Duttons

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#84 of 343 Restaurants in ChesterBar, British, ££ - £££

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Duttons

Review

At a glance

Open until 11:00 PM

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Website

+44 1244 401869Improve this listing

About

We’re tucked away on quaint Godstall Lane, not far from Chester’s stunning Cathedral, and we’re one of the city’s best kept secrets. Start your day off right with a delicious breakfast and a slow roasted coffee or treat yourself to a freshly prepared lunch from our daytime menu, or hearty classics from our evening menu. With a spacious seating area outside for alfresco dining, and a stunning new interior where you can enjoy a candle-lit evening meal and a few drinks. The new menus are filled with light bites, classics and offer a selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes, and the Prix Fixe menu is perfect for evening dining before a show at the Storyhouse theatre with a few cocktails. The beautiful garden room is ideal for parties, functions and private dining for any special occasion.

Features

CUISINES

Bar, British

Meal types

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Drinks

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

FEATURES

Accepts Credit Cards

Digital Payments

Free Wifi

Full Bar

Gift Cards Available

Highchairs Available

Live Music

Outdoor Seating

Private Dining

Reservations

Seating

Serves Alcohol

Table Service

Wheelchair Accessible

Wine and Beer

Location

12 Godstall Lane, Chester CH1 1LN England

Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?

Yes

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Hours

Suggest an edit

Open until 11:00 PM

Sunday

11:00 - 22:30

Monday

11:00 - 23:00

Tuesday

11:00 - 23:00

Wednesday

11:00 - 23:00

Thursday

11:00 - 23:00

Friday

11:00 - 0:00

Saturday

9:30 - 0:00

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4.0

1,323 reviews

Excellent

659

Very good

304

Average

147

Poor

102

Terrible

111

kathleen s

Meifod1 contribution

Disappointed

Dec 2024 • family

My sister recommended duttons so I booked and made our selection from the festive menu We arrived and was greeted by a lovely lady and we were so happy with our table then it went down hill.. our order arrived the turkey and fish were tasty.. the sprouts were so hard I couldn’t put my fork into them The roast potatoes were so rubbery I couldn’t put hardly cut the .. I had to scrape out the potato to eat it.. waitress cleared the plates and we requested our desserts straight away (we had travelled from mid wales and needed to get home) We had to ask for them again after half an hour.. she said they were on the way.. we asked could we have tea and coffee.. it arrived with our desserts. .. my chocolate tart was so cold I could hardly get my spoon through.. and no dessert forks either.. My sister has very weak tea so asked for hot water which was brought in a latte glass as they didn’t have anymore teapots.. she almost scalded herself pouring it out.. so our family lunch was just adequate.. we were so disappointed I wanted to speak to you but by that time we were late so had to go

Written 19 December 2024

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Pamela C

1 contribution

Wonderful experience at Duttons Restaurant

Aug 2024 • friends

My friend and I visited Chester for shopping and found this lovely restaurant to eat. Menu varied with lots of choice. We had lunch but as the quality of food and service were fabulous we booked a table for an evening meal and so glad we did as once again the food was to a great standard so obviously an excellent chef and there was a lovely singer and also a DJ playing great motown/soul music in the evening for entertainment. Will definately go back on my.next visit. Wishing them well as they deserve the business from visitors and locals.

Written 19 August 2024

Adam P

1 contribution

Wonderful night in Duttons Chester

Jan 2024 • couples

After doing some browsing on cheap and easy places for food for me and my other half we scrolled onto Duttons, and my God was it heaven sent. We were greeted by our server Bethan with a gleaming smile and directed to our table. Our food came in record time and it exceeded our expectations and then some - the fish and burger were incredible to say the least. Despite only planning for dinner, we hazarded a dessert and although rich, the brownie was incredible also. Bethan was there for any qualms or concerns from me or my partner and was really accommodating to any of our requirements - my girlfriend being pescatarian. It was an incredible experience topped off with even better service, we will most definitely be coming back in the summer months.

