Upstairs at the Grill

Head chef Stephen Hinkley runs Chester's steak programme on premium Welsh beef, dry-aged five weeks in-house and cut to order. The signature is that five-week dry-aged bone-in rib-eye at £27.95; the wet-aged fillet runs £34.95 and steaks open at £19. Rare breeds get sourced from further afield when they earn a spot on the board. It's the New York chophouse model done in Cheshire: leather, low light, and a dry-ageing cabinet you pass on the way in.

The room sits one floor up from The Rows at 70 Watergate Street, in the timbered heart of the old city. Upstairs has held its place in the Michelin Guide through the 2025 edition and took a Tripadvisor Travellers' Choice award the same year. That's the right kind of recognition for a steakhouse: not a star it was never chasing, but a room that does one thing and does it to a level worth the trip.

It's a two-room first-floor steakhouse with a chophouse hum rather than hush — conversation-easy, not a place anyone whispers. Low lighting, leather seating, tables spaced for a working dinner rather than a romantic one. Smart casual is the code: no jacket required, but not a trainers-and-shorts room either. Service runs American-warm, attentive without hovering, and the floor will pace a long table without being asked.

Book this room for a deal dinner because three things work in your favour. The steak itself signals the host is spending properly without a four-figure tasting menu. The volume sits at deal-friendly — you can talk numbers across the table without leaning in. And the format is fast and legible: everyone knows what a rib-eye is, nobody's decoding a tasting card mid-negotiation. Ask for a quieter table away from the bar when you book, pre-agree who's settling the bill, and put the order in early so the kitchen isn't the bottleneck.

Not for a first date or a quiet anniversary: it's a busy chophouse built for appetite and conversation, not candlelight, and the tables sit close enough that the next party is part of your night.

Is Upstairs at the Grill worth it? Yes, if you came to Chester for a proper steak. It's the city's most serious chophouse, in the 2025 Michelin Guide, with five-week dry-aged Welsh beef cut to order and a rib-eye at £27.95 that earns the price. It isn't fine dining and doesn't pretend to be; come hungry, order the dry-aged cuts, and skip the non-beef options that exist only for the one guest who won't.

How hard is it to book Upstairs at the Grill? Not hard, with one caveat: weekend dinners fill, so book about a week out for a Friday or Saturday table. There's no Resy scramble — reserve direct through the restaurant or by phone. For a group or a deal dinner, call ahead and ask for a quieter table away from the bar; they'll seat a long table comfortably if you give them notice.

What is the dress code at Upstairs at the Grill? Smart casual, leaning business rather than black-tie. No jacket required, but skip the trainers and shorts; a collared shirt or a smart top is the right register here. It's a New York-style chophouse, so dress the way you would for a client dinner at a city steakhouse — presentable, not formal.

What should I order at Upstairs at the Grill? Order the steak, and order it dry-aged. The five-week dry-aged Welsh beef bone-in rib-eye at £27.95 is the signature; the wet-aged fillet at £34.95 is the leaner choice. Starters open around £8 and the cuts start at £19, so you can scale the meal to the occasion. Add a Bordeaux or a Cabernet — this is a kitchen built around big reds and big cuts.