Bells’ Tea and Coffee House in Lincoln

Quaint little cafe, great coffee and a good selection of cakes, friendly service. Plant milks available (V) and decaf.

Booked an afternoon tea for 4 for a special birthday and one of them was for my dad who is a coeliac. Wow, the cakes were absolutely amazing. My dad was so happy to finally have gluten free fresh cakes that actually taste like cakes. Mum had the best time and the afternoon teas were not only very well priced but delicious and very generous. Staff were very friendly and attentive also. We also were offered a takeaway away box for the cake we couldn't managed but enjoyed with a brew later. Ten out of ten.

Staying in a local budget hotel and decided to give breakfast a miss and find somewhere in Lincoln. Park up close to the cathedral and found this delightful cafe on Trip Advisor. On arrival, we got a friendly greeting and were shown to a table. We all had a full English breakfast. Tea or coffee, (2 rounds of brown or white) toast or croissant, choice of 4 fruit juices, jam or marmalade along with a full plate of delicious breakfast all for less than £10. Such great value, and not one of us could finish it all . Service was friendly and attentive. A delightful find and glad to have passed up on the hotel breakfast

Arrived with two tables taken, so quiet, waited far too long for drinks we ordered when we walked in. Cappuccino was OK just, milk was a bit burnt and very liberal chocolate application but latte was awful. Even the most basic of baristas wouldn't have served the latte. Milk was burnt to such a degree that even in a glass receptacle (which loses heat quickly) the coffee was lip burning hot after 10 minutes. Staff acted like they were busy but they were just uncoordinated. Lack of any meaningful communication with customers and the typical pleasantries that one would expect Food being served looked good but we didn't experience the taste. Average three stars is being generous.

A lovely place with excellent tasty food, efficient and friendly staff. The lady, who we think was the owner, checked our every needs and found time to chat.

Recommended. Friendly staff. Reasonable prices. Lovely scone & clotted cream. Yummmmm. Definitely visit again when next in Lincoln.

Lunching here was a wonderful experience! The staff are warm and friendly and the service is 5* but with a wholesome touch. The gingerbread lattes will be remembered for some time to come and the fresh jacket potatoes were beautiful! Just the pick me up on a cold winter day.

Great choice Very friendly staff Delicious cakes Amazing building Good prices Only downside was that the toilet was up very steep stairs

Delightful little tea/cake shop on Steep Hill - right in the centre of the Lincoln attractions. Lovely staff serving wonderful cakes/coffees/teas

My good friend and I came in today for afternoon tea and wow! It was a lot for just the two of us, but neither of us were complaining. Six different cake slices (twelve in total), about four different kinds of sandwiches, some lovely scones, pots of tea and all of it was lovely. Given we also had extra cold drinks added and it didn't break the bank was a pleasant surprise. You get some afternoon tea's which are just a token effort, but that wasn't the case here. Definitely worth a try!

Popped in here for breakfast on the walk back from Yarborough Leisure Centre parkrun. Had a Lincolnshire sausage bap which was delicious and very filling. Perfect post-run breakfast. The staff were in the know about the new(ish) parkrun beginning with the letter “Y”!

Always come here when in town. Fantastic food and service. Breakfast is great. Full English with toast and drinks under £10. Bargain. Give the other places a miss, walk up the hill to the castle and cathedral and give it a try. You won't be disappointed.

Good English breakfast with toast, juice and hot drink. Reasonable price. Fast service but small place. Worth trying to get in!

I’ve been to Bell’s a couple of times now for afternoon tea and now it’s my favourite place to come. It’s in a lovely part of Lincoln so really nice to bring visitors so they can also experience the Bailgate area. Then the actual tea room is quintessentially British with really cute, vintage tea sets. The staff are lovely. But the afternoon tea itself is AMAZING. Really delicious and generous array. Favourite place ever!

Nice sunny Sunday afternoon in beautiful central Lincoln. Lovely old traditional tea room welcomed us in for a breakfast. I had the full English with 2 bacon, 2 sausages, egg , beans, mushrooms, tomato, 2 slices of toast, fruit juice and either a tea or coffee. Friendly staff throughout and everything tasted delicious with fresh quality ingredients.

Wow, fantastic little tea room set in a centuries old building. I had a specialty hot chocolate and cake. Very unusual flavours tasted amazing. Shop is set in the historic side of Lincoln city, really beautiful and worth a visit.

