Arkle

Deep within the luxurious Chester Grosvenor hotel, the Arkle restaurant has a club feel with its warm woods, rich dark blues and yellows and sumptuous furnishings. The sophisticated space is illuminated by a skylight and large chandelier, and presents tables elegantly dressed in crisp double linens. Service from smartly uniformed staff is as polished as the modern cooking which displays well-defined flavours and precise technical skills. The menus are continually changing with new dishes showcasing the best fresh produce of the season. Throughout the week there are two menu options available to choose from - either the full seven-course tasting menu or a slightly shorter five-course interpretation. Either way, diners get to enjoy the full Arkle experience, starting with exemplary bread made by resident baker ‘Barry’. An early summer meal might kick off with jellied eel, ham knuckle, Wirral watercress and lovage before moving on to poached lobster, dill manicotti, preserved lemon gremolata and Ossetra caviar. A light and refreshing dish of summer peas, dulse relish and English wasabi leads on to a precisely cooked piece of Cornish turbot paired with Wye Valley asparagus, Jersey Royal cream and razor clams. When it comes to the meat course, choose between fillet of beef, malted turnip, bone marrow butter and Wagyu doughnut or Merrifield duck, sunflower seed praline, miso aubergine and iced chicory. An optional course of cheeses – either two blues with buckwheat, Bramley apple and marigold or a selection from the trolley – might be followed by English strawberry, sorrel and Gusbourne wine. For a final flourish, choose between chocolate, whey and sourdough or Chester pudding with Haughton honey and Three Wrens gin. An accompanying wine flight includes glasses from around the world, beginning with a sparkling wine from the Gusborne vineyard in Kent. If cocktails are your thing, there is an expertly made selection.

Awards, accolades & Welcome Schemes

3 Rosette Award for Culinary Excellence

AA Notable Wine List