Joseph Benjamin – Chester

A torrential afternoon drove us into the Joseph Benjamin and initial impressions were good. A crisp, clean frontage with outdoor seating and cream awnings certainly afforded the place a very modern allure.

A brief look through the window showed a busy and seemingly popular destination yet upon entering we soon realised it was largely down to the army of staff that the place was so chocka. We’d barely stepped over the threshold when mid-reccy a keen waitress pounced and ushered us to a table before we had chance to think. As we sat down and had an opportunity to properly assess the menu we realised this was a bit of a pricey joint – matching the polished aesthetic and presentable staff we supposed.

We’d foolishly thought from the doorway that on the back wall there had been a Specials menu, ranging from about £4-£6; a pretty reasonable price to pay for a tasty lunch. Sadly this was not the case. The afore mentioned menu was in fact a wine list and pricing. Despite the menu’s heavy dusting of more hefty price tags we decided to stay put to see whether the prices were reflected in the quality of the food. Alas, we were fooled after ordering two sandwiches (at £7.50 a piece) as we were presented with (and I hate to say it) some rather poxy bread rolls with fillings and a handful of leaves on the side. A roll, three filling ingredients and a bit of salad should certainly not be breaching the £5 mark, particularly when not only the size but also the quality of the food is so below par. Wholemeal bread, handmade by Prince Charles in big slices with seared fillet steak and a decent side of salad would perhaps have made the eye-watering bill seem more justifiable, but it left us both incredulous as we tried to remember if we’d seen a Tesco nearby to pick up a snack immediately afterwards.