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The Brewery Tap, Chester
Chester
CH1 1RU
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8½ of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Brewery Tap
This place is really quite something. I noticed it the day on our walk about but was not expecting the magnificence of the place on investigation on the night.
Who would not want to drink in a former Medieval Dining Room, when only ordinary pubs are available ;-)
Enter via some stone steps and get taken away by the high vaulted ceiling, exposed beams and the bar that is literary built in a monster fireplace. With the tapestries on the wall, its not hard to think you are in a former time.
And the beers match the opulent surrounding. A choice of around 8 real ales and ciders - some from their own brewery. The staff are helpful and pointed to something they thought I would like, based on my preference.
The clientele were a bit rowdy, including some staggeringly drunk parties. But then again, it was Saturday night three weeks before XMAS.
A real gem of a place. Recommended and best we found in Chester.
On 12th December 2014
- rating: 10
[User has posted 1338 recommendations about 1324 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Gill Smith left this review about The Brewery Tap
Always good for a visit when on a crawl of Chester, and we enjoyed a couple of their guest beers this time, Copper Dragon Fire Dancer and Happy Valley Tie the Knot.
On 9th November 2014
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1339 recommendations about 1222 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Oggwyn Great left this review about The Brewery Tap
Nothings changed since my last visit , still a great place for a drink , did seem a little less busy than i remember .
On 19th October 2014
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 797 recommendations about 683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
John Bonser left this review about The Brewery Tap
In the centre of Chester, just inside the city walls in Lower Bridge Street is The Brewery Tap Ale House.
It’s located in Gamul House, a Grade 2 listed Jacobean Hall, once the home of the Gamul family, a wealthy and influential family of property owners and merchants.
Climbing up a number of stone steps from street level, we enter, at first floor level, an impressive hall with a high ceiling, fine woven rugs on the walls, a tiled floor and wooden tables and chairs. An interesting leaflet on the bar counter tells us the history of the building – we learn that parts of the building date back to the early 1500’s and that it is believed to be the only surviving medieval stone built hall in Chester. Note also the fine sandstone fireplace directly behind the bar counter. The pub is at first floor level with some unconnected retail units underneath – a rather seedy looking Shere Khan Restaurant and Take Away for instance.
It’s an atmospheric interior totally free of music, fruit machines and TV screens. Food is evidently a major part of the offering with, as appears to be the vogue nowadays, an advertised emphasis on fresh local produce, some of which comes from the nearby Spitting Feathers Brewery farm. There’s a relaxed, but rather upmarket feel to the establishment which, based on my two recent late September visits, evidently appeals to the young urban professional types.
It’s the first pub to be owned by the local Spitting Feathers Brewery, who acquired it in late 2008. Despite the name, brewing does not take place on site, but a couple of miles away on the city outskirts.
Beer is evidently taken seriously here with a bank of 8 pumps offering 7 beers from local micros plus one cider. Beers on included Rudgate Summer Solstice, Phoenix Monkey Town Mild, Great Orme Celtica, Reedley Hallows Old Laund Bitter and Briimstage Trappers Hat. Sod’s law being what it is, the only Spitting Feathers beer ran out, coinciding with my arrival. Beers were priced at between £ 2.80p and £ 3.00p. Various Spitting Feathers souvenirs – mugs T shirts etc - can be acquired. The forthcoming October Chester Real Ale Festival was being advertised. The pub is a CAMRA Good Beer Guide regular.
Lower Bridge Strret is not short of pubs that are worthy of consideration but, with its decent range of beers in historic and atmospheric surroundings, this one should certainly be near the very top of your “to do” list.
On 5th November 2012
- rating: 8
[User has posted 560 recommendations about 560 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Real Ale Ray left this review about The Brewery Tap
Well worth a visit and if you want to marvel at the fabulous interior I suggest you pop in early doors. I can't fault this pub, hence the highest rating. 7 ales and 1 cider on handpump. I went for the Brew Co Atomic, Derwent Carlisle State Bitter and the Yorkshire Dales Bleak House. Also excellent food served. Defo will return.
