The Cavern of the Curious Gnome, Chester

Nice place but I couldn't find it for ages. Anyway I did eventually. Was very busy in here with no seats available, so sat at the bar. 5 pumps, Roosters Mosaic, Black Iris Snake Eyes, Titanic First Class, Wylam Plain Porter & Kirkstall Blonde. I had a very nice Kirkstall at £4.60 a pint. A good addition to central Chester.

Once you have been once, it definitely becomes easier to find, though traipsing through Paysan wine bar to head upstairs to Cavern does always feel a bit odd to me. However it is definitely worth seeking out and making the journey up those unassuming wooden stairs in Paysan. Five cask ales available at the time of my visit, offering a good selection with none of the big nationals represented. Craft keg and of course Belgian beers available too. My half of Milky Milky (Big Trip) set me back £2.35. The venue is Untappd Verified, for all your beer menu perusing needs. Church pew and gnome themed with toadstool style stools in front of the bar. On my first visit, I noticed the massive gnome. On this visit, I noticed the massive melted candles on the big wooden tables. Toilets are on the floor below and shared with Paysan. Definitely one to seek out in Chester.

I spent a while looking for the Cavern of the Curious Gnome during a visit to Chester at the end of last year, but the hidden location and lack of mobile network in the city meant that I had to give up my search. So this year I went fully prepared with a paper map, address and screenshot of the building frontage, but I still had trouble finding it seeing as it’s located above the Paysan wine bar that you must walk through to access the stairs that lead up to the high ceilinged and wooden floored CCG. Up the right is bench seating with tables that are faced by a toadstool lined serving counter that runs up the left-hand wall. There’s some gnomey stuff dotted around, including a giant gnome that menacingly overlooks the bar from up high. At the rear is a retro gaming table and for some reason there are barbie dolls incarcerated in a couple of cages that hang from the ceiling. The five hand pumps were drawing a decent Ossett’s White Rat, Blackjack’s Manchester Stout, Vaux Brewery’s Best, Electric Bear Brewing’s Theroux the Looking Glass and Oakham’s Citra. The keg range was mostly Belgian with a few crafty options thrown in. I thought the service was polite and I enjoyed the surroundings, although the background music was a bit niche. Worth a look.

This reminded me very much of House of the Trembling Madness in York, both in its atmosphere and vibe, and in being accessed through another business on the ground floor and a staircase to the upper floor. The Rows in Chester are not exactly like Stonegate in York, and this building is not as old, but the idea was clearly there and has been acted upon. There are plenty of Belgian beers and craft keg taps, but I had eyes only for the four hand pumps. I figured that the Big Trip offering would be hazy, confirmed by my drinking companion, and it was too early in the day for a stout from Salopian, so I narrowed the choice down to Ossett White Rat and Kirkstall Blonde, the latter being a new one for me. Unfortunately it was far too cold, but was remarkably tasty in the circumstances (NBSS 3.5, could have been a 4). This pub wouldn't wouldn't be one I'd be desperate to revisit, but on the other hand I wouldn't say no if someone suggested popping again.

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