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Beer of the Week (w/e 27th April 2025) with Thuck Phat
on the Pub Forum
Detail Pages
Mill Hotel, Chester
Chester
CH1 3NF
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 7 of 10) see review guidelines
Strongers . left this review about Mill Hotel
The Mill Hotel & Spa has a decent sized bar that is open to non-residents. The entrance leads to a foyer with a huge dining area to the left, reception to the rear and the bar area to the right. In here seating runs across the front floor to ceiling windows that look onto a patio area with patio furniture that runs across the width of the bar. A serving counter runs up the right hand wall where deli food is available at the front and beers the rear. Premium keg and Carling were available alongside Coach House Brewing’s Mill Premium Bitter (rebadged Dick Turpin Best), Phoenix Brewery’s Pale Ale and Weetwood’s Resistance from the three out of four hand pumps that were in use. There was some slow music playing and snooker was airing on the television. The service was polite in a corporate way, but I thought the atmosphere was very draining so I don’t plan on returning.
On 9th November 2024
- rating: 5
[User has posted 5965 recommendations about 5931 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Bucking Fastard left this review about Mill Hotel
This maybe a hotel bar but there is direct entry without passing reception ,and operates as a bar for all comers.It's an oblong room with Sky flatscreens all along one wall with sport on ,muted at quiet times but offputting.The long bar has a few handpumps dotted about with normally something from Weetwood ,low ABV brews and nothing exciting.My Salopian Kick the Can was not memorable ,a half was sufficient ( NBSS 2).There is an outside canal side narrow terrace while to the front is a more substantial beer patio with modern garden furniture but views over the car park.
Not worth making a detour for unless you are a completist,there are much better pubs very close by.
On 12th August 2023
- rating: 5
[User has posted 2936 recommendations about 2936 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Brainy Pool left this review about Mill Hotel
All very strange! a large hotel and spa complex that took me a while to find the ‘pub’ part. It’s basically a modern sports bar with 9 handpumps, 7 of which were on. My Oregon Pale from Weetwood was alright but then I couldn’t find anywhere to sit down with it as I stumbled through a restaurant and reception area - I ended up sitting outside! Weird, it’s not a pub but then again it also is a great place for ale.
On 1st February 2020
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 1174 recommendations about 1136 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Malden man left this review about Mill Hotel
The place is totally devoid of pub character, just like a hotel lounge, but of course that is precisely what it is. It is however an hotel bar in an attractive canal location. Sadly no evidence of outdoor seating.
It's a converted mill building, done well, despite the sterile feel, beers were Titanic Plum Porter and also Iceberg, Phoenix Snowbound, Coach House Mill Premium, Mobberley Columbus, Salopian Propaganda, Weetwood Best Bitter and Rooster's Jarrylo. Brilliant line up and full of local beers. Also a cider from Cotswolds, No Brainer. 3x tasting boards available. Tv had cricket on.
Without doubt the outstanding ale selection from my brief Chester weekend afternoon while seeing the family. I have nothing much to say in celebration of the interior but the beer range still justifies this as a destination pub in Chester. A pub my mum would like. I did too, the sum of the parts sometimes exceed the total.
On 24th November 2016
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1710 recommendations about 1683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about Mill Hotel
Called in yesterday and a good selection of ales on the bar. 3 from Sky's Edge brewery. We chose First Chop Figs & Syrup which was not bad for 2.8%, and Sharps Atlantic. Quality was fine.
On 9th November 2014
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about Mill Hotel
We've called in a couple of times since my last review and nothing much has changed. On our last visit the beer range was a bit reduced with several clips turned round and the range wasn't as imaginative as previously. However the beer quality was great as always.
03/12/2009
Great range of beers but ii definitely has the feel of a hotel bar rather than a pub. Still call in whenever we're in Chester though as the beer has always been in good nick in my experience. There's an interesting outdoor area that is actually over the canal. It gets fairly busy at weekends at lunchtime as a lot of shoppers call in for the food. We've never eaten here as the food looks rather basic and bought in to us. There are 3 huge TV screens that are sometimes all on at once which is very intrusive. We usually only call in for one, but we always call in.
On 2nd May 2013
- rating: 6
[User has posted 3286 recommendations about 3196 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about Mill Hotel
Well worth a look in as they have 12 ales on handpump and 15 in the summer months. Quite a few people in early doors, so I reckon it can get very busy. Great choice of beers, I went for the Coach House Premium Bitter, Weetwood Best and the Phoenix Cornmill. Will call again.
On 5th March 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3645 recommendations about 3645 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about Mill Hotel
Yet another Chester canal-side conversion, this is a huge hotel and leisure complex inside, as the name suggests, an old mill. To the right of the hotel's main entrance is their real ale bar, which is a single rectangular room layout with lots of marble-effect topped tables and comfy chairs on a dark wood floor. The walls are fairly plain, with not much of interest and there are some large windows at the front, but otherwise, not much in the way of natural light, especially at the rear, although a door here does lead out to an outdoor seating area alongside the canal. Several TV screens were on showing the African Cup of Nations final although the sound was muted, so no vuvuzela soundtrack could fill the pub.
The pub's real strength, and perhaps to a degree, its only attraction, is its strong beer line-up, which included Whim Flower Power, Moorhouse Pendle Porter, Phoenix Cornmill, Coach House Mill Premium and Gunpowder Mild, Deuchars IPA, Crouch Vale Yakima Gold and Facers DHB, with one real cider available as well. This excellent line up is listed on a board behind the bar for ease of reference. I had a pint of the Flower Power, which was a fantastic pint and a sign that these guys really know what they're doing with their beer.
Despite the excellent beer, there is no hiding the fact that this is a bit of a boring hotel bar with few other points of interest. It's worth a call on any serious beer crawl, but its main disadvantage is that Chester is full of pubs with great beer in interesting old buildings, and this one doesn't make the most of its heritage.
On 24th February 2012
- rating: 7
[User has posted 3350 recommendations about 3350 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about Mill Hotel
We have visited this pub for a number of years when in Chester and well worth visiting for the range of ales. however on more recent visits not all the hand pumps are in use. Also it now tends to get very busy especially when a match is on the numerous screens in the bar. A bit of a victim of it's own success really and these days we don't stay very long as would rather not be jostled around when there are no tables vacant.
On 28th December 2010
- rating: 7
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Soup Dragon left this review about Mill Hotel
The pub is a part of the hotel complex, indeed, it is on the ground floor, with a patio next to the canal.
The interior is a single room, modern, in dark red, with wood floor, marble tables and high backed leather chairs and high stools - however, much as i dont like modern interiors this is done tastefully - in other words no tosh pictures and twigs, having a few plants instead. Service was fine, the clientele were business types, other residents and me, of course. There was Sky TV, on which i once remember watching the 20/20 cricket world cup.
Beer; tap stuff, with 15 real ales and ciders. I tried the Hopback Entire Stout, Phoenix Brewery's Monkeytown MILD and the Northumberland Pit Pony and my friend tried a couple of others. Sadly, they were pretty flat and lifeless.
In defence of the place, it has been better on other visits, but it was a disappointment. The choice means you are always going to go, but i will be a little more cautious next time and stick to trying a half of a few different drinks
On 9th November 2009
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 3067 recommendations about 3062 pubs]