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Submitted on Sunday, 22^nd February 2026
With picture contributions to 3875 other pubs
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Bear & Billet, Chester

94 Lower Bridge Street
Chester
CH1 1RU

Correct details

Served areas

Chester Central

Reviews of Bear & Billet (Average Rating: 7½ of 10) Add Review see review guidelines

Old Boots left this review about Bear & Billet

A very ancient looking exterior leads into an opened out and much modernised plain interior.
Some old beams cling to the ceiling and there are bits of early 20th century woodwork in the panelling in the rear section and the staircase. The rear part may be a later extension judging by the thickness of the dividing wall. The servery comprises a short counter to the left, six pulls are central with a six way T-Bar each side, only two keg beers from Vocation and one from Northern Monk to set the heart racing, Yorkshire was also represented in the cask line up of Kirkstall Three Swords and the non Yorkie Tetleys on the wickets. I remember visiting here a few years ago when it seemed a better pub but the memory stuck due to a young barmaid ignoring anyone over 30, too quiet on my mid-week visit to be ignored this time. There was a rather odd trivia quiz underway but with questions like “where is the North-South divide?” things could get fractious. Piped music and screens intrude, more seating and toilets upstairs.

On 22^nd February 2026 - no rating submitted
[User has posted 3937 recommendations about 3601 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Rob Hunter left this review about Bear & Billet

Visited on a recent Saturday evening. Six hand pulls, one off, one offering Cheddar Valley cider, so leaving Okells Bitter, Phoenix Wobbly Bob, Wychwood Dirty Tackle and Old Speckled Hen as the available real ales. I went for the Okells Bitter but was not impressed, had a bit of a strange chalky taste to it. My friend had the Wobbly Bob, which would probably have been the better choice. Very busy and seemingly dog friendly. An interesting olde worlde exterior as has been previously mentioned, and the big wooden front door is very impressive. Yes it has been opened out internally but looking around you can see it has not been fully ripped out and modernised - there is a bowed ceiling, plenty of dark beams and the wall by the stairs also has wooden sections which I can only assume are authentic.

For the ale line-up it's a 6/10, but the added interest of the building makes it a 7/10 for me. One I would be happy to revisit, but not in any rush.

On 16^th March 2022 - rating: 7
[User has posted 897 recommendations about 698 pubs]

Please Note: This review is over a year old.

Strongers . left this review about Bear & Billet

The exterior of the Bear and Billet suggests olde worlde pub, but the interior has been stripped out removing any sign of its previous incarnation. It wasn’t that busy during a recent Tuesday afternoon visit, but all the tables in the front bar area were taken. Not wanting to sit in the rear seating areas I ended up siting on a high stool perched on a beer shelf on the central supporting column opposite the bar. This gave me plenty of time to note the presence of six hand pumps that were drawing Westwood Ales Cheshire Cat, Adnam’s Ghost Ship, Hallets Blindfold, Well’s Bombardier, Okell’s Bittier and Great Heck’s Christopher. Food is available, I didn’t read a menu but the roast dinner, mac and cheese and curry on the specials board were all under £10.
There was some background music playing and the large plasma screen was switched off with no signs for live sport that I could see. Adjacent to the fireplace in the left-hand wall is a staircase that I did not venture up. I found the service to be polite and although the interior wasn’t what I expected I still found this to be a decent enough bar that I would have no problem returning to.

On 28^th July 2019 - rating: 7
[User has posted 6560 recommendations about 6522 pubs]

View more reviews of Bear & Billet (14)

This pub features in the following crawls:
Chester crawl Fenruary 2010 by Gill Smith
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