Great find for gluten free options, had a lovely lunch, great service from the owner, a lovely lady, very helpful & friendly, would definitely recommend and we will be back, reasonably priced as well.
It was a little loud as it was extremely busy, but not as bad as I may have expected. The food and service were outstanding. And, as someone who is gluten-free, the sheer number of gf options on the menu is incredible.
Holly, our server, was lovely and helpful, her attitude really elevated our experience today. I got gluten free food that was delicious. My friend and I got a selection of starters to share, all gluten free and all them were good. There was not a single item I don’t get again. We got mushroom Al forno, caprese salad, mozzarella garlic bread, king prawns, and a strawberry lemonade each.
Drinks and food are the best. It’s highly appreciated the coeliac uk accreditation and I just love coming to Chester and dine here. The pub is one of the most beautiful places ever, with a view to the racecourse and a beautiful garden in the surrounding.
Tried the Koconut Grove for the first time today and we'll definitely be back. Our son is Coeliac so cannot eat anything with gluten. We were so impressed by their knowledge of cross contamination. They took their time to explain what was gluten free, what to avoid and really went out of their way to make sure our son knew what was safe to eat. The food was delicious, the staff amazing what more can you ask for.
Second time I've been here, the first was for dinner and the place was too loud to hear each other talk easily. This time we went for lunch because the menu looked really good and they have plenty of gluten free options.
Food was good, we had smash burgers, a little pricey for the size of the burger, but tasted good.
The main issue was how long it took to get the bill and then hours long it took to pay. We asked 3 different staff members for the bill before it finally arrived and guess what... 10% discretionary service added. I really do not like being forced to tip in a country that has minimum wage, no other minimum wage jobs get tips so I'm not sure why waiters believe they are special (I've been one, it's not hard).
Needless to say I and asked for this to be removed following the poor service and this then required a manager to sort out!
A Must-Visit Gem in Chester!
We had an incredible experience at Shrub Chester. The food was absolutely stunning — packed with flavour, beautifully presented, and with a creative vegan menu that really stands out. It was fantastic to see such a great range of gluten- and dairy-free options available too, catering brilliantly to dietary needs without compromising on taste.
A special mention to Charlotte, whose warmth and hospitality made our visit even more memorable. She was attentive, friendly, and truly added a personal touch to our evening.
We’ll definitely be back the next time we’re in Chester — highly recommended!
We stumbled in here on a rainy day looking for some gluten free options, of which we found several !! The lunch selections were decent, and the *meal* prices were incredibly fair. The food was admittedly somewhat simple, my husband loved the leek and potatoe soup which came as part of the special. We got the impression the focus was put more on the bakery and drinks so I had to try some gluten free caramel apple crumble pie. MY GOD was it good !! However, it was nearly £6 for one lone slice. Having said that, it was surprisingly WORTH that much (but maybe just the once)
The soft drinks I must admit were absurdly priced (over £4!!) and teeny tiny. The staff seemed quite friendly, however they were very busy as the place appeared to be quite popular, particularly for drinks.
May return for the gluten free menu and affordable lunch, and will dream of the apple pie, but a little thrown off by the underwhelming meals and the high prices of other items.
I am also celiac and faced no adverse reactions whatsoever.
Absolutely perfect service and food, great range of gluten free options and knowledge. All good was delicious, great value huge portions. We ordered 8 dishes between 2 people and we didn’t need dessert
, although we still enjoyed one each 😋 just wish we lived closer so we could visit more often! xx
I had breakfast here today and was delighted by the experience. I ate the Garden breakfast and my wife had the Cote breakfast but gluten free. We both had a side of the black pudding (Boudin Noir).
On the face of it you would easily be misled into thinking the Cote breakfast is essentially a full English, however everything has a lovely French twist to it.
I would highly recommend having the black pudding - it's sweeter and softer than English black pudding. I love both, but this is very different and very delicious.
The fresh orange juice was delicious and good quality and the coffees were great bean to cup with a good strength.
We will definitely be coming back for dinner some time.
Went here on date, staff were amazing and accommodating. Staff had a great understanding of the gluten free menu and the food was fantastic. Chris didn’t a fantastic job and was very attentive, funny and friendly. Frequently checking we were happy with our food and gave good recommendations!
