Basement 85, Chester

Re-opened Spring 2026 and it's back as a pub after a brief stint as a seafood restaurant. An intriguing layout features a front bar as its anchor point, opening up to a larger room at the rear that leads onto further intimate seating tucked beneath a beautiful brickwork vaulted ceiling. All very tasteful

Previous iterations have included the Henry Potts and prior to that the Big Hand Alehouse but, in all guises, despite being tastefully furnished and well-operated in what is an interesting building, it's mysteriously never been a true success. Most folk point to it being the wrong side of the inner ring-road which serves as an invisible glass wall precluding crucial footfall.

Let's hope this latest incarnation finally smashes the glass wall.