Visited on 13 June 2011. Stopped off on the way back home to Yorkshire with our caravan only…read morebecause it was on a nice straight bit of road and meant we didn't have to mess around turning or manoeuvring with such a large piece of kit behind the car. What a cracking find. The place had real character and even for a Monday lunchtime was very well patronised. No wonder. The service was excellent; the young chap behind the bar was extremely welcoming and was great with our 2 year-old granddaughter (note: child friendly, although a few high chairs would have been a bonus). The food was well prepared and far more than we could eat. The menus were extensive and provided good value for money. A nice little touch was having the menus pasted into the insides of different books, guides, reference books and even story books for the kids. Overall, a pleasant experience. If we are in the Chester area in the future, we will certainly be back, and I suggest if you, the reader of this review are near there, you give it a try, too; you won't regret it.

Great service, Great beer, Great food I wish I lived nearer…read moreto this pub so it could be my local The calveley arms is a great village pub in chester. The staff are very friendly and welcoming. The food is well presented, good portion sizes and always tastes great. Families are most welcome and once you have your table it is yours for the night. The beer is well kept and the pub itself is decorated well and always clean and tidy but has a real local pub feel especially with the roaring real fire and pleasant garden.

Fantastic food, great specials board a really great British pub, sadly too few about nowread more

AMAZING!!! As far as I remember this place has won pub food…read moreof the year ever year since Ive lived in the area. Super tasty quality food, I noticed that on the menu it even tells you which farm the meat came from, or where the ice cream was made etc. The Greek Lamb and the Gammon are both brilliant. The portions are huge and I'm always left with enough food for another meal but save room for the Holly Bush sundae because you wont ever have a such a selection of tasty locally made ice cream :) The prices are great too, last time I went it was around 30quid for the 2 of us.

The biggest rival to the Pant yr Ochien, the Golden Lion provides similar quality food with the…read moreadded benefit of being waited on at the table. It has less of a pub feel than the Pant and its layout is much more that of a restaurant however the Lion still has a more casual atmosphere than a traditional restaurant and there is a big area for kids to run about outside. With regular themed nights, a good selection of fresh fish and some of the best cooked steaks I've eaten, the Lion makes for a good meal out. My only minor gripe with the Golden Lion is that I went there once and the family next to us had brought thier kids a dvd player to entertain them. They say at the table watching and listening to tweenies at full blast. When did it become acceptable to bring booming audio equptment to a restraunt? Want went through the parents minds? Anyway, I way disappointed they they wern't turfed out of the pub. Instead we asked to be moved and got a better table. Well done the golden Lion.

Nice Pub. Very friendly staff. Not what you'd call cheap. Food reasonable. Car park very small.read more

This pub is on a route that I drive relatively frequently, but frustratingly for years didn't have…read morethe opportunity to call in. When I finally made it a priority to visit, I was far from disappointed. As you whiz past it on the B5130 in Alford it always looks cosy and welcoming, grand and solid. Perfectly in keeping with the houses of Alford, most of which were built as a designed village in the mid-19th century by Sir Richard Grosvenor, 2nd Marquess of Westminster. The architect was John Douglas and the place has a very unique feel to it. As a side issue, Eaton Hall is just outside the village and can be partly seen from the road, on the left as you exit Alford towards Chester. It was reconstructed in 1874 by the Duke of Westminster and he built a large chapel with a bell tower that bears a stricking resemblance to the better known Big Ben clock tower. It is reported that There is no place like home was played on the bells each time the Duke approached the house. So back to the meat of this review With wonderful open fires, mismatched furniture, excellent beers and wines and a mouthwatering menu, this place is definitely worth a visit. It's a stones throw from the A41 and about a 15 minute de-tour from the M53. Personal recommendations include their delicious homemade beef burger (about £9) and divine bread and butter pudding (£5). It's at the upper end of the relaxed gastro-pub dining spectrum, and rightly so. If I had to be picky, the only down side about this fabulous pub is that someone has to drive to get there! The staff are welcoming and informative. You can sit in the slightly more formal conservatory or the bar area. And there is a lovely garden at the back, away from the road. Dogs are allowed, well welcomed in fact, in the front bar. I'm already looking forward to my next visit :o)

I got terrible food poisoning as did several other people I know. We all had burgers, which…read moreresulted in a night from hell. Been frequenting this place for years, which meant nothing to management, who made excuses and offered nothing as compensation, not even an apology.

I just arrived in the beautiful city of Chester for my birthday vacation and I had the most…read moreenchanting time! The bartenders were very thoughtful in recommending a special boilermaker and the steak and ale pie. I am so full and ready to to take another stroll past the River Dee before turning in for the night. If you have to chose a place that gives you that perfect slice of quality English cuisine this is the spot to start putting you in the right mood! There are loads of other restaurants and shops but this is a clear winner and easy to miss if you don't look carefully! Don't forget to stop in, hidden gem by the river.

