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Detail Pages
The Pied Bull, Chester
Chester
CH1 2HQ
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Rob Hunter left this review about The Pied Bull
Visited last month on a Friday afternoon. The hand pulls have now been reduced to four and relocated to the far end of the bar. Three of these were available, all their own ales - Gullabull, Bull's Hit and Red Bull (a red ale, not the energy drink that claims to give you wings). The Gullabull set me back £2.75 for a half - make of that what you will, but it was a decent ale and slipped down nicely.
The Pied Bull has been well described many times previously but it has old dark beams and different sections. Food seems to be popular here and it did smell nice. Free Wi-Fi is offered. The gents' toilets are nice and I suspect they may have been done up recently.
As I've said before, always a favourite when in Chester for the novelty factor of trying their own Pied Bull beers.
On 3rd May 2024
- rating: 8
[User has posted 761 recommendations about 606 pubs]
Bucking Fastard left this review about The Pied Bull
A former coaching house,this is a pub with rooms available which describes itself as a hotel.However it also has a microbrewery on site and up to 7 Pied Bull ales will be available at the bar,on my trip 4 were on (Nimbull,Bullseye,Changabull and Tangibull) plus a real cider while a guest ale clip was reversed.The exterior is terrific but the interior rather more corporate yet still with seperate sections although not too many features.The three sided bar stands out but hotel guests will be lugging suitcases about and there seems to be a transient customer base rather than a band of regulars.Food is popular here too.
Pied Bull ales are old school in nature and can seem muted but it maybe worth popping in if crawling the city centre.
On 12th August 2023
- rating: 7
[User has posted 2737 recommendations about 2737 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about The Pied Bull
Visited on a recent Saturday evening. Always a favourite of mine when in Chester due to the changing range of their own ales being available. Six hand pulls at the bar with three in active service at the time of my visit - offering two different Change-a-Bull ales plus Sensibull (one of their regular ales). The Ginger Bulls that I went for was pleasant with a subtle ginger kick rather than in-your-face spice, and slipped down rather nicely though was perhaps a bit on the warm side.
Although there is a hotel attached, as far as I'm concerned this is a proper pub and feels like a pub, rather than any hotel bar I have experienced.
On 17th March 2022
- rating: 8
[User has posted 761 recommendations about 606 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Pied Bull
The Pied Bull is a comfortable and traditional pub and hotel that was reasonably busy compared to its peers during a recent Tuesday night visit. I counted six hand pumps that were drawing Pied Bulls own Change-a-Bull (x2), Taurus and Bull’s Hit alongside Snail Bank’s Gooseberry Fool and 4Ts Brewery’s IPA. A standard and premium keg range is also available as is a traditional pub food menu. This is one of the better pubs in this part of Chester and is worth a visit.
On 28th July 2019
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5268 recommendations about 5236 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Old Boots left this review about The Pied Bull
Adequately described already, hotel bar in ancient building, allegedly the oldest continually licensed premises in Chester. Serving its own microbrewery products plus a guest, a cider and usual kegs. There’s a beer garden out back as well. It is an hotel bar not a pub and tries to keep neds, numpties and other neer’do’wells out but not always successfully.
On 6th May 2019
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3276 recommendations about 2982 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Quinno _ left this review about The Pied Bull
Claiming to be the longest continually licensed pub in Chester, this is a nice old building with quite a nice traditional-feeling interior (varnished wood floor, low oak beams, white rough walls) which has been kept tidy, to the point of being a little staid. The draw here is that they have a microbrewey (Pied Bull), so you can sample something local. Offers accommodation, and there’s the usual supernatural guff about the resident ghost. There’s a nice rear courtyard which on a cold evening probably wouldn’t attract any ghouls. Six ales on, with three of their own available (forgot to note the guests). Went for the Pied Bull Black IPA which was fine (NBSS 3). Another Chester pub that gets rammed during busy periods so time your visit well. 7.5
On 1st March 2019
- rating: 7
[User has posted 5108 recommendations about 5091 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about The Pied Bull
a very pleasant olde worlde pub/hotel with one of the best real ale selections in town. low beams galore and a nice traditional atmosphere. highly recommend especially at less busy times.
On 1st December 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1058 recommendations about 1023 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Rob Hunter left this review about The Pied Bull
I do like he Pied Bull and always try to pay a visit when in Chester. I think I spotted six hand pumps, three of which were offering their own Pied Bull ales (Change-a-Bull Hoppy American Brown Ale, Black Bull and Bull's Hit) plus Adnam's Broadside and a couple of guests. Normally a fairly busy pub I have found, but I was the only customer in just before midday on Tuesday. Service was friendly on my visit, the lady behind the bar had only been there a week or so but was pleasant and polite and checked that I had enjoyed the previous ale when I went back to the bar to order a second. I went for the Hoppy American Brown Ale which was lovely (and unusual), and followed by the Bull's Hit which was a pleasant golden ale. This pub seems to have recently extended into the white building to the left, and as you enter through the main door there is a new doorway off to the left to the new restaurant (where the seating under the window used to be). Would definitely recommend a visit if only for their changing range of Pied Bull ales - I like to try something new where I can!
On 28th February 2018
- rating: 9
[User has posted 761 recommendations about 606 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Aqualung . left this review about The Pied Bull
This old pub has been more than well described below. It's a long wooden floored single room with the bar on the right in the middle. It was quiet on my Friday midday visit.
There are seven hand pumps which had one unused, a low ABV rhubarb cider, Pied Bull Matador, Pied Eyed, Quaffabull & Redbull and Adnam's Broadside.
I went for the Matador which was an excellent pint. It was £3.70 discounted to £3.33 which strikes me as expensive up here so the CAMRA discount was welcome.
Despite that I quite liked this place and would return.
On 10th March 2017
- rating: 8
[User has posted 2143 recommendations about 2143 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Al Bundy left this review about The Pied Bull
A very nice pub that offers accommodation. Descriptions are elsewhere though there are now 7 handpumps with one used for cider on this visit.
On 19th October 2015
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3487 recommendations about 3390 pubs]