tbc*
Cocktail bar
Named a One to Watch by Top 50 Cocktail Bars in 2026
A neighbourhood cocktail bar with good music on Watergate Street, open late and on Saturday afternoons.
📍 27 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LB
Our top 10 Chester bars
If you only have one night, start here.
- tbc*
A neighbourhood cocktail bar and a 2026 one to watch.
Watergate Street and the Rows - Liquor & Co
A drinking den on the Rows, open late.
Watergate Street and the Rows - The Cabinet Club
A hidden bar inside Liquor & Co.
Watergate Street and the Rows - Providence Gin
More than 400 gins in a building from 1652.
Watergate Street and the Rows - Palm
More than 40 cocktails under a pink bar.
Watergate Street and the Rows - Barlounge
A Watergate Street cocktail bar since 2000.
Watergate Street and the Rows - Kuckoo
Rock and roll cocktails.
Watergate Street and the Rows - Bishop Lloyd’s Bar
Vaulted rooms under a Tudor house.
Watergate Street and the Rows - The Guild
Velvet booths in a former church.
Watergate Street and the Rows - Craft & Co
Gin, craft beer and live music.
Watergate Street and the Rows
Map of Chester bars
Tap a pin for the bar. Numbers match the list.
Bars on Watergate Street
Chester's cocktail street: medieval galleried Rows lined with independent cocktail bars, gin bars and hidden rooms, all within a few minutes of each other.
Swipe to see all 13 bars →
Liquor & Co
Cocktail bar
A neighbourhood drinking den on the Watergate Rows built around liquor and cocktails, open from 3pm into the small hours.
📍 31 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LE
The Cabinet Club
Hidden cocktail bar
A hidden speakeasy-style bar tucked inside Liquor & Co on the Watergate Rows.
📍 31 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LE
Providence Gin
Gin and cocktail bar
A gin bar in a building from 1652 on Watergate Street with more than 400 gins, vintage cocktails, tastings and gin masterclasses.
📍 9 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LB
Palm
Cocktail bar and eatery
A pink-barred eatery on Watergate Street that turns into a cocktail bar from 6pm, with more than 40 cocktails and small plates.
📍 31 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LB
Barlounge
Cocktail bar and restaurant
A cocktail bar on Watergate Street since 2000, with sharing boards, a heated terrace and DJs on Friday and Saturday.
📍 75 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LB
Kuckoo
Rock and roll cocktail bar
A boutique bar on Watergate Street for flamboyant rock and roll cocktails and an indie soundtrack.
📍 58 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LA
Bishop Lloyd’s Bar
Historic cocktail bar
A bar inside Bishop Lloyd's House, a Tudor merchant's house on Watergate Row, opened in 2024, with vaulted brick rooms in the basement and cocktail masterclasses.
📍 53 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LE
The Guild
Cocktail bar and venue
A cocktail room with velvet booths in the former Holy Trinity Church on Watergate Street.
📍 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LA
Craft & Co
Craft beer, gin and cocktail bar
A bar on the Watergate Rows for craft beer, artisan gin and cocktails, with live music.
📍 24 Watergate Row North, Chester CH1 2LD
Prohibition
Cocktail bar
A cocktail bar at the bottom of Watergate Street.
📍 66 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LA
Kahiki
Tiki cocktail bar
A tiki cocktail bar on the Watergate Rows.
📍 8 Watergate Row North, Chester CH1 2LD
Be At One
Cocktail bar
A late cocktail bar on Watergate Street with daily two-for-one happy hours and mocktails.
📍 39-41 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LB
Bars around Northgate Street and the cathedral
North of the Cross, around the cathedral, Northgate Street and the Chester Grosvenor on Eastgate Street.
Swipe to see all 3 bars →
Northgates
Cocktail bar
A bar on Northgate Street serving big cocktails made with at least a double measure, with live music and alcohol-free options.
📍 70-72 Northgate St, Chester CH1 2HT
The Botanist
Botanical bar and restaurant
A bar and restaurant on St Werburgh Street by the cathedral, with a long botanical cocktail menu and live music.
📍 13 St Werburgh St, Chester CH1 2DY
The Pied Bull
Historic pub
A former coaching inn dating from 1155 and the oldest continuously licensed premises in Chester, with a heavily oak-beamed bar, its own brewery and, they say, a ghost.
📍 57 Northgate Street, Chester CH1 2HQ
Bars around Bridge Street
South of the Cross, around the Bridge Street Rows, with a rooftop bar on Pepper Street.
Swipe to see all 5 bars →
Rooftop Social Club
Rooftop bar
A rooftop bar on top of the Pepper Street car park.
📍 Pepper St, Chester CH1 1DF
The Cavern of the Curious Gnome
Bar and restaurant
A bar and restaurant up on the Bridge Street Rows.