Right by the city walls, we came here for lunch the other day. They had a good range of ales on…read moretap, and the barman recommended a Manx brew that glided gently down the throat as we decided what to have. I had the steak pie with chips and veg (carrots and peas), brother had the chili con carne (with chips) and mother had the bacon and brie baguette. The food arrived fairly promptly and all our dishes were consumed with abandon until we were all stuffed and couldn't finish. Mum frequently can't finish her meals, but bruv and I rarely struggle from that affliction, so you know the portions were generous, as well as being tasty. As a bonus, you can start to walk it all off again by doing a lap of the walls afterward.

Recently discovered this gem on a trip to Snowdonia. Wonderful pub food, serving local meats and…read moreingredients. We ate here twice, easily the best food in the local vicinity and the atmosphere is especially suited to cold wintry nights. We had the homemade Steak & Ale pie and Slow braised Lamb Hock, both were divine. This is not fine dining but British classics using excellent local ingredients and executed wonderfully. I imagine this is the kind of fare that the local folk and the farming community have been getting for centuries but virtually impossible to find for us city slickers The perfect reward after conquering Snowdon!

We stayed at the Ty Gwyn hotel in Betws-y-coed, Cymru (Wales) in the early part of October, 2012…read more My sister found it and booked us a couple of rooms for two nights. The hotel is a B&B as well as a very popular restaurant. Betws-y-coed is a gateway to Snowdonia, the national park which is a must visit if you're in the area. If you stay some place else, you must try to get a reservation to the restaurant. And getting a reservation on a Friday and a Saturday looked like a hard thing to do. The food is excellent, well served. The breakfasts are amazing. The ambience in the somewhat cramped environment is charming. The hotel itself is very well run. The staff, and in particular Rob (?) and the owners son whose name we forgot to get, were all very professional and friendly. They do have wifi but it does not extend into the rooms unfortunately. Which means we had to go and sit in the tiny lobby to get a good signal. But it is there and it is free. The rooms are small and most come with en suite bathrooms. Some rooms look like they have the bathroom across the hall but are dedicated to a single room. Everything was clean and well taken care off though not new. The lamps are low. I'm not tall and it was easy to brush my head against the chandelier. Mattress was comfortable, room was warm, the shower had good pressure, tea and coffee provided. The outer walls to this hotel are thick. The walls between rooms are thin so noise travels easily. My wife could hear the guy next door snoring. I easily rose to the challenge and out-snored him according to her. One of the main drawbacks to the hotel is that it is right on the street. And a busy one at that during the day. And by right on the street I mean you have to watch traffic carefully as you walk next to the hotel. Traffic noise does seep in but traffic dies down at night to pick up again in the morning. It wasn't a problem for me. If you're sensitive, then a room on the back of the hotel might be better. I liked my view of the river from our window. It's a little walk across a bridge to get to the town but it's not a big deal. Definitely go to the restaurant for an evening meal. You won't be sorry. I really enjoyed staying here and recommend it to anyone.

This pub/restaurant is fantastic. The owners are very welcoming and the pub is split into two…read moresections. The staff are freindly and the customers are just as pleasant! We stayed in the dog friendly seperate section so if you aren't so keen on dogs, there is a beautiful seperated restaurant next door. The food is immense, very original menu with locally sourced food and a twist on some pub classics. I would recommend the samosa starter and chicken pate.

If you are in the area, this is a must stop. It has fantastic views of the river. The food was…read morespectacular. Half of my group got vegetarian dishes and half did not. I personally ordered the wild boar pie and it was amazing!

Amazingly fast service, friendly staff. Good food. Had the Sunday roast. Yum! Amazing view of the…read moreRiver Dee

Delicious food and excellent service mark this restaurant…read more A casual but classy atmosphere makes dining here a delight. The service is very good and the food is on point. I order the 10oz dry aged steak and it was very good. Many other dishes were ordered and no complaints were heard. On the contrary, many compliments were given. The fish and chips were massive. Definitely would recommend this restaurant.

Oooh this pub is looovely, especially on sunny days when you can sit outside in their garden…read more They seem to cater to both locals (lots of old folks) and people like us who were driving though. The staff were all very welcoming, and we were all really impressed with the friendly, efficient service. The menu was full of English comfort foods...and they executed everything beautifully. Just look at my photos to get an idea...I tried the goats cheese and caramelised onion strudel, which came balanced on potatoes and perfect ratatouille. If you ever find yourself in this part of the country, it is definitely worth popping in here for some lunch! *Pro tip: It sounded like they get very booked up in the evening, so ring ahead to ensure you get a table!!

A very busy Old English pub doing Great food and Great Beer(Cask Marque)…read moreYvonne and Gary run a first class pub and have a great team working with them. If going for a meal ring and book it gets busy at the weekend!! always a good sign.