The Lincolnite readers ranked their favourite cafes and coffee shops in the city, and local people have championed independent businesses in abundance.
More than 300 people took part in a fun 24-hour vote on The Lincolnite’s Facebook page, each suggesting their favourite tea and coffee haunts.
Tuck yourself in with a hot cup of Joe, and plan your next cosy cafe call with the top 15 most recommended shops in the city:
Recently under new ownership, Coffee Bobbins is a cosy and very popular tea room at the base of Steep Hill. On the menu is a selection of light lunches, homemade cakes (which often gain window attention for their size and creative decorations), teas and coffees. Coffee Bobbins was the most voted-for business by The Lincolnite readers.
The Angel is one of the most interesting coffee shop settings in the city, situated within an old vestry hall. It boasts a small menu of freshly made light bites accompanied by baked goods from local bakeries. It claims on its Facebook page to be the friendliest coffee shop in Lincoln!
Bar Unico
Bar Unico owner Giovanni. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Sneak Peek: The Gelato selection at Bar Unico. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite.
Bar Unico is an authentic, family-run bar bringing classic Italian coffee, light lunches and sweets to Lincoln. On the menu is freshly-made biscotti, pastries, gelato, pizza by the slice and more!
200 Degrees is one of the latest additions to the Lincoln coffee scene, opening its first shop and barista school in the spring of 2019. It’s located in the newly redeveloped Cornhill Quarter and offers breakfast and lunch as well as its signature coffee, roasted at… you’ve guessed it, 200 degrees!
Coffee Aroma
Photo: Coffee Aroma
The owner of Coffee Aroma has recently put the business up for sale.
This rabbit warren of a coffee shop has won numerous awards, including 2nd place in the Guardian’s Best 10 Coffee Shops in the UK. As well as speciality coffees, it serves light bites, cakes, beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks.
The Garden Tea Room serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and coffee. It’s also available for parties and boasts a quaint conservatory setting for a number of tables.
Peony Tea Parlour
Jade Hawkins. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Peony Tea Parlour on Burton Road in Lincoln. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Peony Tea Parlour is the new sister cafe to The Garden Tea Room in North Hykeham. It’s situated on Burton Road in uphill Lincoln and boasts a friendly vintage theme. Owner Jade Hawkins previously spoke to The Lincolnite about her second cafe, which pays tribute to one of her favourite flowers. It sells cakes, sandwiches, wraps and bagels, as well as a range of tea and coffee.
Grand Coffee House
The Grand Coffee House at Lincoln Central bus station. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The Grand Coffee House opened alongside the city’s new bus station and provides the perfect refreshment service to commuters. It serves hot and cold drinks, light bites, pastries and sandwiches.
Caffe Portico
Photo: Cafe Portico
Where: The Terrace, Grantham Street, Lincoln, LN2 1BD
Caffe Portico is tucked behind upper High Street and is popular for its events, and pizza nights every Friday. It gained a spot in the top 15 for its coffee, but you can also enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner and more and the multi-cultural cafe.
Daisy Made Farm
Photo: Steve Smailes
Where: Lincoln Road, Skellingthorpe, Lincoln, LN6 5SA
Daisy Made is famous for its real dairy ice cream, made fresh on the farm. But its cafe also sells a range of delicious hot drinks and meals. There’s plenty of entertainment nearby too including the Daisy Made cows, play area and crazy golf.
The Tudor High Bridge cafe is one of Lincoln’s most iconic buildings. It was built over the River Witham circa 1160, the only bridge in England with buildings still upon it. High Bridge sells a range of coffees from Lincoln business Stokes, as well as whole and grounds beans to take home. There’s plenty on the menu if you’re peckish too.
Also check out the Stokes cafe at The Lawn, where the Lincoln company operates from.
The Stokes cafe at The Lawn. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Madame Waffle
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The upstairs area of the waffle bar, overlooking High Street. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Madame Waffle offers a variety of sweet and savoury waffle dishes alongside speciality coffee from Square Mile Roasters London and fresh loose leaf teas. There’s also a selection of freshly-made pure fruit juices on the menu.
This is not just coffee. It’s craft and coffee! The Craftea Cafe serves delicious tea, coffee and light bites and hosts regular craft clubs and classes.
Rising Cafe
Rising Cafe is located in the Alive Church on Newport, Lincoln
Pimento is a vegetarian and vegan tea room in the popular Steep Hill area of Lincoln. It’s a popular destination for visitors interested in historical artictecturhe in uphill Lincoln. The sitting room is built on top of a Roman wall! Pimento serves breakfast, lunch, drinks and coffee — all vegetarian.
