Lincoln is such a beautiful historic city that captures the hearts of those who are lucky enough to visit. Its café and coffee scene continues to grow and this guide will show you the best cafés and coffee shops in Lincoln.
Now that I’m getting older, and have two children, you’re more likely to find me in a café with a flat white in hand rather than a pub with a pint. Over time therefore I’ve been building guides to my favourite cafés when visiting somewhere new, like Valletta or Budapest, but it’s time to focus on somewhere a little closer to home.
Lincoln is quite possibly the closest place to ‘home’ that I feel having lived here from the age of 12 to 20 before moving to York to continue my career in law. I therefore spent the entirety of my teenage years and my uni years all within this beautiful city and it is absolutely criminally underrated as a place to visit. However, we’re here to talk about the cafés and coffee shops in Lincoln and, let me assure you, you won’t be disappointed with the places on offer here. The coffee scene in Lincoln continues to grow and you can expect that, over time, I’ll add to this guide with more of my favourite spots.
THE BEST CAFES AND COFFEE SHOPS IN LINCOLN
STOKES TEA & COFFEE
For over 120 years, Stokes Tea & Coffee has been at the heart of Lincoln’s café scene and a visit to the city would be incomplete without visiting the iconic High Bridge Café; it’s definitely one of the best things to do in Lincoln.
Robert William Stokes, at the age of 20, moved to Lincoln and by 1902 had taken over a grocery store turning it into a café and coffee shop. Within just two years he’d won an award for his coffee roasting skills and, with his family continuing to run Stokes Tea & Coffee to this day, you can be sure that this is some of the best coffee that you can get in the city and beyond.
Housed in a majestic Tudor building, ‘High Bridge Café’, built over the River Witham, is far more important that you might have thought with it being the only medieval bridge in the United Kingdom that still has houses on it. This location is the one you must visit (though the Lawn is also very good for coffee at the top of Lincoln – plus it’s the home of their roasters), there is nothing quite like it.
Whether you’re looking for award winning freshly roasted coffee or over 30 different types of loose leaf teas, there are drinks here for everyone. I really enjoy a flat white here made with Heritage Blend coffee beans though, if you choose the Blue Mountain Blend filter coffee you get free refills for just £3.30!
If you’re hungry, don’t worry as there are plenty of breakfast options, bigger meals during lunch (12pm to 12:30pm) or sandwiches, toasties and British classic dishes like fish and chips between 12pm and 4pm.
A reminder that this is a medieval building so it’s tight with small, cosy rooms – bear that in mind for those who might struggle with stairs or for those with prams and pushchairs. The last time we visited we thankfully had a few hours without the little ones but still had to squeeze into a table downstairs.
Thankfully, even if there are no tables inside (outside is still a nice place to sit and watch the world go by its business), you can grab a takeaway from Stokes To Go, within the same building, and still experience iconic coffee.
VESTRY HALL COFFEE
Opposite Lincoln Central Library, in the dainty Vestry Hall of St Swithin’s Church, is Vestry Hall Coffee. A relatively new addition to Lincoln’s coffee scene, Vestry Hall Coffee is fast becoming a regular haunt for both locals and visitors. The coffee is very high quality, with beans rotated from difference suppliers every three months or so, and you can grab a freshly made sandwich or ciabatta for lunch too. The owner is friendly with let’s say a unique sense of humour! Also, don’t miss the hot chocolate made with real chocolate!
COFFEE AROMA
Coffee Aroma is slap bang right in the centre of Lincoln, just next to the Stonebow, and makes for a peaceful and cosy place to visit in direct contrast to the busy high street. This is a truly independent coffee shop, a real gem in Lincoln, and once listed as one of the top 10 coffee shops in the UK by The Guardian.
The coffee here is really really good using beans from Ozone Coffee – Brazilian Single Origin is actually one of my favourite beans that I use at home too, it really tastes like a Mars Bar…
Anyway, Coffee Aroma is the perfect place to chill for a few hours and, what’s better, it’s fully licensed too so maybe you could have a beer or two instead!
RISING CAFE
Rising Café is probably the most unique of all the cafés on this list thanks to its part of the Christian ‘Betel UK’ charity which offers free support to those suffering from drug and alcohol addictions. All of the businesses within the charity are run by residents of the charity’s homes and your support at Rising Café for example goes directly towards helping the most vulnerable of people.
You can find Rising Café within the Alive Church on Newland (just behind the Brayford). The decor is beautiful, rustic and charming, but it’s the food and drink offerings that make this one of the best places in Lincoln to visit. When I first visited I didn’t necessarily know what to expect but I was blown away by how upscale the dishes were; this is not a bog standard ham and cheese toastie sort of place. Think burgers filled with onion rings, marrow butter, cheese and scotch bonnet honey or small plates like Korean fried tofu and crispy pork belly with cauliflower and miso puree. Brunch options are really good too, the Turkish Eggs are highly recommended and the Breakfast Muffin features Lincolnshire sausage patty (obviously), bacon, egg, hash brown and cheese sauce.
