Upstairs at the Grill – The Legend returns, reimagined. #Out and About

Victoria Hayes
21st June 2022

When I think of Upstairs at the Grill, certain things always come to mind. Gorgeous, prime quality steaks, sometimes surprising cuts of meat with fantastic red wine and sticky toffee pudding. Decadence, opulence, special occasions and Sunday lunches.

Upstairs at the Grill is even described by the Michelin Guide as moody. It’s Manhattan steak house feel with cow based décor and intimate cocktail bar has been a fixture of Chester dining for upwards of 18 years now. Realistically, it probably was time for a refresh.

Forced to close for Covid, the smart hospitality brains behind this much loved venue saw an opportunity, to do the work needed to bring the Grill bang up to date, while maintaining all the qualities which made it so successful in the first place. Quite the challenge, I’m sure you’ll agree. 

For a little over two years, they closed to plan and execute an exciting expansion. First, they annexed the neighbouring defunct bookmakers, to give them the additional space for a specialist ageing room, added an incredible roof terrace and wine cellar corridor and then tackled  the established indoor spaces with a reimagining embracing the old and the new. Expect a dramatic makeover throughout, with classic New York-style booths in the restaurant and a refurbishment of the much-loved upstairs cocktail bar. For regular guests, there is still more than a sprinkling of the original ‘Grill’ look, with the much-loved bar-sofa table and original oak bar remaining very much part of the fabric.

The extensive wine collection including some of Napa Valley’s most sought-after wines is housed in their brand new, contemporary wine corridor – something most definitely worth seeing. The cocktail bar is now lighter, especially during the day and early evening with the windows now letting in the end of day sun and the cocktail menu remains a highlight with that much sought after combo of atmosphere and brilliant mixology.

The real superstar of the refurb however is the terrace. Not just because it’s beautiful, light and airy, but also because of all the thought that has gone into the design. The roof is fully retractable for when the sun beams down on us. The side glass panels will protect you from the wind and elements, but can be raised and lowered much like giant car windows to allow air flow as required. Worried about the winter? Don’t be! With the brilliant combo of under terrace floor heating and a fire place for colder evenings on the terrace, no matter the time of year, this is the perfect spot.

Other details include the use of love seats rather than individual chairs to allow both guests to face the view rather than one being forced to stair at the wall. The green tones and botanical notes are bang on trend and as you would expect from this venue, all the elements of lighting, table ware and cutlery have been well thought out to match the surroundings.

So is anything the same?

Well,

The menu continues to feature some of the finest steaks, Head Chef Ben Rutherford has worked closely with their master butcher to source the very best, well-marbled cuts from traditional breeds.  Their steak offering includes a selection of classic steaks such as Ribeyes & Sirloins, along with a selection of signature steaks that are dry-aged on the bone in the specially designed Himalayan salt maturation chamber. 

Owner Rob Bacon explains, “This dry-ageing improves the tenderness & succulence, and the beef develops an intensely deep, rich flavour. We’re really looking forward to guests exploring this selection of signature steaks from the New York Strip and Porterhouse to a USDA Delmonico.”

The range of starters, sides, seafood and desserts are all equally as impressive and guests can expect the welcome return of some of  ‘The Grills’ old-time classics, including the blue cheese soufflé and French onion soup.

BUT, an array of lighter options now pepper the menu, so those of us who shy away from three rich courses, have options too.

The Lunch Menu is reflective of this, with both soufflé and tuna carpaccio being offered on the fixed price menu. With two courses at £25 and 3 for £30 this menu is a great pocket friendly way to try the Grill experience on the terrace!

Of course, we could not possibly let you, our lovely faithful readers down by not sampling these delights ourselves and telling you about them!

I love the classic twice baked cheese soufflé and was not disappointed, light and airy with the unctuous stilton sauce poured over for me (and the remaining sauce in the jug thoroughly scraped out by me!). It came with a sweet red onion marmalade on the side, which I’ll be honest and say I didn’t really need but I acknowledge some people like to cut through the cheesy goodness a bit.

Briony’s seared yellowfin tuna carpaccio was light but still a large portion for a starter. Fresh and citrusy with a salad of pickled watermelon and cucumber. The tuna was allowed to sing with a citronette dressing and paired with black olive tapenade crisps.

Other options on the starter list mirrored the old/new ethos with classic French onion soup or heirloom tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad both making an appearance. 

Main course options… Well of course we wanted Steak frites, it’s what they do best after all, however around us the other diners did make us jealous with Steak Burgers, market fish of the day and the Chicken Caesar salad served at the table from silver pans.

The Steak for lunch was a 6oz Picanha rump steak  cooked perfectly medium rare with Cafe de Paris Butter and I do not know what they do to those fries, but they should come with a warning that you could never ever have just one!

We also indulged ourselves with their legendary haggis fritters on the side – earthy haggis in deep fried crispy goodness. It’s an Grill classic and if you’ve never tried them, trust us, they are magic. 

Dessert is not always our favourite course, regularly we swerve it in favour of a cheeseboard and being rather full from two stunning courses we realised something light was the way forward. Luckily, we picked a dessert that was out of this world. Now, for those of you who are Grill regulars, please do not panic. The Sticky toffee pudding will remain on the menu but for those with a sweet tooth there are some serious treats awaiting your attention.

We selected the chocolate galaxy to share…next time we are having one each no question. The presentation was fabulous, the chocolate sphere (planet) with the tulle biscuit representing the planet’s rings, the filling was chocolate brownie, chocolate orange fudge, pop rocks hazelnut praline and house churned ice cream. Stunning.

Open 7 days a week from midday, lunch is set to be a big draw here. Whether you decide to dine on the beautiful new terrace, gather a group of friends for a celebration, entertain clients or enjoy Sundays in style with the return of the much-missed Sunday lunch, this little corner of Watergate Street is the perfect spot to drink, dine and rejoice in the finest steaks, service and ambience imaginable.

Whilst we were kindly gifted this meal by the team at Upstairs at the Grill, all the opinions in this article are our own, as are the recommendations. Don’t believe us? We actively encourage you to try it for yourselves!