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The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Two shops on the same street in Lincoln have been given a one star hygiene rating at the same time.
European Store and Golden Leaf, both on Portland Street, were inspected by city council officials on December 9, 2020.
Findings of the inspection were published on Friday, January 15, 2021, with both stores requiring “major improvement” on their management of food safety.
Golden Leaf, a Chinese supermarket with a cafe under the same name next door, was given a “generally satisfactory” score for its cleanliness and condition of facilities, but were lacking in other areas.
Golden Leaf on Portland Street in Lincoln.
Hygienic food handling, which includes the cooking, preparing and storage of food, and major improvement is necessary for its management of food safety, according to inspectors.
It is somewhat of an anomaly for Golden Leaf, which has scored five out of five in its two previous inspections, as well as having a maximum review score on Facebook.
The shop used to be located on Tentercroft Street, but made the move to Portland Street in 2018.
Golden Leaf also announced on Saturday, January 9 that owner and founder Jenny Lo would be stepping down to make way for a new owner.
As for European Store, it was rated as generally satisfactory again for cleanliness and condition, as well as hygienic food handling, but management of food safety let it down.
European Store on Portland Street in Lincoln.
It is the first recorded hygiene inspection to take place at European Store, after replacing Shas Barber shop at 3 Portland Street.
Almost 800 COVID tests have been carried out at Sincil Bank stadium in Lincoln in the first three days, and 15 positives have been detected by the temporary centre — more than local health bosses expected so far.
Up to Thursday evening, 768 tests had been carried out on asymptomatic people and the positivity rate for the first three days was around 2%. Health bosses were expecting between 0.5-1% by the end of the initial two-week cycle.
Chiefs have also revealed they would like to keep a testing site in Lincoln open for longer than the initial period — if people continue to use it — and are in talks with government.
Lincolnshire County Council’s director of public health Professor Derek Ward said residents in general so far had been “really keen” to get tested.
“It’s a bit higher than I thought it would be, but that’s okay. The whole point of doing this was to try to get an understanding of what the asymptomatic prevalence rate is in that area of Lincoln,” he said.
He said the benchmark was based on evidence from other areas and the asymptomatic positivity rate in the NHS and social care workforces.
“If it’s more, then it would suggest that it was a good place to put the testing site.
“Even if it’s not, that’s okay because it’s all about us understanding [the situation] and every asymptomatic positive person we find is one less person who could be infecting others completely unbeknownst to themselves.”
Currently, people can just turn up at the testing centre on Sincil Bank, which opens 8am to 8pm Monday to Sunday, up to January 25, in a bid to drive down the COVID-19 infection rates in the city.
After this date, the testing centre will move to St Swithin’s community centre on Croft Street, so those who live in the Monks Road area of the city can attend on a walk-in basis from January 25 to February 7 (also open daily 8am to 8pm).
Two further sites are due to open in Boston from Monday, January 18 at the Peter Paine Performance Centre on Rosebery Avenue and Tollfield Campus Haven High on Tollfield Road.
Professor Ward confirmed that his team was in conversation with the government about “keeping one or two sites” in both Lincoln and Boston, as well as potentially opening further laboratory testing elsewhere in the county.
He said physical on-location testing sites enabled health workers to check the quality of the test being carried out.
The rapid turnout tests are supplied by NHS Test and Trace and deliver results within an hour via text message and/or email. There is no need to book and you will be guided through the process from when you first arrive at the site.
It is for anyone aged 11 or over, but those under 18 will need to be accompanied by an adult.
Boston United completed the signing of 24-year-old striker Jake Wright on a free transfer.
Wright, who will wear the number 24 shirt for Boston, became a free agent after suffering a serious injury for the Pilgrims in last season’s promotion final against Altrincham.
Jake scored 10 goals in 29 appearances for Boston United and will now pick up where he left off with the club, starting with Saturday’s National League North game away to Alfreton Town.
Pilgrims boss Craig Elliott said he is delighted to sign Wright, who he describes as a “top striker at this level.”
“I am delighted to be able to sign Jake again, I think it’s clear to see that when Jake is fit and playing games, he is a top striker at this level.
“He has worked extremely hard to recover from a severe hamstring injury and get himself fit.
“Jake has had a lot of bad luck with injuries and I really hope he now has a bit of good luck and an injury-free season with us.”
Boston United currently sit inside the National League North play-off places, in sixth position, with promotion firmly in their sights.