What it's like
Upstairs at the Grill is a Watergate Street steakhouse with a serious steak menu, classic cocktails, wine, lunch menu, Sunday menu and private dining room.
Upstairs at the Grill is where Chester goes when dinner is meant to count. It is polished, meat-focused and very much in the special-meal lane: steak, wine, cocktails, old building, low lighting and enough ceremony to make the bill feel less accidental.
The kitchen is not trying to be light, cheap or especially democratic. Go for steak, sides, wine and a proper sit-down meal. The lunch menu is the lower-risk way in if you want the atmosphere without committing fully to the evening spend.
Worth knowing
Upstairs at the Grill is one of Chester’s obvious serious-dinner choices, especially if steak is the brief. It is also expensive enough that you should book, leave time and not pretend it is a casual budget fallback.
Plan your visit
- Address
- 70 Watergate Street, Chester CH1 2LA.
- Hours
- Open seven days from midday. Lunch and early evening menu is listed Monday-Saturday midday-16:00.
- Food
- Steaks are the headline, with starters, sides, Sunday menu, lunch menu and a wine-friendly restaurant setup.
- What to order
- Steak, chips or richer sides, French onion soup, a classic cocktail, and wine if the budget has accepted its fate.
- Booking needed?
- Yes for most proper visits. Book early for weekends, occasions and terrace or private-dining requests.
- Private dining
- A private dining room is listed for 7-8 guests, with phone booking advised for some evening requests.
- Outdoor seating
- Terrace requests can be noted when booking, but do not assume availability.
- Kids
- Not impossible, but not the natural family-dining choice.
- Access
- Access is worth checking direct because the building is historic and the restaurant uses upstairs space.
- Price feel
- £££. Steak, sides and wine can move the bill quickly.
How to use it
- Use the lunch menu if you want a more controlled spend.
- For a big night, start with a drink, order steak properly and accept that sides are part of the decision.
- Call for larger groups, private dining, terrace hopes or access questions.
- Pair it with a Watergate Street drink before or after, then walk the city walls if the meal has won.
What's on and practical notes
The useful notes are menus, private dining and seasonal bookings rather than public events. Check direct for current menus before booking around occasions.
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
FAQ
Where is Upstairs at the Grill?
It is on Watergate Street in Chester.
Is Upstairs at the Grill good for steak?
Yes. Steak is the main reason to book.
Does Upstairs at the Grill have a lunch menu?
Yes. A lunch and early evening menu is listed Monday-Saturday from midday to 16:00.
Do you need to book Upstairs at the Grill?
Yes for evenings, weekends, occasions and groups.
Is Upstairs at the Grill cheap?
No. It is firmly special-meal pricing, especially once sides and wine are involved.
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.