The Best Restaurants in Lincoln, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom (2025)

On our way back from Lincoln we stopped here for dinner and gosh was it a good idea. Staff were super friendly and managed to squeeze us in even without a booking (would advise to book as they’re very busy). We ordered several different tapas which we all enjoyed. All the food was super tasty and well cooked. We were all really satisfied with our meal. The bread basket was a great start, freshly baked and still warm. The croquettes and the seafood paella were my two favourites. 100% recommend.

Such a thrill to find this gem. All of the dishes we ordered, which all happened to be vegan, looked, smelt and tasted amazing. Lincoln was such a beautiful city, eating here was the cherry on top. Bravo!

Great atmosphere and friendly, welcoming service. I would have given 5🌟 for the food. It was super speedy getting to the table and was quite delicious, but I forgot to ask for no parsley, and it was covered in it…

First time visiting here and we will 100% be back. The beef roast was absolutely incredible, every component was so delicious and we loved that the beef was more thick cut. The presentation was spot on, looked as good as it tasted. We loved the decor, (especially Geoffrey!) loved the named reservation card on the table and overall thought the staff were super friendly, welcoming and approachable. The food was brought out really fast and was nice and hot. Couldn’t fault a thing!

Enjoyed a lovely Christmas Eve meal here. Our food was delicious, the atmosphere was festive and friendly and the service was fantastic. Special thank you to our server Niamh, who was smiley, patient and attentive to us throughout our meal. Nothing was too much trouble for her and she went above and beyond to make sure everything was up to standard for us. Overall we had a great evening and would absolutely return again in the future.

So glad we found this place whilst visiting the city, what a treat. We had a drink in the snug on the Friday night & saw some amazing dishes being served so booked for the following evening & so glad we did! The Korean fried chicken was incredible as were the mains; gilt head bream and a mushroom & Gruyère burger. Service and atmosphere/decor were top notch. Fabulous to find somewhere that serves different dishes, cooked in unique ways & all tasting delicious. Wish we lived nearer so we could visit again!

Excellent lunch at the White Horse. All the food we ate was fantastic, but the absolute star of the show was the belly pork. Pair this with a beautiful pint of Galway Stout and you're winning at life! Looking forward to visiting again.

Just nipped in for a quick lunch soon bumped into the chef who was from Iran but been into Italian food all his life. This is a delight and a serious contender for lunch. Very authentic and comes highly recommended

Popped in as a group of 3 for a bite of lunch. Very good service, lovely atmosphere, and excellent food. There is a very good menu with something for everyone. We all had pasta dishes and really enjoyed our meals; the meatballs were very tasty. Highly recommended.

Amazing food. Garlic mushrooms were the best :)

Turtle Bay Lincoln, What a great place to go if you’re having a group do for a Birthday or any other occasion you can think of. I would suggest the bottomless brunch, which we all did on the weekend for my partners Birthday. The food was spot on and tasted great, each time you had almost drank your drink the waitress would be loading the table with more drinks. Some of the drinks wasn’t for me but all in all a great day and such great atmosphere. Thank you Turtle Bay.

My server was Shannon and honestly she was such a lovely server! Brought my tables food round so quickly, was funny and lovely and helped us sort our bill! Food and cocktails were lovely and brought out quickly. 1000/10 would defo come again.

The food was really good and the atmosphere was really chilled. The temperature was comfortable and we enjoyed the drinks. The staff were friendly. Molly and Eleanor were lovely and I look forward to going again. We had a sharing platter and everything was delicious. I have been a few times and it is always great.

We visited for a family lunch this afternoon. We all absolutely loved this restaurant, felt so welcomed by the waitress and the restaurant felt really homely. The staff were fantastic. The food was absolutely out of this world. Had a real variety of dishes and whether pasta, risotto, chicken or pizza everything was fantastic and the tomato garlic bread starter was amazing. Would definitely return and recommend to friends. Wish I'd taken more pictures of the food

Beautiful authentic Italian food, lovely staff! Doesn’t matter how many times I eat here I will always need more!! Soo delicious! Book ahead to make sure you get a table!

What an amazing place, we went for lunch on a weekday so I’m not sure how busy it gets at peak times but I hope they do well because it was some of the best Italian food I’ve ever tasted. What a lovely family run business, well definitely be back ☺️

This place is named after a strip of land between Scotland and Ireland that is big for fish. Described as a seafood comfort restaurant The Pale really fits the bill. I think they arranged the seats very cleverly, the menu is simple enough to be sustainable and I like the Irish feel with Colcannon and all the rest of it. We really enjoyed our time here as a family and there was plenty of helpful kind staff on hand. This place is a real boost for Lincoln and I would recommend it to almost anyone. In fact, I’m recommending it to everyone. It has a great atmosphere which is natural and relaxing. Just what the doctor ordered. The menu, whilst not extensive, is creative and varied. The chef obviously knows what works well. Thanks for looking after us all so well

I've eaten Oysters from all over the world including Nova Scotia, famous for its seafood and in Jersey, meant to be the best British Oysters on the market, both were fantastic but I have to say the Oysters from The Pale were a the best I've ever had... which has blown my mind considering I live a 2 minute walk from the restaurant! The staff were so friendly and informative and really made us feel at home. Will be visiting again and will be recommening this hidden gem to anyone wanting an authentic dining experience in Lincoln.

