meat platter with a bright, hoppy microbrew IPA or a light cider... Because The Chester has lots of lovely selections to choose from... Both cans and draughts! The vegetable platter for the Sunday Roast included baked carrots, greens, potatoes, a nut loaf (so, so moist!) and a light horseradish sauce (served on the side). During a week night, the vegetable platter had a Mediterranean theme (hummus, pickled beet, olives, etc.) And... Dessert. During our visit for Sunday Roast, we ordered the apple pie. It was a WHOLE pie, albeit "miniature"... Sized at 8" of wow! It was served with a pitcher of cream Anglaise. I had to ask myself if there was ANY other way to eat pie. Really! During the week, the brownie dessert was sold out by the time we were ready to order dessert at 730pm.
Robin GrayRobin Gray
00
First of all, this visit was not far off from being one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to. We called and booked as our friends had been previously and highly recommended it. There was a 3 week wait time, but from what we heard it was well worth it. Upon arriving I have to admit, it’s in quite a secluded area and parking is extremely tight, as it’s just on street parking. The interior of the restaurant is lovely, really relaxed but straight away you can see how busy it is. We were greeted and directed to our table instantly and at no point in the night we’re we without a drink etc, the service was absolutely phenomenal, even if you have a drink and are just waiting for your food, the amazing staff still come over to make sure you don’t need anything and that you’re happy. We ordered the famous steak platter and it was not disappointing at all, steak was cooked to perfection, comes with chips, side salad, cabbage and bacon. Homemade tiramisu after was delicious. Prices are very reasonable for what you get. I highly, highly recommend coming here and having the steak platter, you will not be disappointed.
Josh CrichJosh Crich
20
Easily one of the best pubs in Oxford. Came here as a group of 3 on a Sunday late afternoon after reading the reviews about the roast dinner. This pub is tucked away on a quiet street and evidently very popular for good reason. It has table service but looks like a pub which I think was quite nice. Unfortunately we discovered that they finish serving this at 3pm which was a little disappointing! However our waiter was very good at suggesting other dishes and recommended the steak. He was very complimentary of the food and boy was he right! Everything is made at this pub. The steak was cooked from fresh, the bread arrived hot, and the food was extremely tasty. The steak platter for 3 people was a perfect portion size and a very reasonable price. The eclairs (specials that night) were also lovely. The service was quick and our waiter did all he could to ensure we got our food quickly as we were quite hungry. He was also very friendly and talkative which was lovely. The pub is also dog friendly for all those with pets! Would definitely visit again, and recommend!
Harry ZachariasHarry Zacharias
50
Visited Chester arms many times over the years. Steak always cooked lovely and the sides are a nice touch. I do feel standards have dropped in recent times though. Twice now I’ve waited over an hour for food and we only order one dish for the table (the famous steak platter of course). First photo was 2019 for 2 people, second photo for 2024 for 3 people. Steak portions have shrunk a lot, chips were better back in the day too being a lot crispier verses present day the chips seem to be like chip shop chips. A bit mushy. The ratio of chips to steak has changed a lot so the chips seemed to just bulk up the dish to make it more filling. Plus free bread back then used to be a basket for the table, now just a tiny slither per person. It’s only some bread! Surely doesn’t cost the earth to make and is a nice little touch, especially if you need to wait a long time for dinner to be served. Finally I prefer to add a tip on at the end at my discretion rather than a service fee. I can understand service fee for large groups but we were just a small table.
neil thornneil thorn
20
I have visited twice recently since it reopened and was really impressed. I had been a little unsure about the fact that it was walk ins only and thought it might mean the pub was lackluster on covid controls but not at all. We all felt incredibly safe. First visit was with friends and our babies for the Sunday roast and the staff were very helpful. Fast service and the nut roast wellington was excellent, with crispy roast potatoes which you hardly ever get out! We were delighted with what was our first meal out since July 2020. I then went again with my baby and my parents on a Tuesday afternoon. Again, the staff were accommodating and kind. They let us order some food (excellent chips) even though we got there just as the kitchen was closing. We were under no pressure to leave and spent a lovely afternoon in their beer garden. They went out of their way to make us comfortable and provided me with warm water to heat up my baby's bottle. All in all, highly recommended.
Paul FitchettPaul Fitchett
30
The £5.50 bread was two small slices sliced in half that had star anise in it leaving an awful taste of liquorice in the mouth. Moving on to the main. We had the 3-4 person steak sharing platter and unfortunately was the worst steak I have ever had the displeasure of trying to eat. The steak knife struggled cutting through it, Cooked medium rare one slither of steak was taken from this plate and when we complained of the poor quality we were told they would charge us for the serving o 2-3 people instead. Even though we had only consumed a few chips. As pictured on the bill £59.40 and left extremely hungry. They are also advertising for a full time chef so not sure if the previous chef who got the good reviews has left. But I have had better steak at a beefeater.! I hope this establishment can better their quality and cuts. The menu does specify its a butchers piece of meat so they can swindle charging above £50 for meat I wouldn't consider putting into a stew
Harlz HHarlz H
70
Nearby Attractions Of The Chester Arms
St Martin's Church
IN CHA
Iffley Meadows
Donnington Bridge
St John the Evangelist Church
Magdalen Road Church
Oxford Seventh-Day Adventist Church
Greyfriars - St Edmund & St Frideswide RC Parish Church
Magdalen College School
Christian Life Centre
St Martin's Church
4.7
(218)Click for details
IN CHA
4.5
(91)Click for details
Iffley Meadows
4.6
(78)Click for details
Donnington Bridge
4.5
(44)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of The Chester Arms
Antep Kitchen
The Cape Of Good Hope
The Rusty Bicycle
Nando's Oxford - Cowley Road
Za'atar Bake
The Magdalen Arms
The Kazbar Tapas Restaurant & Bar
Duke of Monmouth
The Big Society
Bodrum Restaurant
Antep Kitchen
4.7
(1.1K)Click for details
The Cape Of Good Hope
4.5
(1.1K)Click for details
The Rusty Bicycle
4.5
(662)Click for details
Nando's Oxford - Cowley Road
4.1
(723)Click for details
Learn more insights from Wanderboat AIBasic Info
Address
19 Chester St, Oxford OX4 1SN, United Kingdom
Map
Phone
+44 1865 790438
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Website
chesterarmsoxford.co.uk
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Reviews
Overview
4.7
(805 reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Classic pub with a modern take on an industrial look offering drinks from local producers.
attractions: St Martin's Church, IN CHA, Iffley Meadows, Donnington Bridge, St John the Evangelist Church, Magdalen Road Church, Oxford Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Greyfriars - St Edmund & St Frideswide RC Parish Church, Magdalen College School, Christian Life Centre, restaurants: Antep Kitchen, The Cape Of Good Hope, The Rusty Bicycle, Nando's Oxford - Cowley Road, Za'atar Bake, The Magdalen Arms, The Kazbar Tapas Restaurant & Bar, Duke of Monmouth, The Big Society, Bodrum Restaurant
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