📍 61 Bridge Street Row E, Chester CH1 1NW
Ye Olde Boot Inn
Historic pub
A Rows pub dating from 1643 and called the Boot since 1750, with low beams and a strict no swearing rule.
📍 9 Eastgate Row, Chester CH1 1LG
The Brewery Tap
Brewery tap
The Spitting Feathers brewery's pub on Lower Bridge Street, with cask ale and local beer in one of the best pub rooms in the centre.
📍 52 Lower Bridge Street, Chester
The Albion Inn
Traditional pub
A small three-roomed backstreet pub below the city walls, decorated with First World War memorabilia.
📍 Park Street, Chester CH1 1RQ
Bars by the canal
Just outside the city walls on the Shropshire Union Canal.
Swipe to see all 2 bars →
Telford's Warehouse
Canalside music bar
A canalside bar and live music venue in a Grade II listed Georgian steam mill, with handmade cocktails and outdoor seats by the water.
📍 Tower Wharf, Raymond St, Chester CH1 4EZ
Old Harkers Arms
Canalside pub
A real ale pub right on the canal.
📍 Russell Street, Chester
Chester cocktail trails
One routes in walking order, with the time between each bar. See them all on a map.
Watergate Street
7 bars · about 6 minutes on foot in total
- 1Kuckoo58 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LA
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 2Palm31 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LB
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 3Liquor & Co31 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LE
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 4tbc*27 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LB
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 5Craft & Co24 Watergate Row North, Chester CH1 2LD
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 6Providence Gin9 Watergate St, Chester CH1 2LB
- 🚶 about 1 min to the next bar
- 7Kahiki8 Watergate Row North, Chester CH1 2LD
More Chester bar guides
- Cocktail barsEvery cocktail bar in our Chester guide in one place: speakeasies, hotel bars, award winne
- Hidden and late-night barsHidden and late bars in Chester: tbc*, Liquor & Co, The Cabinet Club and Bishop Lloyd’s Ba
- Date nightRomantic cocktail bars in Chester for a night for two: The Cabinet Club, Palm and The Guil
- Fun bars for groupsLively Chester bars for birthdays, hen and stag dos and nights out: tbc*, Liquor & Co, Pro
- Gin, rum, whisky and tequilaThe best Chester bars for gin, rum, whisky and agave: Providence Gin, The Arkle Bar and Lo
- Low and noWhere to get a good alcohol-free cocktail in Chester: Palm, Northgates and Be At One.
- Pubs and beer barsThe best pubs in Chester: historic boozers, real ale pubs and craft beer bars.
- Cocktail trailsReady-made Chester cocktail trails on foot, Watergate Street and The Cross and Northgate,
Know before you go
- 🗓️ Book at the weekendThe smaller bars fill up on Friday and Saturday. Book where you can, or go early.
- 🚶 It's compactWatergate Street, Northgate Street and Bridge Street all meet at the Cross, so every bar here is a short walk.
- 🪜 Mind the RowsMany bars are up on the Rows, the medieval first-floor galleries, so look up as well as along.
- 🆔 Bring IDYou must be 18 to drink and many bars ask for ID if you look under 25.
Your questions
What is the best cocktail bar in Chester?
Start with tbc*, named a One to Watch by Top 50 Cocktail Bars in 2026, Liquor & Co and its hidden Cabinet Club and Providence Gin, all on Watergate Street.
Where are the best areas for cocktails in Chester?
Watergate Street and its Rows have most of Chester's best cocktail bars within a few minutes of each other. Northgate Street and Bridge Street have more. Telford's Warehouse sits by the canal.
Are there hidden bars in Chester?
Yes. The Cabinet Club is hidden inside Liquor & Co on the Watergate Rows and Bishop Lloyd's Bar has vaulted rooms in its basement.
Where are the best gin bars in Chester?
Providence Gin on Watergate Street has more than 400 gins and runs masterclasses. Craft & Co and The Botanist also have long gin lists.
Which Chester bars are open late?
Liquor & Co runs into the small hours and tbc*, The Guild and Be At One are late bars. Hours change, so check before you go.
What is the oldest pub in Chester?
The Pied Bull on Northgate Street, a coaching inn dating from 1155 and the oldest continuously licensed premises in the city. Ye Olde Boot Inn on Eastgate Row dates from 1643.
Who wrote this guide
This guide is written by the team at M.AD Agency. We run cocktail festivals in more than 20 towns and cities across the UK and Ireland and have worked with hundreds of bars since 2022. We love Chester's bars, so we put this guide together from our own research, recent awards and trusted local guides.
No bar paid to be included and nobody can buy a place. We check the guide regularly as bars open, change and close.
Our nearest cocktail festivals to Chester
Want your bar in this guide?
Run a bar in Chester that should be here? Get in touch at alice@m-ad.co.uk and tell us about it.