The Cellar, Chester

Visited on Saturday night as a last stop before getting the train home. I spotted four or so hand pulls for cask ale and there seemed to be a decent selection on from what I remember. In the gents, the urinals are made of beer barrels. I had a Lemon Fool by Fyne Ales and my drinking accomplice went for Abyss, a lovely stout by Neptune. I'd be happy to go again.

Despite being "The Cellar", the pub is at street level, the cellar itself is a function room for gigs and the like. This is a sister pub to the Cornerhouse across the road. A fairly small room with the bar on a side wall, some folding doors to the street (closed on a chilly day), a stepped wooden floor, sofas in the window, otherwise seating at small rough hewn tables with tiny wooden benches fixed together with bolts. Stone clad columns, games on a shelf, European beer ads on an end wall; there are various gig photos above the bar. There's a TV on the wall but switched off on a Friday teatime. As for the main event, there were six on, Fyne Ales The Cardinal plus also Jarl, Marble Beers Pint, Deva Fusion Cannon (7%..£2.20 a half)plus also Oatimus Prime and Thornbridge St Petersburg. Nothing national or mainstream amongst that lot, you could lose a lot of time in here. Add in £1 off cask ales on Mondays and free bacon butties all day on Sundays there is much to like here. Indeed I did. A solid 8, leaning towards a rare 9 from me.

A pretty good selection of cask ales plus a wide range of foreign bottled lager some of which are very expensive. Good for a last drink before getting your train.