Basement 85
85 Watergate StreetChester
CH1 2LF
Opening times: Mon and Tue closed; Wed and Thu 16:00-23:00; Fri and Sat 12:00-01:00 next day; Sun 12:00-20:00
See more about this pub on CAMRA's national web site
Re-opened Spring 2026 and it's back as a pub after a brief stint as a seafood restaurant.
Previous iterations have included the Henry Potts and prior to that the Big Hand Alehouse but, in all guises, despite being tastefully furnished and well-operated in what is an interesting building, it's mysteriously never been a true success. Most folk point to it being the wrong side of the inner ring-road which serves as an invisible glass wall precluding crucial footfall.
Let's hope this latest incarnation finally smashes the glass wall.