I'D had my sights set firmly on this place for a while. A whispering campaign by satisfied colleagues and a legion of loyal followers suggested I wouldn't be disappointed.
After reluctantly leaving some 'tired and emotional' friends at the neighbouring Little Oak, we made our way to the surprisingly stylish Restaurant Locus just in time for our 7.30pm reservation.
'Surprising' perhaps because the former Chester restaurant of the year (2003) has always been a bit of a lone voice on the outskirts of the city.
It's good to see it doesn't let its outsider status push it into wallflower territory. Close the door on the busy Boughton Road and you could be in any major city in the UK.
The high specification design of the interior strikes that delicate balance between modern and warm. You can see why people come back time and time again.
But alas, without fail every time I decide on a taste test, something goes wrong. Whether it be a two hour wait for a table booked three days earlier at our favourite Italian or freak flooding at the Thai place, you can guarantee it.
This time it was a cancelled jazz band on a night billed as 'Jazz Night'.
To be fair, the jolly concierge had tried to contact me to let me know. In fact he had called the work number I had cleverly given him..... all attempts at subterfuge meeting the same sticky end as the jazz.
His warm and pleasingly genuine welcome was promising. It wasn't long before the actual temperature in the restaurant chilled these hard earned first impressions.
I am willing to accept that the cancelled band could have resulted in a few 'no shows' and the four other patrons weren't going to provide much body heat, but having visible goose bumps throughout your meal doesn't make for a cosy Sunday evening dining experience.
We were left to make our choices from the prix fix menu in the small bar and decided to go for the three courses for £15.95. More than reasonable when you consider that's not far off the cost of one main course on the standard a la carte menu.
Having already looked at sample menus on the restaurant's website I was a little disappointed that the dishes I had secretly earmarked were absent, but the choice covered the usual red meat, chicken or fish options and we quickly decided.
Once seated, a basket of bread was placed on the table and we tucked in. The nutty variety was tasty but suspiciously only crusty on one side and the butter was something of an acquired taste.
The starters quickly arrived and my battered seafood was before me. The sleek surroundings had promised more of an effort with presentation and overall it didn't leave any lasting impression.
His was a little better - smoked trout and salmon served with chive creme fraiche. It was fresh and quite generous but didn't rate anything above an 'ok'.
When the main courses arrived I was reminded that there is a fine line between trendy and mean. Call me old school but I think it's reasonable to expect vegetables with sirloin of beef, roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding (his choice).
Instead we had to order a side portion of vegetables for two people for £1.50. Three sprigs of cauliflower nestled among some overcooked bedfellows in a tiny half moon dish.
My Gressingham duck breast with roast sweet plums, herb polenta and red wine syrup certainly looked the part and my spirits started to rise.
The duck was a little beyond the requested medium rare and the syrup, although pleasing, soon disappeared, leaving the dish desperately in need of some moisture
Polenta is a confirmed personal favourite and this was tasty in parts, but again too dry and offered little respite.
The overcooked theme extended to his plate as he sawed through his roast potatoes. His meat was quickly devoured and went down well, but left plenty of room.
Maybe it was the aforementioned curse but I lucked out on the desserts too. I went for a rich dark chocolate cake served with mince pie ice cream.
Parts of it revealed what the rest should have been. The dry edges betrayed the more enjoyable, moist centre, while the ice cream was unusual and a nice enough distraction.
His warm Agen prune and almond tart with Armagnac served with vanilla ice cream was lovely. Rich and delicious, it disappeared in seconds.
A cancelled band I can handle, I can even get past dodgy heating. But it's been a while since I've left a table so underwhelmed.
Maybe we were unlucky. Maybe if we had gone a week earlier it would have been the meal of our lives.
Either way, I was disappointed. Speaking to the owner Andy Smyth a week or so later it was clear he was too.
Recently returned from a month long break he had discovered the cancelled band and behind the scenes decisions with staff that more or less explained that particular Sunday evening.
And while conceding that the standard should be high every night of the week he invited us back, to give us a chance to glimpse the magic that makes the award-winning Restaurant Locus such a firm favourite with regulars and an established part of the Chester dining scene.
See you there.
Location: Restaurant Locus, 111 Boughton, Chester, CH3 5BH.
Tel: 01244 311 112.
Website: www.locustheplace.co.uk
Price: Sunday jazz night meal deal: Two courses £13.95 or three courses £15.95. Table D'Hote menu also available Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, two courses for £11.95.
Best thing: Professional and friendly staff, impressive surroundings, good wine selection and potentially good value for money.
Worst thing: Limited choice for Sunday meal deal and poor side vegetables.
Would suit: Quiet, intimate atmosphere and strictly couple territory on our visit but could suit larger party on busier weekend night.
Opening hours: Serves food between the hours of Tuesday -Friday 6.30pm-10pm, 6pm-10pm Saturday, 5pm-9pm Sunday. Closed Monday. Parking available.
