June 1, 2022 1.30 pm This story is over 29 months old

The Lincolnite tries: Craft’s new food and cocktail menu

The beer garden has been revamped too

A range of the dishes on the new menu at Craft, along with a 'Ziggy Stardust' cocktail. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

By Joseph Verney Local News Reporter

Popular Lincoln High Street bar Craft will launch its new food and cocktail menus on Wednesday (June 1) and Friday (June 3) respectively and The Lincolnite went to take them for a taste test.

The current menu, which will change on June 3, was written by the general manager Michael Stacey who is now back at Craft following spells at The Curiosity Shop and Carousel.

Along with head chef Joe Smart and sous chef John Brinded a new menu has been created. All the food is made fresh in house and head chef Joe said it is “good quality bar food that speaks for itself”.

The new menu includes an array of burgers and pizzas, loaded fries or nachos, house kebabs such as meatballs and chicken tikka, light bites, sharers, and salads including Asian steak, as well as vegetarian and vegan options.

The light bites include Craft’s take on a club sandwich, which is served on a focaccia roll with their own pesto Mayo and tomato chutney. The Nacho Libre pizza could prove to be a big hit – it is topped with meatballs, cheddar, mozzarella, pickled chillies, charred pepper, red onion, crushed nachos, and a cheese sauce.

The chicken tikka house kebab. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Craft’s take on a club sandwich is among the items on the new menu. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The Tikka Tower burger. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The Nacho Libre pizza could prove to be a big hit – it is topped with meatballs, cheddar, mozzarella, pickled chillies, charred pepper, red onion, crushed nachos, and a cheese sauce. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The Asian steak salad. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The new burgers include The Big Smoke, which is topped with BBQ pulled beef and smoke applewood cheddar, and The Tikka Tower, which is marinated chicken breast served in a charcoal bun with lettuce, yoghurt, and mint dressing, onion bhajis, and red onion.

A new cocktail menu has taken customer favourites and classics and remixed them, as well as some brand new ones.

The new cocktails including Coco Rocks (hazelnut, milk, vanilla, chocolate, Vodka, and Coco Pops), Shot’s Fired (a jelly shot in the middle of a blue raspberry delight with rum, vodka and lemonade), and Muffin Top (vodka, vanilla, gingerbread, cranberry, lemon, and even cake).

Coco Rocks is one of the brand new cocktails at Craft. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Callum Stow making one of the new cocktails. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

The Shot’s Fired cocktail comes with a jelly shot in the middle. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Craft has also added the option to go bottomless on selected drinks, which is priced at £27 and includes a range of meals from the menu. and is available 12pm-4pm every day.

The beer garden has also been given a complete refurb, with brand new seating, extended decking, and an updated mural by Grimsby artist Lyndsey Powell.

The new beer garden at Craft. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

General Manager Michael Stacey said: “The menu is seasonal, light, and airy to complement the summer and new beer garden, including signature dishes we can be proud of and known for.”

Regarding the beer garden refurb, he added: “We have a great space, but we didn’t feel like we had utilised it as well as we could. We have a great bar and great product and we wanted the beer garden to complement that.”