Written 28 February 2024

Geraint19

5 contributions

Awful Food , nice polite staff

May 2024 • couples

I must say we always visit Duttons whenever we are in Chester and are never disappointed each time , but last Sunday i had booked a table for us and our friends for Sunday Lunch . We waited over an hour for food and when we started inquiring about the wait , we were told that they were very busy (but it was barely full) and that we were the next to receive our food . We got chatting to a couple next to us and they said they had also been waiting an hour for food also and when it came it was not up to the Dutton's usual standard . When our food eventually arrived it was absolutely awful.We had chosen the Shared Platter and the meat that was served on it was disgusting , you could hardly find a full slice of meat on the plate, it looked like leftovers that had been reheated , greasy and burnt . Vegetables were cold or burnt and were very disappointing. This was the first time ever that i have complained about a meal. The waitress was really polite and apologetic and we did point out that it was certainly not her fault but the meal was inedible and that we would have to leave it . We were prepared to pay for the drinks but unfortunately we would not be paying for the meal . Eventually a manager did come to apologise and she explained that they had been very busy which is no excuse i'm afraid , we had notice that there was a private party taking place and staff seemed to be concentrating on the party and no one else. The manager said that we would not have to pay even for our drinks which was a nice gesture, but it didn't solve the fact that we had not had anything to eat and now having to find an alternative venue at nearly 3.00pm. What has happened Duttons ?

Written 28 May 2024

Connor Callaghan

Hi Geraint, Thank you for leaving feedback on your recent visit. I'm sorry to hear your time with us wasn't our usual best, the experience you've described sounds far from our usual standard. If you could kindly email me some more information about your visit and the time you dined with us I can personally look into this and ensure what issues happened are corrected for the future. Kind Regards, Connor Callaghan Connor.Callaghan@JWLees.co.uk General Manager

Written 2 June 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Adrianne P

1 contribution

Awful roast dinner sharing platter

Oct 2024 • family

Awful dinner sharing platter. The ‘roast chicken’ was pre cooked breast that tasted like rubber, the roast beef was half fat and the gammon was slippery and cold. If anyone had bothered to ask us how our dinner was we would have let the waitresses know that we pretty unhappy with the roast we’ve ever had in Chester. Definitely not worth the £40 price tag! Will not be returning. The sausages were just as bad…

Written 27 October 2024

Connor Callaghan

Hi Adrianne, Thank you for taking the time out of your day to leave feedback on your recent visit at Duttons Chester. I'm sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your meal with us, our Sunday sharer is usually a favourite amongst our guests. If you could kindly me at Connor.Callaghan@JWLees.co.uk with some more information on your visit I can look into why on this occasion it wasn't our usual best. Kind Regards, Connor Callaghan General Manager

Written 28 October 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

71taff

Wrexham24 contributions

Poor, slow service

Nov 2023 • family

The staff were friendly here. However, the service was poor and food not great value for money. Food service was slow and when it arrived 2 sides were missing. We waited to see if they turned up, thinking the server would ask if we needed anything else, or if everything was ok and the server never came back. We finished the tapas and when we saw the server we asked to cancel the sides. Her response was quite an abrupt ‘excuse me?’ Then she realised the side were missing. Next thing the sides turned up. To be fair the staff apologised and took the sides off the bill. The small plates were tasty, but very small and not good value for money. Drink service was slow, arriving after food. Nice restaurant but on the day we didn’t enjoy the experience we had.

Written 9 November 2023

julie

Chester4 contributions

absolutely shocking!!!

Apr 2023 • friends

I have gave this place 1 star as the food and the service were terrible, as myself working in hospitality the guest journey is key. Waited over 10 minutes for a drink, the person who served us was rude and friendly. Gave us a horrible atmosphere. The cutlery was all smudged like it wasn’t polish properly. You could hear the kitchen blasting music if you ask me it’s highly unprofessional. Waited over 40 minutes for our food to arrive, I had the butterfly cajun chicken breast, it was horrible the onion rings were cold when they arrived to the table tried to tell someone but they ignored us. The chips were burnt. The chicken burger itself was okay. And the coleslaw tasted like it was very watery and didn’t have a nice taste at all, looked abit brown if i’m honest. My friend had the sage roast chicken breast. The bacon was burnt, I thought a risotto was meant to be creamy but it was dry and tasteless. Drinks were okay. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND OR RETURN!