Love this place, the decor and the vibe are very on trend. Bench seating and plenty of it
I had the seasonal porridge which was delicious and a huge portion that kept me full all day,
The best oat flat white I’ve ever had, all the staff I interacted with were friendly and very good at their job.
Didn’t have a cake, but they looked great, not sure if there were many gluten free cakes.
The only thing I noticed that others might not like, if you’re not a regular you might not notice this place is entirely plant based, and something like a chicken club could be mis leading as it doesn’t say “chicken substitute or something on the menu”
Lovely place. Good sized car park. Great selection of food and drink (including gluten free and vegan). My fishcake dish was just delicious.The bill was very reasonable. It was the perfect place to catch up with friends. I would highly recommend and cannot wait to return.
We came here today for lunch as we have done many times before only to find that they have decided to put MILK POWDER in the mash potatoe ( and before you say it has always had been this way IT HAS NOT) as we've been in many around the country and they all had vegan mash potatoe
We are NOT vegan we are celiac with a dairy allergy
This made it that 2 slices of meat and a spoon of cabbage and carrots doesnt make this good value for money ( they did promise other vegetables but they never arrived)
As a result we have cancelled our booking for mothers day as a mother should be able eat a decent meal on mothers day
Hi I came in today and I was gluten free (coeliac). I ordered off the gluten free menu and was asked to declare which one was gluten free and which wasn’t when ordering which I did. When the food came to the table the waiter was not aware of which one was gluten free and which wasn’t. Which was concerning as you asked me declare it. Anyway you have made me very unwell and the food was obviously not made in the gluten free safe environment. The broccoli was so salty I could not eat it.Some of the food was extremely tasty , some was average. just a real shame I am now unwell. I think maybe you should distinguish between the dishes when you send it from the kitchen in order for this to not happen in future.
Nice place, good variety of options on the menu. Small plates, tapas, main meals, sides. Vegan and vegetarian marked clearly and separate gluten free menu. Good drinks menu with cocktails marked if suitable for vegans and AF marked up too.
Food was really good. Good portions and tasty too.
Staff were friendly but only marked down on this score because of a slight issue. We would recommend and return again.
My daughter booked us a meal for two here. Good food choices for our dietary needs. Great veggie fish cakes , gluten free steak pie plus g.f sticky toffee pudding were hot,tasty and enjoyed. Good choices re wines too. Set in a very cosy,welcoming environment Plus very friendly and attentive staff . Our celebrations for my special birthday were indeed special 🥳❤️,thank you all at Harkers .
Lovely food and staff, come as a last minute for lunch, very accommodating for my gluten free allergies too! We will definitely be back again! The new Terrence at the back too.
Our first time eating here and it was a great experience. Food was piping hot and delivered quickly. Would recommend the gluten free pizza and tiramisu. Good value for money too. They do celebrate your birthday in a big way and it can be a bit noisy but you have to expect that in an Italian restaurant.
Best gluten free Bistro in Chester. Vegetarian Brunch is second to none and so is their coffee - would give more than five stars. Food, service, atmosphere and prices all excellent. Myself and another member of my party have Coeliac Condition we were both catered for amazingly with no cross contamination issues - the thick slice of toast was also a real treat.
I had ordered the padana pizza. It's gluten free and vegan. The dips were so flavourful, i couldn't believe they were vegan. I expected the base to be either soggy or too hard but it wasn't and was perfect
I was very impressed with the Gluten Free options. Our waiter Danny couldn’t have done more for us. He was very attentive and looked after us from our arrival to us leaving. The food was delicious too! Thank you
Cute place for lunch. We had really friendly and efficient service. Ordered a falafel salad which was very filling (also, the only gluten free option on the menu, but with varying protein options). Also ordered a wrap and sweet potato fries which were delicious! Crispy & perfectly done.
Also had a yummy fresh juice!
There's limited space to eat inside.
Had a great range of Gluten free food on the menu. Did not have to ask for a separate menu. Food was fantastic coffee very good. Staff very friendly. I really nice experience will be going again soon.
Wonderful food, service and atmosphere.
We were a table of 10 with mixed dietary requirements, I loved the mackerel croquettes & hispi cabbage. Good and clear options for vegetarians and gluten free.