On 5th March 2012
- rating: 10
[User has posted 3382 recommendations about 3381 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Brewery Tap
This pub is set in a wonderful Grade II listed hall called Gamul House, once the residence of one of Chester's most influential families and famous for hosting King Charles I the night before he was defeated at the battle of Rowton Moor, just outside the city. The building is accessed up a flight of steps which lead you into the main hall - a large, high vaulted ceiling and flagstone floored room with the servery on the back wall opposite the front door. The room is a regular rectangular shape and has been filled with a decent amount of seating, from which you can admire your surroundings. The centrepiece is probably the fabulous sandstone fireplace, which is located behind the bar and has been tastefully adapted to house various drinks. To the left is a perspex screen protecting a section of original wattle and daub wall, part of which is cut away to reveal the wattle. Large tapestries at either end of the room and hop vines in the corner complete the look. A second room to the right of the bar was set up more for diners and there were quite a few in there on our early evening visit.
The pub was opened by the local Spitting Feathers Brewery in 2008 and their fine restoration work helped win them the English Heritage Conservation Award and CAMRA's Conversion to Pub Use Award. Two of the brewery's beers were available on my visit - Old Wavertonian Stout and the excellent Thirstquencher - alongside a strong guest line-up in the shape of Slater's Top Totty, Derby Business As Usual, Vale Best Bitter, Nelson Thunderer, and Monty's Midnight Stout. All beers were helpfully detailed on a blackboard positioned above the servery.
This is an excellent pub and a highlight from my time in Chester. The fantastic historic setting and the fine range of well kept beer makes this a must-do for anyone arriving in town.
On 22nd February 2012
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
I L left this review about The Brewery Tap
This is currently our favourite drinking place when visiting Chester. Up a flight of stone steps this two roomed bar is worth a visit just for viewing the interior let alone the large selection of ales available with normally one or two Spitting feathers ales plus many others from other small breweries. Ususally a very busy place we normally manage to find a spare bar stool or two at the bar after a short while as people do tend to stop for just one or two drinks before moving on if thet are not here for food. Despite it being busy the bar staff have always been freindly and prompt at serving. To date we have always had a good pint in here, and when an ale runs out, the barman soon cleans the pipes and puts a new one back on with the chalk board listing the new ale being put back up ontop of the firepalce behind the bar.
On 3rd January 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 287 recommendations about 284 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Oggwyn Great left this review about The Brewery Tap
Revisited again on a freezing November weekend , a bit quieter than on my last visit (still busy) allowing me to get a better look at the place , there is a massive old fireplace behind the bar which now houses the fridges and the spirits/mixers , the beer selection reflected the cold weather with Old Wavtonian Stout , Cambrinus Lamp Oil Porter , Lymestone Stone the Crows and Conwy Welsh Pride all good winter beers along with a couple from Spitting Feathers and Westons Old Rosie Cider , theres a lively atmosphere and the locals mix happily with tourists , service was good and friendly , really like this place .
On 28th November 2010
- no rating submitted
[User has posted 797 recommendations about 683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Oggwyn Great left this review about The Brewery Tap
Place was heaving on my visit , despite this the service was exellent , the place itself is as described below but you really have to see it for yourself to appreciate it . Strangley only 1 beer from Spitting Feathers on my visit (Old Wavtonian Stout)but the guests were exellent especially the Colwyn Cloggwyn Gold . Well worth a visit
On 2nd May 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 797 recommendations about 683 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
ROB Camra left this review about The Brewery Tap
Recently opened pub converted from a restaurant which is now the Spitting Feathers Brewery Tap. This is a fine old building, sympathetically converted leaving most of the old stonework, ceiling timbers etc intact. It was originally Gamul House which was a Jacobean great hall, the brick façade was added in the 18th century. Has a large sign outside that says “Because life’s too short for crap beer”. It still has a small restaurant area but is now more wet trade led. It has 8 handpumps, usually serving 3 from Spitting Feathers, 4 guest ales and a real cider. I’ve never had a bad pint in here, it’s a class act all round. I wish all pub conversions/renovations were as good as this one. Well done Spitting Feathers Brewery.
On 20th April 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3224 recommendations about 3135 pubs]