Written 31 October 2023

ANDREW T

Chester1 contribution

Awful

Feb 2024 • family

My wife booked at table for 7 people to celebrate my daughters and my birthday, the party included relatives who had travelled to Chester that day. Are booking was for Saturday 3rd at 6.30pm, we arrived on time, drink and food orders were taken pretty promptly so the food order could get into the kitchen. Only 3 ordered starters which arrived ok. Time was ticking on and no sign of our main courses, my wife approached the staff on numerous occasions, the staff apologised and said they were chasing the food orders up but there was nothing they could do about it. At 9pm and still no main meals we we’re losing the will to live, so my wife told the staff if nothing appeared in the next 5 minutes we were going to leave also my brother approached the manager (whom was hardly visible all night) we were told ours was the next food order to come out. Ten minutes passed then yipee food started to arrive BUT it didn’t come to our table. Enough was enough so at 9.30pm we left hungry and cross. We were so disappointed with Duttons and I or any of my family will not be going back

Written 5 February 2024

Connor Callaghan

Hi Mandyt, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review on your experience with us. Whilst we always aim to deliver outstanding service, sometimes we don't always get it right. We always look into negative comments to make sure past mistakes aren't future mistakes, if you could get in touch via email to Connor.Callaghan@JwLees.co.uk I can personally look why your experience wasn't our usual amazing. Kind Regards,

Written 5 February 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Purple_thistle2013

Croydon15 contributions

Poor service and substandard food

Mar 2023 • none

This swanky looking bar/restaurant is all show and no standards - I'd avoid to be honest. There were 7 of us eating in early evening (5pm) with our mixed age group to ensure we had lots of time to get to our booked theatre show at the Storyhouse round the corner at 7.30pm. We just about made it. During the two hours we spent in this place, we were treated to a delay for our table (at 5pm!?), lights going out above the table which made reading the menu difficult , loud music, sticky tables, uncomfortable chairs and frankly appalling service. To be fair, the young waitress was lovely and I felt sorry for her having to deal with the various frustrations we had. The meal , when it arrived (after an hour of waiting) was average at best, and in my case, totally inedible. I had ordered a butternut squash curry, which arrived looking like a grey soup with some onion floating in it...disgusting. When I asked one of the (apparently ) more senior waiters whether there was any butternut squash in it, he replied..'I'd like to think so'. Me too, as it happens, mate! With time not our side I couldn;t be bothered to argue for money off the bill, and we left vowing never to return again.

Written 25 March 2023

Connor Callaghan

Hi Purple_thistle2013, Thank you for taking the time out of your day to leave feedback. I'm awfully sorry to hear you didn't enjoy your visit with us, if you could kindly get in touch with some more information about the date you dined at Connor.Callaghan@jwlees.co.uk I'll be sure to look into why on your occasion it wasn't our usual best. Kind Regards, Connor Callaghan General Manager

Written 17 April 2023

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Alysha T

2 contributions

Awful service

Feb 2024 • family

My mum had booked Duttons for mine and my dads birthday, 7 of us arrived at our table for 6:30pm, the waitress then took our drinks order and shortly after our food order, we then waited about an hour for our starters, our starters were then collected, it had been about half an hour and the waitress came over to apologise for the wait and we were being given a free round of drinks. We continued to wait for our food but just kept being told sorry for the wait and we were the next table to be served, other tables that arrived after us were being served but our food still hadn’t arrived. At 9pm we went to the bar to ask where our food was and again we got told we were next, my mum said if the food wasn’t out in 5 minutes we were leaving, there was a 60th birthday on in the conservatory area, who also arrived after us, at about 9:20pm they were served there food, we then decided that we’d waited long enough and decided to leave, we were never told a reason as to why we didn’t get our food just kept being apologised to. We definitely won’t be going back to Duttons.

Written 4 February 2024

Connor Callaghan

Hi alyshat, Thank you for taking the time to leave a review on your experience with us. Whilst we always aim to deliver outstanding service, sometimes we don't always get it right. We always look into negative comments to make sure past mistakes aren't future mistakes, if you could get in touch via email to Connor.Callaghan@JwLees.co.uk I can personally look why your experience wasn't our usual amazing. Kind Regards,

Written 5 February 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Nicky E

6 contributions

Poor, boring brunch with small portions & missing items in simple dishes.

