Chef’s Table is a smart neighbourhood restaurant near Chester's stunning cathedral, where fine dining meets farm-to-table cooking techniques. Having opened in 2014 as a small cafe, Chef’s Table has expanded over the years to become a special occasion dining destination serving an array of hyper-seasonal menus, from a la carte to tasting menus to a Sunday roast. Head chef and founder Liam McKay heroes a more accessible approach to fine dining via frequently-evolving menus and warm, relaxed hospitality, ensuring diners always feel at ease.
The restaurant has won multiple awards over the years, and in 2023 moved to a larger site on Pepper Street featuring contemporary interiors, a spacious dining room and a state-of-the-art kitchen able to cater to Liam's ambitious ideas and constantly-changing dishes. Produce is key at this humble restaurant; Chef's Table was one of the first places in Chester to offer a micro-seasonal menu, with ingredients sourced from local suppliers and menus changing according to daily deliveries.
The a la carte menu embraces an elevated, fine dining style, while the tasting menu includes eight to 10 courses highlighting seasonal produce and game. While the menus evolve all the time, some examples of dishes you can expect to find include butter poached furikake Scottish scallops; grilled stone bass; and tempura soft shell crab with a sweetcorn and globe artichoke chaat masala broth. The menu takes lots of inspiration from across Asia, such as with roast togarashi spiced beef fillet; and wagyu neck slow cooked in XO sauce.
There are also roasts available every Sunday at Chef’s Table, as well as separate vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free menus. To drink, expect twist-on-classic cocktails, alongside a well-curated wine list featuring Old World and New World wines.