The Chester Arms — Restaurant in Oxford

Having been high on my list of places to visit I finally got the oportunity to visit and give the famous steak platter a try. But did it live up to the hype?? I booked in advance so as to not be dissappointed. We arrived for a 2pm seating and was immediately shown to our table. Upon arrival, the pub had a lovely interior look and vibe feeling very homely and 'local'. It was quite busy but somehow the noise levels weren't crazy and we were able to have conversations without disruption. Straight away we immediately know what we wanted which was the steak platter (rare) for 3 and some bread and dips to start. Our food and drinks orders were taken together. They had an extensive menu for drinks from cask/keg beers all the way to wines, spirits and cocktails. There were no complaints on the drinks, one of my friends who ordered the Bloody Mary said she appreciated the waitress asking many questions to personalise what went into it and the spice levels, and when it arrived it was really well made and had a unique and delicious flavour different to any Bloody Mary she's had before.

Now onto the food. The bread and dips were delicious. Demolished in short order. When the steak platter finally arrived I couldn't help but gasp at the quantity and how they'd nailed 'rare' with the perfectly charred outer layer and pink inside. Even though we ordered the 3-person steak platter for the 3 of us we looked at each other and wondered if we would to finish it. However, we immediately tucked in. Everything, and I mean everything on the plate was so delicious. The steak perfectly seasoned and cooked to our tastes; you could tell the meat was very well prepared as there were little if any chewy / sinewy bits. The chips crispy and tasty, just how they should be. The cabbage was the low-key star of the show, which had been cooked with lardons adding another level of flavour. Even the salad was delicious! We had absolutely no complaints. We ordered some extra bernaise and other table sauces but to be honest, the table sauces were not needed as everything just tasted so good on it's own and the Bernaise was made to perfection, paired incredibly well with the steak and was great as a chip dipper.

The overall experience in my opinion was faultless, and the friends I was with didn't have a bad thing to say. The food great, service great. For an unassuming local pub, this is probably one of the best Oxford has to offer in terms of a unique dining experience without breaking the bank. Talking of the bill, the steak platter was £70, now between three people that's roughly £24 which for the amount you get, is insane value and should not be overlooked. Will definitely be coming again.

Thank you Chester Arms for making a day out with my friends really memorable. I will be visiting again and recommend anyone who reads this review go there ASAP. If you like food, this is without a doubt an Oxford bucket list...

I’m not one usually to complain so publicly, but I have never been so shocked by the attitude of someone as I have by a waitress at the Chester Arms. I have tried multiple times to contact this establishment for some reassurance since our visit there on the 1st October, but all my communication has been ignored. As great as the steak platter and atmosphere is here, I have never been spoken to the way one of the waitresses spoke to my partner and I that evening. There was some miscommunication between my partner and a waitress, and the drink he ordered ended up being incorrect and warm. Instead of quickly rectifying the situation, the young waitress tried to lecture us on what we “had” ordered and how we clearly didn’t know what we were talking about( we ordered a draft IPA, not a cask, as she seemed to think.) she then told us we would have to buy another drink, and then took the wrong drink and never replaced it. When we flagged her down, she then told us she would be charging for the drink and it would also cost us extra (in her words “and the one you actually want is more expensive” on top) thankfully another waitress came over and sorted everything for us, apologising. If it weren’t for her, we would not have paid anything here. Throughout the whole interaction, the young waitress smirked at us, and seemed to enjoy trying to wind up the customers. I’ve never been spoken to like that and I’ve experienced all sorts working in the NHS. I strongly suggest this establishment train up their staff on customer service etiquette, as I would hope management would have been appalled by the situation….but as yet...

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...