Nov 2023 • family

What a disappointing visit for brunch this was with small portions, missing parts in the dishes and below average food. Drinks - the tea came in a large pot and was generous, the flat whites were very small, over frothed and needed to be hotter. The hot chocolate was fin. Full English came without any hash browns or egg looking small for a full English. A poached egg was brought on request but it was hard and not at all runny. Bacon, egg, hash brown & sour dough - came without hash browns or butter for the toast and the fried egg was hard. Tomato sauce was brought squirted onto a flat plate which was odd! 2 x Smashed avocado with mushrooms & poached egg. I love smashed avocado and was very disappointed with only a heaped tablespoon full with one small flat mushroom. It needed more flavour with some balsamic rather just mashed up with a bit of pepper. There was not enough food to put on the 2 slices of toast! The small poached egg in this dish was runny and as it should be. The service was fine. Overall, unimpressive, boring , small dishes and a disappointing breakfast brunch. Duttons needs to up its game and get a new chef.

Written 18 November 2023

Garry D

Liverpool20 contributions

Awful.

Dec 2024 • business

Pretty poor. Started with staff using their fingers to pick lemon from tub and then place in drink! The food that came out was over-cooked and luke warm. Begetables were grotty. Some food was stale. Pretty grim. Will never go back.

Written 13 December 2024

T W

9 contributions

Best suited to couples. Seating not the best for groups.

Feb 2024 • friends

Visited here as a couple and loved the ambience and food was reasonable. Booked again last night for a friends birthday and was very disappointed, I’d requested a table in the main part of the restaurant by the window but this was ignored and we were seated on a round table at the back corner of the restaurant with no ambiance. Food was also mediocre. My cheese pie was dried up on the edges but because I had already queried our seating, I didn’t want to make a fuss about the food in front of our friends. I think the restaurant is best suited to couples rather than groups. .

Written 18 February 2024

Peter M

Chester9 contributions

Poor service and even worse attitude of staff

May 2022 • friends

I can safely say we will not be returning to Duttons and as Chester has many other good restaurants I would suggest you steer clear and go elsewhere too. My wife and I had a meal with friends on Saturday night prior to going on to another venue. We were advised the table was required for another booking later. The delivery of our starters took quite some time and then there was a very long delay before the main courses were delivered, if fact we queried the waitress about the time to deliver the mains on three separate occasions. When the main courses were finished ,taken away and whilst the sweet menus were perused a very officious supervisor told us quite impolitely that we had to move tables ‘right now’. We explained the delays we had experienced but and again told to move straight away and to take our drinks with us. I requested the manager who came up to the table and again told us we would have to move despite being told of the delays experienced during our meals. She became argumentative stating there was no delays and she knew because it was registered on her till, we asked her why she was argumentative she argued that she was not, so clearly all six of her customers were lying. At this point we paid and left the establishment without the sweet course that the ladies were waiting for, it was clear that our custom was going to be better served elsewhere. I would say that this is not really a restaurant and is more like jumped up pub food as it is expensive for napkins, knives and forks to be dumped at one end of the table to be self distributed. The attitude of the senior staff was appalling.

Written 22 May 2022

Han G

Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback, Peter. I'm sorry to hear of your poor experience with us, if you would like to discuss your visit with us further, I'd happily do so offline, please do get in touch. Kind regards, Hannah Graham, General Manager, 01244 401 869, duttons@jwlees.co.uk

Written 28 May 2022

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

karen j

1 contribution

rude female staff and management to guests

Jan 2024 • friends

we used to love visiting this establishment but we will no longer visit. My partner and I came late afternoon early evening on Tuesday 23rd January the place was very quiet, me any my partner we stayed for a few drink we where going to stay for food till we observed the staff leaning against the back of the bar on their phones not caring about he customers sat in the restaurant the few who walked in were told to order or shut up no wonder they chose to leave, now I know the girl who served us was called Kat as we over herd the one with glasses bossing her about we can only assume she is the manager a dark haired girl with glasses and a Brummy/Midlands accent she is the one who was rude to the customers the walking in. now how can you afford to give such rude appalling customer service when the place is empty I can not see the place surviving long with this poor attitude towards customers. We will no longer be coming back to Dutton's we will take our money else where when visiting Chester in future.

Written 27 January 2024

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