Set in the heart of picturesque Knutsford, the Cheshire House Bar and Grill is a welcome addition to the typically bustling northern high street. Opened in May 2021, the venue has welcomed visitors to coincide with the easing of lockdown restrictions and is well-prepped to adhere to current social distancing restrictions as the current outlook of indoor socialising remains uncertain for the foreseeable future
Adhering to the typically pretty aesthetics that Knutsford has become renowned for, Cheshire House goes the extra mile to stand out to visitors with a gorgeous floral adornment around the front entrance. The interior design efforts continue as you make your way through the door and into the bar area, where wooden flooring and classic country-style bar fronts set the tone for a welcoming and homely environment. Delving deeper into the dining area the mood shifts from classic to contemporary, with mass amounts of blue furnishings matched with verdant forest-printed wallpaper which create a nature-inspired and cosy feel.
The menu is what you’d expect from a typical bar and grill establishment, offering the standard range of classic steaks, although they do go one extra and offer self-titled ‘Show Stopper Steaks’ which include a 32oz Tomahawk and a 22oz Chateaubriand. In addition to the grill items, Cheshire House offers a range of mains which adhere to classic pub favourites. Main menu items include: fish and chips, sausage and mash, fillet of seabass and chicken supreme amongst others. There are a limited number of veggie and vegan items available, most notably the vegan fish and chips.
Main Menu
The menu is already priced competitively when comparing against the other restaurants available around Knutsford, but what makes Cheshire House especially good value is the volume of sides you get included with every steak order. Each steak comes accompanied with: sauteed chorizo new potatoes, wild mushrooms, watercress & vine cherry tomatoes, rested with a garlic butter. With classic steaks ranging from £23.95 to £37.95 this proves solid value for money.
The steaks themselves are truly delicious. Cooked to perfection for each guest’s preference, they really were the highlight of the evening during our visit to review. It would be no stretch of the truth to say the steaks sampled were some of the best tried around Manchester and Cheshire and if you happen to have a penchant for steak dinners then this is one spot you should certainly add to your list to visit immediately.
The chorizo side added a slight bit of spice to the potatoes, making the steak courses a little more signature and bespoke than other competitors. Little things like this made the meal an overall more special experience and justify the reason why Cheshire House deserves a visit. Other sides, like the classic mushrooms and tomatoes were generous in portion and we would recommend being cautious not to overdo it and order extra sides if you don’t have a big appetite, as these alone are plentiful in supply.
If alternate sides are of interest, the mash is a good shout. Reasonably priced at £1.95, the mash had a creamy texture and was prepared to satisfaction. Likewise, the carrots are an optional extra and come glazed in honey and combined with tenderstem broccoli for a reasonable £3.95.
Desserts
Sticking to the classic pub cuisine theme, the desserts menu includes some classics. Eton Mess, chocolate orange tart and bread and butter pudding are a few standout choices from the tempting desserts list. There are also a selection of locally sourced farm ice-creams in a range of unexpected flavours, the Sicilian lemon and blood orange options piqued particular interest as more unusual ice-creams to try.
The chocolate orange tart comes complete with vegan coconut ice-cream, although on the day of our review our server recommended her personal off-menu order to swap the coconut for honeycomb ice-cream and go rogue from the recommended pairing. The honeycomb swap was a welcome addition to the tart. With a crisp base and rich chocolate topping, the tart went down a treat and topped off a lovely evening.
Final Thoughts
Throughout our visit one thing which stood out was the high-quality service provided by servers and waiting staff. After what must have been a trialling long few months for the restaurant industry, staff like this really should be recognised for continuing to give 100% after a difficult 2020. No request was too much trouble and little things like drinks orders were always kept on top of with ease.
The Cheshire House Bar and Grill didn’t let us down on any front. There were no negatives to the experience and we heartily recommend this venue as a must-visit place to stop for food and drinks in Knutsford. Simple to get to by car or train from Manchester or Cheshire, there’s no reason to miss out on this top notch dining experience for your next social outing.
