• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Major Foodie

Fine Dining Honestly Reviewed

  • About Me
  • Most Recent
  • Highest Rated
  • Restaurant Map
  • Locations
    • London
      • City
      • East
      • East Central
      • Mayfair & Central West
      • North Central
      • Southbank
      • South East
      • South West
      • West End
    • Rest of UK
      • Central England
      • Jersey
      • North England
      • Northern Ireland
      • South East England
      • South England
      • South West England
      • Scotland
      • Wales
    • Rest of World
      • Europe
        • Croatia
        • Denmark
        • France
        • Germany
        • Ireland
        • Italy
        • Malta
        • Norway
        • Portugal
        • Spain
        • Turkey
      • Asia
        • Bali
        • China
          • Beijing
          • Hangzhou
          • Hong Kong
          • Macau
          • Shanghai
        • Japan
          • Kobe
          • Kyoto
          • Tokyo
        • Singapore
        • Thailand
          • Bangkok
          • Phuket
          • Koh Pha Ngan
          • Koh Samui
      • Dubai
      • America
        • Chicago
        • Las Vegas
        • Napa Valley
        • Nashville
        • New York
        • Washington DC
      • Australia
  • Cuisine
    • African
    • American
    • Asian
    • British Modern
    • British Traditional
    • Chinese
    • Classic
    • Creative
    • Croatian
    • French
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Japanese
    • Meats and Grills
    • Mediterranean
    • Modern
    • Nordic
    • Peruvian
    • Portuguese
    • Regional / Country
    • Tempura
    • Turkish
    • Seafood
    • Spanish
    • Sushi
    • Vegetarian
  • Best For
    • Atmosphere
    • Breakfast
    • Brunch
    • Burgers
    • Counter / Bar Dining
    • Celebrations
    • Fish & Chips
    • Michelin Starred Pubs
    • Pizza
    • Pre-Theatre
    • Private Dining
    • Romantic
    • Set Menu Under £25
    • Sunday Roast
    • Top Major Foodie Rating (90%+)
    • Value Set Menu
    • Vegetarian
    • View
  • Filter Search
  • Blog

Simon Radley at Chester Grosvenor (Chester)

16th December 2016 by Richard Bagnold Leave a Comment

Formal looking restaurant set within Chester's Grosvenor Hotel serving aesthetically pleasing food

Tucked in the Grosvenor Hotel in Chester sits this Michelin starred restaurant serving carefully constructed food.  The highlights of this venue were the wonderful selection of breads on offer (9 in total to choose from), the welcoming manner in which the staff greeted myself and others that I saw arrive as well as a seriously good dessert.  Sadly, I found the other dishes a little lacking in punch, although they were very good on the eyes and this is the sort of venue which is great to up the stakes on a date or special occasion context and you are in the area.

Read full review

I opted for the cheese bread which proved to be a quality find in its squidgy, softness with subtle, yet obvious cheese additions.  I couldn’t detect very much garlic in the black garlic bread at all and seemed to be more for show as a result as this was too subtle in flavour.  The canapes were a welcome start with various treats on seafood skins and the pumpkin amuse bouche with its eggnog had an interesting blend of sweet and saltiness and the nutmeg pumpkin on brioche was also a pleasant start.

For the actual dishes, these generated mixed emotions in me.  The sweetbread starter was a little bit too earthy in its flavour for me; it’s a tough one because the whole point of offal is that it is this flavour (coming mainly from the pancreas), however keeping the glorious texture of soft and gooey on the inside and a crispy outside AND having the mustiness disguised as was the case at Midsummer House would elevate this dish I thought).  The langoustine was also pretty undetectable in flavour within the rest of the dish that had pleasant surrounding parts.

The chicken was one of the most succulent pieces of chicken I have ever tasted but was overshadowed by the inherent bitterness of the watercress foam.  The terrine was very nice and was essentially transformed and salvaged by the chicken skin as the only other obvious aspect to note.  Regrettably I simply didn’t like the sour flavour of the bergamot that came with the honey panna cotta (the latter being pleasant but subtle) however, all was made right with the honey crips on top and thank God  this was there.

Having said this, I thought the Pina colada dessert was an absolute triumph.  It was so utterly delicate in its design of soft yet crispy meringue-like crisp which kept the textures in check with a wonderful blanc mange beneath this layer and all, cleverly, gluten free / without the use of any dairy.  This really was a stroke of genius as a dish and I loved every mouthful.

Service wise, this was a little mixed ranging from senior floor staff who really knew their business and were welcoming throughout to more junior members who were still learning the value of quality hospitality (one asking how everything was whilst I was in mid-mouthful of my first bite and another, straight faced waitress who appeared annoyed at being that particular evening – the latter having a greater impact I found).  However, for those that wish a pleasant and more formal occasion and are happy pushing the boat out more, this restaurant will definitely help that mission succeed with some areas to fine tune for the more interested eyes and palate.

Food Grade:  72%

Simon Radley Restaurant
Opening Snacks
Bread selection
Menu starters – 16 Dec 16
Menu mains – 16 Dec 16
Menu desserts – 16 Dec 16
Black garlic and cheese breads
Pumpkin amuse bouche
Langoustine and sweetbread
Chicken main
Honey panna cotta pre-dessert
Pinacolada dessert (1)
Pinacolada dessert (2)
The dinner bill for 1

Location

Leave a Review of this Restaurant Cancel reply

  • Food Rating - 72%
    72

Summary

Adjoining bar.
Welcoming hospitality.

Mixed service.
Some flavour balances.

Restaurant Details

Michelin Stars:

Cuisine: Modern

Address: 56-58 Eastgate St, City Centre, Chester CH1 1LT

Website: Simon Radley at Chester Grosvenor (Chester)

Wine List: Click Here

Telephone: +44 1244 324024

Recent Visit – 1 Star

Mikla (Istanbul)

8th March 2025

Recent Visit – 2 Stars

Brooklands by Claude Bosi (Hyde Park)

16th May 2024

Recent Visit – 3 Stars

L’Assiette Champenoise (Reims)

22nd June 2023

Recent Visit – Not Starred but Recommended

Dishoom (Covent Garden)

5th November 2022

Food Consultancy

Concierge Services

Concierge food-themed experience

Concierge day out experience

Concierge tea experience

About Me

meMy hobby-turned-passion began to evolve during my assignments to London where I was fortunate enough to be able to explore all the Michelin starred restaurants in my spare time and as a result, I gradually built up a catalogue of all these venues.

Recent Additions

  • Kioku Bar (Raffles at The OWO) 2nd May 2025
  • Bleecker Burger (Bloomberg Arcade) 1st May 2025
  • Mikla (Istanbul) 8th March 2025

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Sign up to be notified whenever a new review is posted.

Read our privacy policy here.

Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy (UK)

Copyright © 2025 · swank WordPress Theme By, PDCD