What it's like
Basement 85 is a cellar bar beneath Watergate House on the lower stretch of Watergate Street. Use it for cocktails, wine, tap beer and cider, plus boards, nibbles, pop-up kitchens and race-day plans rather than a full pub dinner. The room does the useful cellar-bar thing: cosy, contained and a little away from the obvious Chester circuit.
Basement 85 sits near the Roodee end of Watergate Street, close enough for racecourse plans but far enough down the hill to feel separate from the busiest city-centre run. Chester has seen several versions of this basement before; this one makes most sense when treated as a bar with food alongside it, not a restaurant hiding underground.
The useful visit is a deliberate one: an after-work drink, a pre- or post-races stop, a date, or a small group that wants a tucked-away room without committing to a full meal. It is strongest when you want somewhere a bit calmer than the obvious Watergate Street crawl, while still being close to the racecourse side of town.
Worth knowing
The basement is both the charm and the limitation. It gives Basement 85 its atmosphere, but it also rules out step-free access and makes seating/space more important on busy nights. Lower Watergate Street can feel slightly detached from the main Chester flow, so check hours, food and race-day details before making a special trip.
Plan your visit
- Address
- 85 Watergate Street, Chester CH1 2LF
- Hours
- Usually closed Mon-Tue; Wed 16:00-23:00; Thu 12:00-23:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-01:00; Sun 12:00-20:00. Race-day hours differ, so check direct.
- Food
- Nibbles, boards, pie-warmer items, sweets, pop-up kitchens and race-day brunch. Treat it as grazing and event food rather than a guaranteed full dinner.
- Drink
- Cocktails, wine, tap beer and cider, spritzes and soft drinks. CAMRA notes no cask ale, so real-ale purists should check direct before getting excited.
- Dog-friendly
- Dogs are allowed in the bar area if dry, clean and well-behaved. The venue says not to bring dogs for dining bookings.
- Outdoor seating
- Limited seating at the front, down the steps before you go in. Do not expect a full terrace or big beer-garden setup.
- Accessibility
- Basement venue in a listed building, with stepped access and no step-free route or disabled facilities on site.
- Price feel
- ££. City-centre drinks-and-boards territory rather than cheap-pint territory.
- Booking needed?
- No for normal daily service. Book or enquire for race-day brunch, larger groups, the Middle Room and events.
- Good for kids?
- Fine with children in the day with adults. Less of a children-friendly plan at night or around busy race-day sessions.
- Good for groups?
- Yes for small groups and planned gatherings. Contact the venue if the group size matters.
Walk-ins, boards and race days
- For normal service, the route is simple: head downstairs, find a spot if there is one, and order drinks and food around the bar setup. Walk-ins are the everyday model.
- Food is not the old full-pub model. Expect nibbles, sharing boards, pie-warmer items, sweets and scheduled pop-up kitchens. If food matters to the plan, check the latest menu or event listing before travelling.
- Race days run differently. The venue promotes pre-race drinks, brunch by booking or pre-order, a closure during the races, and reopening afterwards. Do not rely on normal hours when Chester Racecourse is the reason you are in town.
- For groups, celebrations or a more organised visit, ask about the Middle Room rather than assuming the main bar can absorb everyone on arrival.
What's on and practical notes
Basement 85 lists pop-up kitchens, race-day plans, live music and other events through its own events and bookings page. The offer is calendar-based, so check direct before adding a specific night to a plan.
No checked TTDC event listings for this place right now. Check its own listings before building a visit around an event.
Nearby plan
Nearby pubs and bars
Nearby food
Nearby attractions
- Chester Racecourse
- Chester City Walls
- The Rows
- Watergate Street
FAQ
Does Basement 85 do food?
Yes, but think boards, nibbles, pie-warmer items, sweets, pop-up kitchens and race-day brunch rather than a standard full pub menu. Check the current menu if food is central to the visit.
Do you need to book?
Not for normal daily service. Book or enquire direct for race-day brunch, larger groups, the Middle Room and events.
Is Basement 85 dog-friendly?
Yes in the bar area for dry, clean, well-behaved dogs. The venue says not to bring dogs for dining bookings.
Is Basement 85 accessible?
No step-free route is listed. It is a basement venue in a listed building with stepped access and no disabled facilities on site.
Is Basement 85 good for children?
In the day, yes with adults. Later at night, and around busy race-day sessions, it is less of a children-friendly plan.
Nearby alternatives and add-ons.
Chalk Coffee Chalk Coffee is a modern independent coffee shop on Watergate Street, built around speciality coffee, filter, brunch, cakes and light daytime food. It works for a proper flat white, a slower brunch, a dog-friendly coffee stop, or a central pause between the Rows, the shops and the Cathedral side of town. 
Assembly Bar & Tapas Assembly Bar & Tapas sits on Watergate Street - independent, all-day, and properly committed to the food side of bar food. Coffee and brunch by day, cocktails, natural wine and Spanish-leaning small plates by evening. Useful when one person wants cocktails, another wants wine, somebody wants to eat, and nobody wants to surrender to the loudest option immediately. Grown-up enough for a quieter start; lively enough by Friday night to hold the room. 
Barlounge Barlounge sits on Watergate Street and has been Chester's most-watched bar since March 2000 - arguably the city's original proper cocktail bar, now twenty-five years in. The terrace has a retractable roof and serious heaters, the small plates kitchen is better than it needs to be, and the room runs hot from Friday afternoon through to a busy Sunday lunch. Reliably busy, occasionally a bit of a scene, almost always worth it.