The Cornerhouse, Chester

Plush building on route from station to town and a little upmarket but with character

The Cornerhouse is an upmarket pub with a mock Tudor frontage on the outskirts of the city centre. With wooden flooring and exposed brick walls throughout, the bar area is located to the left of the entrance where a serving counter across the rear supports a craft keg selection alongside Peroni and Asahi. There are also four hand pumps that were drawing Titanic’s Classic Mild and Plum Porter as well as Salopian’s Deep State and Oracle. The Porter was on good form at £2.50 for a half. Down a couple of steps to the right is a seating area with a small stage and piano in the right rear corner, I think the regular live music advertised for Friday and Saturday evenings will be solo and duet acts rather than full bands. There is a quiz on Sundays to recover from the weekend action and a pizza menu is available. I thought it was OK in here, but I wouldn’t make a special trip, so I think a return visit isn’t on the cards unless I stay in Boughton again.

Four real ales on, mine was a decent Buxton blonde at £2.10 a half. Barman was a lovely gentleman, some of the clientele were a bit pretentious and others were rowdier Saturday pub crawlers but harmless. kind of liked this place, found it a bit offbeat and the background music was pretty good.

Old half timbered exterior in black and white this is the sister pub to The Cellar up the road and has a focus on live music.The interior is quite stripped out with a few tables and drinking shelves underneath the left hand side windows,some areas are raised while the bar along this wall has a serrano ham hanging down ,indicating the nature of the food offering.To the right is a lower level performance area with a small stage and traditional furniture in wood.The overall affect is modern but this retains the elements of a pub .It is popular and the music brings in a varied bunch,with plenty of young women occasionally accompanied by their brothers. There are 4 handpumps with a regular TT Landlord and Salopian Oracle together with guests on my visit of Peerless Oatmeal Stout and Good Chemistry Boundless Sky (hazy ,drinkable but not memorable). Include on any crawl around the city ,but it may get busy when the music is on.

Previously called the Compass/Chester Hangman, this one is located in a rather lovely black and white timbered Chester building and is the sister pub of the Cellar. However it’s far more light, relaxed and upmarket, definitely one for the middle class and middle aged set (is that me nowadays?). Three rooms knocked into one which basically now gives you a large sigma shaped bar and a square bare bricked room down a couple of steps to the right. Mainly exposed brick, wood and green trim alongside an open fire. Four pumps all on, 2x Salopian (NBSS 3.5), Dark Side of the Moose (NBSS 2.5) and Tim Taylor Landlord. We lingered in this one as we were enjoying ourselves. Plus there was a chap at one of the tables who looked like a young Martin Keown.

Official site of The Cornerhouse - www.cornerhousechester.com

Official site of The Cornerhouse - www.cornerhousechester.com

Four cask ales at the bar, loud live music on Saturday evening and standing room only. My Pica by Squawk was very nice. In addition to cask ales they do real cider and keg stuff. There is a chalk board towards the end of the bar. Apparently offers a 10% CAMRA discount but only Sunday to Thursday. For me, probably best enjoyed at a less busy time.