The Oakfield

Name: The Oakfield
Address: Chester Zoo Upton-by-Chester, Chester, Cheshire, United Kingdom, CH2 1LH
Telephone: 01244 389710
Price range: £25 and under
Rating: 4.4

4.4 (3749)

£25 and under

International

Chester Zoo, Upton-by-Chester, Chester, Cheshire CH2 1LH

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 2, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 12 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Charming
Good for special occasions
Kid-friendly

The Oakfield is set in a stunning property at the heart of Chester Zoo, making this a truly unique contemporary British pub.

With pride and passion we’ll be serving freshly prepared locally sourced food and hand-picked beers, wines and spirits. The Oakfield has been lovingly restored and our new garden room offers incredible views of our award winning gardens.

So, whether you are enjoying a day at the zoo or want to pop in for lunch you’ll get a warm welcome from our team.*

*Usual zoo admission fees apply but our members can visit as often as they wish.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
International
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00 am–11:00 pm
Phone number
01244 389710
Website
http://www.theoakfield.org/
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Ben Finchett

Location
Chester Zoo, Upton-by-Chester, Chester, Cheshire CH2 1LH
Neighborhood
Chester
Parking details
Private Lot
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Afternoon Tea - MUST be booked 48 hours in advance
£25.00 per person
Prepaid
Multiple dates available
***Please note: Bookings must be made 48 hours in advance and full prepayment is required at the time of booking. This is non refundable, non transferable.*** In the comfortable surroundings of The Oakfield, you shall be welcomed with freshly prepared sandwiches, freshly baked plain and currant scones, a selection of classic cakes, pastries and macaroons. This sumptuous selection shall be accompanied by the finest of teas, coffees or herbal infusions.

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What 3,749 people are saying

The Oakfield reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.3Food
4.5Service
4.4Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Energetic

Loved For

Cheshire
Kid-friendly
Cheshire
Most Booked
Chester
Great for brunch
Chester
Kid-friendly
Chester
Good for groups
Chester
Healthy
Chester
Vegetarian-friendly
Chester
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

The Oakfield offers a delightful dining experience nestled within Chester Zoo. Guests consistently praise the "wonderful atmosphere" and "excellent service." The menu features a variety of delicious options, including standout "roast dinners" and "amazing" small plates. While some reviews note service delays, the "friendly staff" and "beautiful surroundings" make it a memorable visit.

3,749 Reviews

J
Jade
Manchester/Greater Manchester3 reviews
3.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Nice place to eat, the glass veranda has a nice airy feel to it and good atmosphere. Food fairly decent but service mediocre - quite slow and some staff didn’t seem overly friendly or helpful.
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J
Julie
Cheshire1 review
1.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Disappointed with afternoon tea. Cost £25 pp Pre-booked No tea menu, selection made from waitress recall Fruit teas ( berry) poor flavour despite brewed. Sandwiches fillings fair but bread poor quality and dry especially the brown, though the tiny bun with chicken mayo was tasty probably due to fennel in the filling. Scones rubbery and left dry taste to palate, insufficient clotted cream ie one tiny portion between two persons, though they did give extra clotted cream upon request. Sweet selection, macarons the best item all others poor, had to ask the flavour of one item which was apparently white chocolate & raspberry. Service was satisfactory Ambience acceptable for restaurant size and time of day. Other food items ie roast, fish & chips looked appealing, so maybe we just made wrong choice Overall poor experience and would not recommend.
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L
Lisa
Cheshire2 reviews
3.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Menu options seem limited compared to previous visits but food was tasty Staff were friendly but service not up to usual standard - wrong drinks, long wait for food and drinks - not sure if this was due to a private event being held The manager did apologise This is the first time we have been where service was not good so hopefully just a one off
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C
Christine Ann
Cheshire9 reviews
5.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great visit! We were shown to a quiet wood panelled room which was ideal for a leisurely catch up. Service was attentive and friendly and the food, good. Loved that a selection of small plates is available now, alongside traditional courses. Enjoyed the delicate wild garlic soup and generous plate of gammon, egg and chips. We’ll be back!
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A
ALISON
Cheshire5 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 22, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
This was a special birthday lunch celebrating our son's birthday, 3 generations inc. our grandson, aged 3. We enjoy the atmosphere and character at Oakfield and have always had good meals. However the half roast chicken was disappointing, our chicken was undercooked and we had to return the 3 meals the first time. They brought us fresh meals but the chicken was still underwhelming, wet and tasteless. The roast potatoes were hard and slightly dry and I ordered a side dish of honey roasted carrots and parsnips which were undercooked, hard and dry. The french beans were also undercooked. The gravy was tasty and the red cabbage and single carrot were ok. We also liked the sausage meat stuffing. We're not normally ones to complain and we understand that they were very busy but from when we arrived, it took over 75 minutes before we had any food which is difficult with a 3 year old when we came to enjoy the zoo. The staff were very polite and the fish and chips and children's burger meals were fine.
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H
Helen
Norfolk/Suffolk4 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 21, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Service was a little slow as there was a large wedding party - but food was enjoyable
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S
Sarah
Manchester/Greater Manchester4 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 21, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
The Oakfield is a good option for us whilst visiting the zoo. We like the range of food choices, especially when visiting with guests. Food quality is always great, service is always good to great, depending on how busy. A little pricey for some dishes, but that’s to be expected as it’s at the Zoo.
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K
Kevin
Cheshire1 review
1.0
Dined on June 15, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Terrible. 5 of us booked for fathers day meal and we turned up to the Caughall road entrance. One was a disabled 84yr old who can't walk far. We were told we weren't allowed through the entrances as we have done for mothers day and would have to go to the front entrance and walk through the zoo which must be a good half mole walk. Even when we pointed out on of us couldn't walk that far we weren't let in. We were even told we would have to pay zoo entrance aswell. Ruined the afternoon amd won't be back again. Wasn't told that we would need to pay twice and go through the main entrance when I booked.
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R
Robert
London4 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 15, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Thought it may be mediocre pub fare but was happily proved wrong. The sharing platter for the roast was amazing. More than enough for two adults with decent appetites and the roast beef was cooked to perfection (pink). Had a bit of a wait for the food but we were notified of this before we ordered and the wait was well worth it. Looking forward to going back.
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J
Julie
Cheshire1 review
5.0
Dined on June 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The staff were really good, food nice. A bit of a wait but it was very busy
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FAQs

The Oakfield is rated 4.4 stars by 3749 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Home
United Kingdom
Cheshire
Chester
Chester

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 2, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 12 times today

Experiences are available.

Chester Zoo, Upton-by-Chester, Chester, Cheshire CH2 1LH

Additional information

Neighborhood
Chester
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00 am–11:00 pm
Price
£25 and under
Cuisines
International
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Private Lot
Payment options
Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Ben Finchett
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.theoakfield.org/
Phone number
01244 389710

The Oakfield

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Experiences

Afternoon Tea - MUST be booked 48 hours in advance

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

Menu

What 3,749 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is The Oakfield restaurant rated?

Is The Oakfield currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information