The drinks options are equally as good with high quality coffee options, all of the usuals, plus Matcha lattes, loose leaf teas, smoothies and milkshakes. Fancy the increasingly popular Scandinavian Espresso Tonic, yep that’s here too!
Whether you’re just looking for a place for a quick drink, brunch or sharing plates for a few of you, Rising Café is perfect for them all – it’s not a surprise that it’s ranked #2 on Tripadvisor!
The charity runs three cafés across the UK with the two others being in Hexham and Birmingham so, if you’re ever in those places, make sure you pop by too!
CAFE @ THE REST
The Cafe @ The Rest occupies quite possibly the only place in Lincoln that necessitates a rest; half way up Steep Hill. It’s often quite hard work making your way up the steepest part of Steep Hill and so, before you reach the cobbled square with the Castle and Exchequer Gate, it will sometimes make sense to catch your breath and grab a coffee before moving on. On a warm day, you can sit outside and take in the views back down Steep Hill and along Danesgate.
COFFEE BY THE ARCH
Uphill Lincoln, the Bailgate area, is by far and away my favourite part of the city with independent and boutique shops, restaurants and bars and pubs. Further along Bailgate, away from the Cathedral, next to Newport Arch (the remnants of a 3rd century Roman gate) is the aptly named Coffee By The Arch.
Despite having lived in Lincoln for many years and passing by this café on a weekly basis, I’d never visited until more recently when, on my birthday, we spent a leisurely hour in the sun sat outside with a few coffees. There isn’t much space inside, it’s very cosy, so try and grab a table outside if the weather’s good (though it is very popular with locals).
The coffee was really good here as was the atmosphere, I’d highly recommend a welcome break from sightseeing at Coffee By The Arch.
LINCOLN CATHEDRAL CAFÉ
The café at Lincoln Cathedral, particularly when sitting outside within Dean’s Green, is quite possibly one of the most beautiful locations in the entire city. Whether you’re a visitor to the Cathedral and exiting through the Old Deanery or simply passing by, the Lincoln Cathedral Café is open to all and offers good quality, strong, coffee, specialist teas, cakes as well as more substantial choices for breakfast and lunch.
In my mind, there is no better place to sit and enjoy a peaceful morning coffee, than right here in the courtyard, an elegant green space, with unrivalled views of the best Cathedral in the country. I know, I might be a little biased, but honestly it’s beautiful. The interior of the café is a little bland but, provided the weather is playing ball, you’re going to want to be outside anyway!
THE SYCAMORE
A little way out of the centre, in the heart of the West End, is The Sycamore – a proper local neighbourhood all-day through to night café come restaurant come hang out spot. Expect a friendly welcome for you as well as your children and/or four legged friends!
There are plenty of great food options depending on the time of day you visit and which day you visit. Sunday Roasts on, well, Sunday, pizza in the evenings, lovely brunch options and, of course, great coffee. This is a perfect stop after stretching your legs around the green expanse of the West Common.
COFFEE DEPOT
If Coffee Depot was open when I was at university (almost twenty years ago now, wtf?!), and if I enjoyed coffee as much as I do now, I would surely have visited almost daily for a flat white and a sweet treat. Coffee Depot is in the student area of Lincoln though only a short walk from the western edge of the Brayford and so you should definitely get a few more steps in to head to this hidden gem in the city.
There’s a good range of coffees, teas, iced drinks, milkshakes and smoothies as well as unique fresh sandwiches that are as good, if not better, than anywhere else. You’ll enjoy this one!
200° COFFEE
It’s hard to believe that 200° Coffee is now a chain across the entire midlands, as far north as York and as far south as Cardiff, yet this coffee shop in the newly developed Cornhill Quarter of Lincoln feels like an independent. That might be thanks to the staff’s friendly nature and the cosy vibes as you venture deeper into the café with comfy sofas and a fireplace.
Whenever we visit Lincoln, especially now that we have children, we head here first for a coffee, a tea and a few cakes mainly thanks to its accessible nature – there is plenty of room for the family. The coffee is really good, coffee as it should be, strong and smooth, and they do batch brew too for those that prefer filter coffee.
The Lincoln branch of 200° Coffee has one of their seven barista schools so, if you fancy learning a little more about the art of coffee creation, whether just at a beginner level or all the way up to a three day professional skills class, you could always book something in for your visit!
That wraps up my guide to the best cafés and coffee shops in Lincoln which I hope you have enjoyed and helps plan your own trip to the city or gives you some inspiration as to where to grab a coffee next! There are of course many places that I have not included within this post so it just means that I need to plan a visit back to Lincoln and check out some new spots.
If you have any recommendations yourself or need any more information, leave me a comment below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!
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