Lincolnite taste test: Which is the best pancake or waffle in Lincoln?

Pancake Day only comes around once a year, so it can be hard to decide on the toppings – chocolate? Golden syrup? Banana? Bacon? And that is without considering all the shops and cafes offering delicious desserts.

In honour of Pancake Day, we decided to sample pancake dishes from restaurants in Lincoln. We’ve even thrown in special alternatives to the traditional treat!

Our contenders were:

• Churchills Bacon Pancake Stack (£3.95) – A stack of Scotch pancakes with rashers of bacon and maple syrup
• Madam Waffle’s Mandarin and Chocolate Waffle (£6.25) – A large waffle with Mandarins and chocolate orange crisps, and cointreau orange-lemon sauce
• Madam Waffle’s Just Waffle with Ice Cream (£4.85) – A large plain waffle with vanilla ice cream
• Bar Unico’s Nutella and Crepe Torta (£3) – A slice with seven layers of pancakes, Nutella and cream

All the meals were tried by our two reviewers Jamie Waller and Megan Taylor, and scored for taste and presentation. Value for money was also taken into account.

American style

First up to be tested was Churchills’ bacon pancake stack. They looked delicious, especially once we drizzled golden syrup on them. There were four American-style scotch pancakes with a rasher of bacon between each one.

The stack proved slightly difficult to cut into without the stack collapsing. However, the taste was worth it. They were savoury with perfectly-done bacon. The pancakes were slightly rubbery but this can be put down to the time it took to get them back to The Lincolnite offices rather than dining in.

Both reviewers agreed they looked good and tasted even better. It was also great value for money. If you were looking for a cheap dessert or main, this would leave you reasonably satisfied.

• Taste score: 7/10 and 8/10
• Presentation: 6/10 and 6/10
• Total score: 27

A pancake alternative

Next up was the mandarin and chocolate waffle from Madam Waffle. This is available all year round but had a cointreau orange-lemon sauce specially for Pancake Day.

The reviewers disagreed on how appetising this looked; the chocolate orange crisps were a nice touch, but the mandarins were perhaps too unusual to appeal to everyone. However, the quality seemed to match the price tag.

The waffle texture was sweet, fluffy and easy to cut into. The mandarins were quite sour when they were combined with the chocolate. It also created a mix of textures. The fruit wasn’t to both reviewers’ tastes but they received points because the chocolate orange crisps were nice with the waffle on their own.

• Taste: 4/10 and 6/10
• Presentation: 6/10 and 9/10
• Total score: 25

Next came the same waffle but with ice cream and golden syrup. The ice cream had melted slightly but in our opinion this made it more convenient to eat.

The waffle looked appetising with golden syrup alone, which we had lots of fun drizzling on. The dusting of icing sugar also really enhanced its appearance. The vanilla ice cream was an added bonus visually – however it made all the difference when eating it.

The reviewers were unanimous – it was almost perfect. It was classic but effective. The combination of simple flavours and ice cream made it really enjoyable to eat.

• Taste: 9/10 and 9/10
• Presentation: 8/10 and 8/10
• Total score: 34

Chocolate explosion

From Bar Unico, we purchased a Pancake Day special which can only be described as a chocolate explosion. It was comprised of seven layers of pancakes with Nutella, mascarpone, fresh cream and a chocolate ganache. Our version was slightly smaller than the one that will go on sale, which will cost £3 a slice. However, it will only be available for Pancake Day.

It was the kind of dessert that attracts attention and causes people to gather round it. The size of it was incredible, even when it was divided into slices. The cream and melted chocolate oozed out as soon as it was cut into. Whether this sound like heaven or hell probably depends on how much you like sweet foods.

The chocoholics of the office were in love with the rich, creamy texture. After a few bites, it started to become sickly but people kept coming back for more. For others, it was a chocolate overload and was far too sweet. However both our reviewers were in favour of it and awarded it top marks.

• Taste: 9/10 and 8/10
• Presentation: 10/10 and 8/10
• Total Score: 35

The verdict

By the narrowest of margins, Bar Unico’s Nutella and Crepe Torta won. Its taste and texture were fantastic, coupled with stunning presentation. However, personal preference might lead you to try Churchill’s savoury bacon stack or Madame Waffle’s slightly healthier Mandarin and Chocolate alternative. Whatever you do today, you are spoilt for choice in Lincoln.

Share your own efforts and creations for Pancake Day in the comments.