Having spent the morning playing tour guide around the city to my dad and aunt, with the walk around Chester's historic Walls generating quite an appetite, the pressure was on to chose an equally lovely venue for lunch.

Chester is certainly not lacking in choice when it comes to food but I had one place in mind.

Duttons not only ticks lots of boxes menu-wise but it's located on the picture-perfect hidden gem of the city's Godstall Lane, with its quirky shops, ye olde touches and general Harry Potter vibe.

It was a Wednesday lunchtime and pretty busy but a table for three was found for us pretty quick, and drink orders taken - three coffees in various guises and water for the table.

The menu covers all levels of appetite and the selection was good enough to make picking just one a tricky affair.

Some of the starters sounded great, and having seen a pair of the duck spring rolls arrive at the table next to us, would make a substantial lighter lunch option.

The mains had some classics - battered fish and chips, steak and ale pie, burgers (which give you the option of swapping out the bun for salad) - alongside seabass, gnocci and several salads.

It was one of the salads my aunt chose, seasonal garden with poached salmon, soft boiled egg, green beans, leaves, radish, new potatoes, peas, mint and house dressing. There were two size options, she chose the smaller.

When it arrived I was impressed. I'm not really a salad fan but it looked beautiful and considering it was the smaller size, seemed never ending. I may rethink my salad dodging in the future.

My dad and I both went for items on the sandwiches list. Dad had the rump steak ciabatta, with sticky onions and mushrooms, rocket and parmesan salad, while I chose a pulled pork wrap with sticky onions and BBQ sauce. Both came with coleslaw and a considerable portion of skinny fries.

Dad's had plenty of juicy looking pieces of steak and I almost wished I'd had the same but my wrap was deceptively filling. Not to mention delicious and I savoured every bite.

I'd thought these would be a slightly lighter option than the headline mains but frankly, we were stuffed.

On the day, we were served by a new member of staff, who despite obvious nerves, was very friendly and it was lovely to see other staff taking their time to help him, even during the busy lunch rush.

A quick glance at the puddings proved tempting, dad's a sucker for sticky toffee pudding but we simply couldn't take another mouthful.

I did note the extensive cocktail list and thought maybe just one but we still had a boat trip on our 'to do' list and decided another time.

Duttons is a welcoming place, and really doesn't disappoint. An afternoon here with friends could easily stretch into an evening. Note to self, time to arrange a girls' night out...

How it rated:

Duttons, Godstall Lane, Chester. Tel: 01244 401869

Ambience - 8/10

Service - 8/10

Food quality - 9/10

Children welcome - yes

Disabled access - yes