The food and cocktails were delightful and the waitress was amazing.
We had a wonderful evening, where all of our various needs were catered for.
A great find in Chester, very good tapas, we'd all happily go back.
Delicious food the best wild mushroom sauce and chicken breast I've ever had, coffee dessert is also tasty. And most importantly for me as a celiac I felt safe and care. Thanks 👍
Our book club meets here regularly and we absolutely love it! The vibe is always cozy and welcoming—perfect for good chats and great food.
Big shoutout to Olivia—she’s amazing! Super friendly, always on top of everything, and just makes the whole experience even better.
Highly recommend for any group hangout or chill dinner spot. We feel lucky to have found it!
They also cater to our gluten free members fabulously, you can’t taste the difference!
Fabulous for gluten free and Coeliac as well as delicious and a great service. I rang before to check before booking and the person double checked with the kitchen who assured me that they were knowledgable about coeliac needs. We all ate Gluten free on the table so we could all share and the server was able to tell us what was safe or not on the menu. Most things were but she knew what wasn’t. Her knowledge made me feel reassured. When served they declared each dish as GF and there were no problems after so all were safe. The food was really tasty we had Hot and sour soup, Pad Thai with rice noodles and duck ( the favourite of the night) and stir fried ginger and chicken. I have to say this was a really lovely place and fabulous food as well as being very safe for our coeliac 13 year old. .
Visited on the day of the Chester Marathon around 12ish so may have been busier than usual. It's very small inside so get's very busy as there are only a few tables. It felt a little uncomfortable trying to sit and eat when there was a queue of people snaking out of the door, standing over you as they're waiting to order.
We ordered a baked potato, hot sandwich and two baps and hot drinks. Took a little while to bring the drinks to us but we could tell they were very busy, to the point of being inundated with orders. The waitress did apologise for the wait, even offering to remake the drinks if they were not hot enough but they were fine, especially the cappuccino which was lovely. Food was nice and happy to see gluten free options on the menu. Would return.
The food here is beyond delicious and perfectly portioned. Excellent quality meats that just fell from the bone.
Stavros was so friendly and helpful, with the gluten free options. In fact all the staff are lovely. The atmosphere is up market but not poncy.
This was our second visit and I just can't wait to go back again.
My partner and I came to eat because it had gluten-free options and everything being vegan is also lactose-free. All the dishes we ordered were very good and the waitress treated us great, if we return to Chester we would return here without a doubt!
Very Disappointing!!
Arrived for brunch with my wife who is coeliac so GF is essential.
My wife ordered a meal off the menu which was identified as GF.... vegetarian haggis with tomato, hash brown, egg, beans, mushrooms and a slice of GF bread.
Meal arrived without the haggis. No mention of this from the staff, it took my wife to ask why there was no haggis. ... the main item of the meal. She was told it was because they couldn't guarantee it was GF. No mention of this when I ordered and full price charged and paid. Borderline scandalous.
Needless to say, won't be going back.
Really friendly staff and great atmosphere. Really accommodating to gluten intolerance. I had a gluten free margarita and it was the best GF pizza I've ever eaten!
My friends and I booked a table at Thai Baan whilst we were in Chester for the bank holiday weekend. The restaurant itself was great with a lovely atmosphere. All the staff were very friendly and helpful.
The food was incredible and there were good options for both the vegetarian and gluten-free members of our group. I love Thai food but this was some of the best I have had. The great food coupled with the great atmosphere meant we had a really lovely evening here. I would highly recommend to anyone staying in Chester.
Popped in for a drink at lunch while staying in Chester. Staff really friendly and welcoming. Very relaxed atmosphere so decided to eat there on the evening.
Food was fantastic, husband is a coeliac but this wasn’t a problem, steak was amazing as were all the sides. Loved the bar. Highly recommend.
I don’t often write reviews, however wanted to share how great this place is for those that are Gluten Free. We had a GF person in our group, from the second we walked through the door staff were aware and fully understood the difficulties this can pose, they were understanding and the menu and food is probably 90% - 95% available. Everything is labelled very clearly and all staff informed and trained to understand this. Salad bar is immense and fresh, the hot food flows and plentiful, great place, great food, lovely well trained staff and atmosphere.
Celiac friendly
