Chez Jules is a charming, traditional French restaurant located right in the heart of Chester. Opened over 20 years ago, it strives to bring authentic French bistro food to the North of England; the menu changes every single day depending on availability and is written up on a blackboard.
The building which the restaurant now occupies used to be Chester’s fire station and is impressive to look at from the outside; the wattle and daub façade features three curved windows poking out of the first floor with the cosy restaurant tucked below. However, the inside of the restaurant is going for a completely different feel, with wooden tables covered with gingham table cloths softly lit by candles and wall-mounted lanterns. This leads to laid-back and cosy ambience which wouldn’t feel out of place in a Parisian café or restaurant.
Food-wise, regardless of when you come, you can expect hearty plates of flavoursome French comfort food. Dishes on the menu du jour might include classics such as French onion soup, chicken liver parfait and escargots for starters. Whereas there are main courses on offer such as coq au vin, boeuf bourguignon, and seared duck breast with baby turnips, black cherries, carrot & orange purée and an orange reduction. All of these come served with a pan of vegetables and a choice of potatoes meaning that there’s never any worry that you won’t be full after a meal at Chez Jules.
If you have space, desserts on offer include a banoffee pie, and lemon posset. On top of all of this, there’s a separate fixed price menu available every day, as well as a traditional French tasting menu which changes every month.
Drinks range from classic cocktails, to a decent collection of beers and a long list of wines by the glass and bottle.