May 31, 2021 5.30 pm This story is over 34 months old

Nine exciting bars and restaurants still to open in Lincoln this year

Still plenty to look forward to
A whole host of places still preparing to open in Lincoln this year. | Collage: The Lincolnite
By Local Democracy Reporter

The hospitality sector is looking to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic, and there are several bars and restaurants getting ready to open doors in Lincoln in 2021.

Businesses were forced to close when the nation went into coronavirus lockdown back in March 2020, and have only been able to open in between lockdowns.

COVID-19 has seen a number of businesses collapse in Lincoln, but for others it has been seen as an opportunity to prepare for the future.

So far in 2021 we have already seen Fridays and Carousel open on Lincoln High Street, as well as popular Chinese takeaway Tang on West Parade.

There are many others getting ready for opening in the city, and the list includes:

The Authentic Bierkeller

The Authentic Bierkeller will replace ‘Shack’, which was the bottom floor of Moka nightclub. | Photo: The Lincolnite

It’s been a complicated year or so for Bierkeller in Lincoln, having closed down at its original spot on Silver Street in January after lease disagreements with Lincolnshire Co-op.

Local company Silver Gate Leisure said it was “heartbroken” about the closure and plans to open an Authentic Bierkeller venue across the road at its former ‘Shack’ site, the bottom floor of Moka nightclub.

The venue is hoping to be ready for June 21, when night clubs are allowed to reopen.

BrewDog & Red’s True Barbecue

The Constitutional Club on Silver Street was put up for sale. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The Scottish multination brewery and pub chain is hoping to open a BrewDog venue in Lincoln at the Old Constitutional Club in Lincoln.

Plans have been very secretive regarding when BrewDog and Red’s True Barbecue, who are part of a joint venture, will open.

Cafe Pino

A new vibrant Italian experience will open on Lincoln High Street in December 2020. | Photo: The Lincolnite

This one has been a long time coming, but plans are still in place for Cafe Pino to be turned into an Italian street food restaurant this year.

The new owners will be keeping the name and were supposed to open in December 2020, but scrapped these plans after the country went into another national lockdown.

The original Cafe Pino closed in July 2020, just months after opening, when former owner Memet Ozer moved from the area after a family bereavement.

Cognito

Cognito will open in the unit formerly occupied by Revolution on Park Street in Lincoln. | Photo: The Lincolnite

The Japanese and British restaurant and cocktail bar will open on Park Street, opposite Home nightclub, after the former Revolution building closed in January 2020.

It will be run by sisters Ellie and Zara Pickles, and will contain a 50/50 mix of Japanese and British food, as well as a wide range of cocktails.

The sisters hope to open Cognito in July.

Handmade Burger Co

Handmade Burger Co is now part-owned by a former employee, and the Lincoln branch will reopen soon. | Photo: The Lincolnite

The popular restaurant chain fell into administration in January 2020 and was forced to close the Lincoln branch, but a former staff worker is reviving the business and hopes to reopen in Lincoln this summer.

Adam Howitt is one of the new owners at Handmade and will open eight of the UK’s former sites, including right here in Lincoln.

Opening had originally been scheduled for the end of May, but that has been delayed until June.

Lincoln Cathedral Cafe

The café will open this summer in the Old Deanery Visitor Centre. | Photo: Lincoln Cathedral

The cafe will be at the heart of the Old Deanery Visitor Centre at Lincoln Cathedral, after a £16 million restoration project in the area.

It will be run by Meadow Brown Restaurants and plans to open this summer, offering breakfasts, light bites and afternoon teas, as well as catering packages at the cathedral.

Pho

People can expect healthy items on the menu, with lots of flavour | Photo: Pho

There will be a new Vietnamese street food restaurant at the Cornhill Quarter in Lincoln this August, as Pho prepares to open.

Around 98% of Pho’s menu is gluten-free, and over a third of it is suitable for vegans, offering a range of noodles, soups, curries and fresh juices.

The Rogue Saint

The Rogue Saint on Mint Street in Lincoln. | Photo: The Lincolnite

The popular bar and live music venue The Rogue Saint will be returning in June, after closing in March 2020 and not reopening since.

A new management team has been appointed, but the same essence of the bar is believed to have been kept, and it will be reopening in line with government guidelines on nightclubs, meaning June 21 is currently the date for return.

The Rogue Saint was put up for sale in August 2020, but taken off the market in March 2021 ahead of the reopening.

Taco Bell (x2)

How the new Taco Bell on the High Street will look.

It’s like waiting for a bus, and then two turn up at once! There will be two Taco Bell restaurants coming to Lincoln this year, covering both the north and south areas of the city.

One will be situated on the lower High Street in the former Everest Xpress Nepalese and Indian takeaway site next to KFC.

The second will be a drive-thru restaurant at the former Pizza Hut premises on Nettleham Road, with a view to open in summer 2021.

If you are opening in Lincoln in 2021, let us know by emailing [email protected].