Went to visit Bells today, 10th August 2023. Had an Afternoon Tea, which was superb. Loads of really good quality food and the lemon cakes were to 'die for' - all the food was very fresh and tasty. Great value at £28 for a couple and would definitely highly recommend. Will be back ourselves, once we've 'recovered' from the over indulgence

We had a lovely afternoon scone and vegan cake. Very quaint building, great coffee and friendly staff. Highly recommend.

Excellent cream scone had after climbing step hill. Lovely quirky wee place and great friendly staff. Scone was served warm and with cream and jam

Went in on a whim, very small inside but you can reserve a table, had a sausage and egg bap, very hot and fresh, the English breakfasts on the next table looked delicious and you get a lot for your money, would recommend it.

This lovely welcoming café is very conveniently sited near the Lincoln Cathedral BUT at the top of Steep Hill (reputed to be one of the steepest in a town). Café is bright and airy with an excellent wide-ranging of menu.

Great little breakfast with juice and coffee...Served very nicely. Agree that the menus could be replaced as they were a bit dog eared. Lovely ladies serving and the food was very good. We enjoyed it!

The lady serving us was lovely and friendly and the hot drinks were ok, however the place was filthy - dirty scratty dog eared menus with dirt on front and back of them, dirty table cloths, dirty glass table tops, dirty seats, dirty paintwork. I guess it gets away with it because of it’s prime location and constant tourist footfall, but it seems such a shame. It may not affect the food or preparation hygiene but it just gave it a scruffy shabby feel.

Past and saw quite a few people eating here, so decided to stop for lunch, I had ham and cheese jacket potato which came with some nice ham, cheese, nice salad and coleslaw (said homemade but I wasn’t sure) butter was separate, husband had soup...

A really quaint and quirky tea rooms with friendly staff and a nice selection of jacket potatoes, paninis & sandwiches. They had scones and cakes as well. They have a delicious range of festive hot chocolates which we tried the bakewell and the Christmas spice,...

Stopped for breakfast before a hard days shopping. Lovely food, lovely tea, lovely little place full of character. Food and service cannot be faulted.

Called for breakfast whilst visiting Lincoln. Great little independent cafe/tearoom. Had their breakfast. 2 rashers of bacon, 2 sausages, egg, beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, 2 rounds of toast with butter and jam or marmalade, pot of tea and orange juice, all for just under £10... Great...

Instead of eating a non-descript hotel breakfast we decided to find somewhere along our route as we tackled the steep walk up to the castle and cathedral which is when we came across Bells' which, if we'd blinked, we would've missed as it is so...

Sehr leckerer Kuchen, Kaffee und Tee, aber auch viele herzhafte kleine und größere Gerichte, alles in familiörer Umgebung und hausgemacht....

Had to wait for a table but it was worth it. 2 super english breakfasts with a great variety of options and extras. Nice little find here

3 of us visited for afternoon tea today, nothing was too much trouble, catering for a variety of dietary needs with delicious sandwiches and cakes. The staff were wonderful and it was a fabulous afternoon.... Would definitely recommend.

We called in for a coffee on fri . Liked it very much so booked afternoon tea on the Saturday there . Food was really nice . Staff were so nice and polite .

On arrival told only drinks being served. Disappointed but then they said they would do a cake too if we were quick. Others in the group had the same cakes, I chose something different. Within an hour of eating it I was feeling sick and...

We came here for lunch and the food was gorgeous. Didn't take very long to arrive. The americanos were rich too. There was no menu on the table when we arrived but the waitress was apologetic and the service was excellent too.

Stopped for a coffee and ordered 2 lattes. 1 weak and one normal. Really nice. Walked down and up steep hill and fancied lunch. Went back and ordered 2 Paninis Brie and Bacon & Brie,Pear and chutney. Both were very large and came with a...

Initial reaction: poor Told to wait outside in the road whilst a table was cleared but there was a table for 2 and another for 4 free that were clear when we went in. I was using a walking stick Ordered tea and toasted teacakes...

Nipped in for a quick drink, having survived the walk up the hill! Waitress was attentive and chatty, perfect.