Stayed to celebrate in Lincoln just for one night, so we wanted something special. We had high expectations, and that place still overdelivered. The portions are very interesting, but also substantial. You won't leave hungry, I promise. Sorbet was the name of the game. Horseradish sorbet, coriander sorbet, melon sorbet. Absolutely amazing. The service was very friendly, but extremely precise. Overall, immensely enjoyed the visit. Probably the best dinner we've had in the UK this year.

Small, intimate, high-end restaurant set in a wonderfully characterful old property halfway up the hill in Lincoln. Offers a la carte dining and a 5-course tasting menu with wine pairings. Exceptionally friendly staff. We tried the tasting menu and while two dishes were excellent, there were several noticeable blips in quality (including a pancake that was clearly burnt to look at let alone taste), and overall the menu wasn't particularly imaginative. If you have the luxury of being able to go further afield, there are better experiences to be had for this price. If you're limited to Lincoln, though, I think there's nothing else that competes.

Simple the best in Lincoln. Makes the scamper up and down steep hill worth every step. Great service, warm abs attentive staff in a beautiful setting. Having been here multiple times and heard the sameoif others, we would definitely recommend the Jews House!

On a foggy, cold December day we were looking for some hearty food in a cosy restaurant and this was exactly what we found at Hobbsons. The steak, Shropshire blue and ruby port pie was without a doubt the best pie I have ever eaten! The portion size was perfect and the vegetable sides and triple cooked chips were delicious. I'd definitely recommend coming here for lunch. The staff were also really friendly and welcoming. Thank you 😊

We were a little late due to difficulties with parking, but still welcomed very pleasantly. The food was delicious, and the staff were, well, just lovely people. Prices are very reasonable, we only had a main course, so can't comment on starters or desserts. A very worthwhile experience, thoroughly enjoyable.

By far the best place I’ve eaten in while in Lincoln. Service was excellent. Food was very good and had both a lovely texture and taste. Had the game pie and it had an absolutely wonderful mix of flavors from the meat and veggies. Came with a side of fresh vegetables too. Very much appreciated. Lovely atmosphere.

Couldn’t fault this! Best pie I have ever eaten (I went for the steak, ruby port and Shropshire blue), wonderful service, and a lovely setting. Great start to the Christmas holidays!

Had a bit of a mixed bag of a visit. On arrival we were greeted and shown to our table, we said straight away we were having the taster menu with the recommended wines. We had to ask for some table water after sitting there for some time I would have thought this would have been provided straight away. The food was nice and well presented but after the second course we had used all the cutlery that was on the table when we walked in. I would have thought after ordering the 5 course menu the extra cutlery would have been provided then unless they were hoping we were going to use the same ones and save on washing up. There were empty tables when we visited yet the tables were very close together, it was like the next table was sat with us even talking quietly we could easily hear other conversations. I don't think there was enough staff on for a Saturday night. Overall the food was nice and the wines that were recommended for each dish were a good match. 👍

Went here with friends for the 5 course taster menu. The food served was absolutely lovely, really well presented, tasted excellent, all the flavours complimenting each other. Each dish was introduced well, and explained. There was also a decent amount of time in-between each course. If there could be improvements to make this a 5 star rating, we had to wait quite a while after arriving to be served any drinks, also when asking for tap water to be on the table, we was told they only serve bottled. Also there were only a couple of wait staff, which is fine if the restaurant isn’t too busy, but there were a lot of covers, so the staff were unable to be as attentive as the could have been. On price point, for the taster menu, we were all very happy.

I feel a little embarrassed to say I’ve walked past Olivares so many times & never eaten there. So glad I decided to try it as it is an absolute gem of a place. The restaurant was extremely busy as it was a Saturday night but nothing was too much trouble for the staff. They made us feel welcome & were very efficient, attending to all the tables & ensuring everyone was happy. The food was spot on, yes it’s a little on the pricey side but you get what you pay for. All the dishes arrived super quick & were hot & fresh & tasted amazing. Olivares is such a cosy restaurant with amazing service & top quality authentic tapas dishes. I will be visiting again.

Nice old building near castle. Steps inside are very steep, but it is part of the charm of the restaurant. We were on the top floor, so we used all the steps and got our climbing badge!! Service was friendly and attentive but not intrusive. The food was amazing and full of flavour, and it came out at a nice pace, too. Loved the prawns in garlic, lemon, honey, and chilli. Every dish was great. My only small minor negative was that the seating area at the table was a bit snug, but by no means impacted our enjoyment. It was definitely worth the price, which was reasonable

Lovely little place with fantastic staff and fantastic food . We're visiting Lincoln for my birthday and we have our dog with us so we were looking for dog friendly places . This place came up with others but sounded interesting, so we booked in, and it was fantastic . The staff were very professional and friendly and had great knowledge of the menu . The food was fantastic, the portions were generous, and the flavour was spot on. To our surprise there were also far more vegetarian options than we expected! Between the two of us, we had 5 dishes and then a dessert, and it was more than enough ! We would highly recommend this place if you're in the area! And we will certainly be back in the future .