Address: Caughall Rd, Upton, Chester CH2 1LH, United Kingdom
Phone: +441244389710
Rating: 4.6
based on 178 reviews.
Food Quality
Pros:
"Really tasty, well presented and served quickly too."
"The food was delicious and the atmosphere was nice."
"Wonderful atmosphere and staff were lovely. Price moderate and food looked and smelt amazing."
"Food is amazing, just the right amount in a portion that you're full, but not bursting."
"One of the best Sunday roasts we’ve had in a very long time."
"Gorgeous afternoon tea in a great atmosphere and Mark who looked after us was brilliant!"
"Very pleasant and tasty food, especially the deep fried Brie."
"Food was excellent and the service was friendly."
Cons:
"The waiter tried to take her plate away. It just felt like we were being rushed out."
"One slight downside was, when asked how a particular dish would be made gluten free, our server replied 'don't know' and made no offer to go find out."
"We had to ask for menus & the servers were pretty slow/unattentive even though it wasn't particularly busy."
"The food was reasonably good but the service wasn't the best."
"The burgers seemed to be straight out of a freezer and not cooked well."
"The bread tasted like it had been defrosted."
"I've never seen vegetable soup which looked like custard and had the consistency of custard. It didn't have much taste though."
"Only dish available for my coeliac wife was a very poor Thai curry."
Service Experience
Pros:
"Magda managed to squeeze us a table in. Magda was very attentive to us."
"The Oakfield is clearly very well organised and cared for. Service spot on."
"Staff were all lovely! We will definitely be going every time we visit the zoo from now on."
"The staff couldn't do enough for us so helpful and kind and really friendly."
"We heard so many good reviews about this place that we have now visited twice in about a month and a half!!"
"Staff were amazing and everything came out on time, and so well coordinated."
"On arrival we were met by staff member Jamie who presented us to our table straight away and surprised us with complimentary champagne."
"Wonderful meal with friendly waiter. Lovely and clean with tables well spaced."
Cons:
"The only major plus was how nice the toilets were."
"We then sat for 30mins before watching another couple (Both of us a party of 2) come in and speak to the same server who asked if they had a booking, much like us they did not."
"The conservatory where we sat was a bit chilly."
"The menu is not as advertised in the website, when I questioned this as we decided what to eat whilst waiting from the website menu. An the menu provided was cut down to basics ( burger, fish and maccaroni) and even then there was no mash and other ingredients."
"I ordered a white wine spritzer. Wine was at room temperature and the soda wasn't carbonated at all."
"We asked if my daughters could be boxed to take home (the staff refused) stating it is policy that 'they can not allow food to be taken out if the restaurant'."
"No sign saying booking required. Stood for ten minutes by a sign saying 'wait here to be seated' before staff came over only to be told we needed to book."
"We arrived a little earlier than booked but this was no issue at all, we were warmly greeted and seated safely as to adhere to social distancing."
Ambiance and Setting
Pros:
"Located in the centre of the Zoo, what a stunning building, full of character and location beautiful."
"The Oakfield is clearly very well organised and cared for. The interior and decor are lovely, toilets spotless."
"The atmosphere inside is lovely as are the staff."
"Gorgeous afternoon tea in a great atmosphere."
"Amazing pub, really smart clean and tidy and a touch of elegance and regal."
"The building itself is extremely beautiful especially when decorated for Christmas."
"Such a beautiful building to start with, we sat in the Library Room, amazing fire place, clean, and well decorated!"
"We visited the Oakfield at Chester Zoo on Mother's Day, luckily we'd booked! The staff were attentive and the service, food and drinks were fantastic."
Cons:
"We were led to our table by a lady who seemed distracted and sat us down in an area with lots of loud children, despite walking us through nice spaces quiet spaces with plenty of seats available."
"The person seating us asked about allergens, which was a good start as I have Coeliac disease. However, they did not then want to listen / answer when I asked about cross contamination."
"We was put in conservatory so did not get to enjoy aesthetics of the old interior of the building."
"We just called in for a drink and a look around."
"To their credit staff were friendly and apologetic but we could tell they were short-staffed for the day which hurt the overall experience."
"The conservatory where we sat was a bit chilly. Radiators were on but only slightly warm."
"We asked a member of staff if there was anywhere else we could sit and the staff member rudely responded saying the only other option was outside in the rain as they were fully booked."
"Attempted to sit in and have a drink here today. We sat at an empty table in the main area and was told that if we were not eating we had to sit at the front."
Accessibility
Pros:
"You do need a zoo ticket to visit, so even if you book a table, you'll need to either be a zoo member, or already have a ticket for the day."
"We had 2 wheelchair users in our party and accessibility was really good and didn't feel like an afterthought at all which is so refreshing."
"A very welcoming place in which to enjoy a wonderful meal. The atmosphere is very nice, the age of the building shows in the decor which adds to the experience."
"For a proper meal while visiting the zoo it's worth seeking out (which isn't too hard) and taking the time to relax."
Cons:
"Was expecting a bustling, overpriced tourist trap and half prepared to walk the 30 minutes to a pub in Upton."
"My only issue was getting to the venue. Please double check which gate you need to enter the zoo!"
"They have a reduced menu on Sunday also they don't serve custard with any deserts which meant no desert."
"We have zoo membership so we won't have to pay the zoo entry fee which you do have to pay even if you were just visiting The Oakfield."