Not very often that I actually finish a Full English breakfast, but this was the exception. Lovely bacon, excellent Lincoln sausage and plenty of toast. Nothing to fault (apart from my personal preference of a slice of black pudding missing!). Ate here as it's an...

Very slow service and not the most inviting welcome, having an ice cream counter by the entrance means you have to fight through the line just to get in to sit down. Sadly looking tatty around the edges and has lost its past shine.

This is a little gem. We loved it so much we went back the next day. Sandwiches were wonderful and the scones, plum bread and chocolate and cherry cake so tasty. The atmosphere is great, the place so cosy and clean. We would recommend this...

Lovely location , friendly helpful staff, charming atmosphere and great breakfast. Would recommend for typical English experience.

This was such a quaint tea room... super friendly staff... the portions are big.. (the scrabble eggs and toast could have been for two people).. very quick food service, even though it was busy.. Will definitely come here again on my next visit to Lincoln

Visited twice, once for coffee and cake and another day for breakfast. Very good friendly service. Well positioned after climbing steep hill.

Nipped into the Bell for Breakfast as it was recommended by the Hotel we were staying at and have to say I enjoyed my visit. I can imagine it gets busy, but luckily we turned up on their doorstep at 8.30 and they opened up...

So friendly and welcoming. The breakfast was amazing. Really good hot chocolate menu. Would come back again. Worth a visit.

What a wonderful experience .Lovely fresh sandwiches and delicious cakes.The scones where outstanding and the service was brilliant. Will definitely be visiting again.

Having returned after many years of wondering what happened to the former Lesley's tearoom, I was pleasantly surprised to find not only the nice quaint atmosphere had survived, but that the food had been surpassed. Very generous portions of good quality (and very well priced)...

Cosy little tea room offering a good selection of food and drinks. Friendly and helpful staff who made a visit very enjoyable. We will definitely visit again.

Really cute tea room, hazelnut hot chocolate was amazing! Christmas tree shaped crumpets too, very festive! Staff were friendly, knew their locals, and had sanitiser at tables

Would recommend the breakfast here. We were staying in Lincoln for a weekend break and went twice, as we enjoyed it so much! Delicious local ingredients, great service and very good value.

Dropped in on the offchance for a coffee midweek, the most wonderful and hot mocha, friendly service, great cakes and so we returned after walking all around the town for seconds on the way back!

We have visited Bells 3 times and haven't been disappointed at all. The staff are efficient and friendly even when they are rushed off of their feet. There is a good selection of coffees, teas and cakes and a good lunch menu. It's really worth...

It's generally easy to get vegan cakes and cookies in many cafes as more people take an interest in plant based options, but egg and dairy free scones are harder to come by. Even though it was a little on the small side, we enjoyed...

Had afternoon tea here with my sister. Food very good and too much cake! Imagine that. All of the staff were welcoming and helpful and they made a really good cup of tea.

The bacon sandwiches were generous and made for a convenient start to the day in the centre of the historic city. And friendly service at this family-run tea room. An ideal stop if you're struggling up Steep Hill

Lovely cafe, beautifully decorated. Superb breakfast. Homemade jams and marmalade. All very nice and very reasonable. Highly recommended.

Lovely breakfast 🍳 great service, food well cooked, great value and in a stunning part of the city. Would definitely recommend 👍

Generous hearty vegetarian breakfast ! Excellent service from Really sweet young Jordanian girl Prettiest little cafe. Definitely recommend if your in Lincoln as the scones are delicious!!!

Staff very helpful and friendly. I could see where the drinks were made - very clean and cleaned down very thoroughly. If you are going, don't go if I am as you may need to book. Love the décor detail. We did a coffee then...

Luke warm, weak drinks, stale cake, nothing has changed. place known to be poor. too long to wait in half empty cafe . was killing time awaiting more people to arrive uphill

Lovely decor and great location, but mediocre food. Having a loud radio playing really didn’t help either, though they did turn it down a bit when I asked. My smoothie and coffee were very good, but the scrambled eggs were tasteless and my companion’s sausage...

We visited Bells tearoom for a special occasion.Nicola and her staff are so lovely and friendly and made everyone feel so welcome.We had great time and enjoyed the afternoon tea.Thank you.

Well this little tea room saved the day on our unplanned trip to Lincoln castle. Couldn’t find anywhere gluten free to eat (as I have coeliac disease) and then I just poked my head in here to find they had loads of gf options for...

Came here for breakfast had a breakfast which included a Full English, toast, juice and a choice of tea or coffee for £10. Great value, food, and service; overall a lovely quirky cafe.

A wonderful breakfast venue, today back after being so pleased yesterday! The selection of Teas, 3 lovely Green Tea choices for me🙂 the homemade Jam and Marmalade’s, so good we are buying some to take home. Friendly staff round of the experience, strongly recommend a...

We came into Bells to escape the rain and were so happy we did. The lemon & raspberry meringue cake and victoria sponge cake were both delicious and so fresh. The tea for one was enjoyable as it was Yorkshire tea and there was enough...

Bells is always our first choice to visit ,even my Children ask if we can go here. The staff are all so lovely and friendly,nothing is ever too much trouble. I first came here with friends for afternoon tea and I've been coming back ever...

One of the nicest breakfasts I have ever eaten, lovely atmosphere and location and great service. Would highly recommend!

Bells Tea & Coffee house is a lovely place to visit and the staff are splendid, plenty of choices on the menu and plenty of fabulous cakes to try, well worth a visit

When I go up the bail I make a point on stopping here for tea and a scone. It's lovely and quaint, like a secret getaway. This is my favorite tea room in Lincoln.

This was our first visit to Lincoln and so exploring Steep Hill was a must. Before we made our descent down the famous historic street we stopped for tea and cake at "Bells Tea Shop" located at the top end of the Hill. With its...

A very attractive little cafe. The staff are very helpful and the meals are good value. Service was quick and efficient

We were having a lovely day out in Lincoln and stumbled across Bell's Tea Room on Steep Hill. We asked if we could have an Afternoon Tea, but had not pre-booked. The staff were very accommodating and explained that they could make us up something...

We had a wonderful brunch here, and the menu and cakes for later in day looked wonderful too. Husband had a full English-which he said was excellent, and I had a Lincolnshire sausage bap counterbalanced by a very healthy veg, fruit and ginger smoothie!! Freshly...

This quaint and homely tea house is lovely. It offers a lovely view of the high-street from the front two tables but the tables at the back were also fine. NHS Covid check ins are in operation and there is a bottle of hand sanitiser...

enjoyed full English breakfast and egg mayo G/F sandwich. Great cakes and teas. Friendly staff. At the top of Steep Hill close to visiting the cathedral. A popular and busy tearoom.

We were looking for somewhere to get a cuppa after walking up the steep hill in Lincoln. For no particular reason we chose Bells and it was a good chioce. A nice friendly welcome We had a dahjeeling tea and a mocha, plus a slice...

tea room and staff lovely, very atmospheric old building and very quirky. Ordered a jacket potato and coleslaw with side salad and a coffee. The coffee and jacket potato were as expected and very pleasant however the side salad was rotten and visibly rancid. the...

Lovely tiny little tea shop on steep hill, made for tourists but its so much more, its quaint but the quality of everything is superb combined with excellent value for money. The is place is small, i reckon about 5 tables and they have made...

Visited with family for breakfast time birthday celebrations for Grandson. They serve authentic English breakfast with tea or coffee. Their cakes are awesome and so are toppings. It was a memorable experience.

Lovely tea shop-whether you are after savoury or sweet. Can recommend both the sausage sandwich and the scones. Really lovely and helpful staff Excellent location. Very close to cathedral

Very quaint tea shop. Had sandwiches and a drink. It was nice food and good service but quite expensive but probably paying for the prime location. Had a prawn sandwich - would be nice to offered different types of bread, it was just brown or...

Found this whilst walking around Lincoln a lovely little cafe lovely food and lovely staff so good with my little girl and so kind. Food is lovely and very reasonably priced too would go back again next time I'm in Lincoln

Stopped for a bite to eat here this afternoon. Quaint, charming and located at the top of Steep Hill, it's a welcome stop after a steep climb.The food was above par, with generous sized paninis and a great value kids sandwich deal.Staff were lovely, friendly and chatty. Covid-safe, with spaced tables sanitizer etc and all very clean.Highly recommended for lunch and drinks.

Excellent ham and pickle sandwich with a salad garnish and some proper crisps. Good latte. My wife had egg and cress which she enjoyed.

I had a really lovely lunch with great service. We were very well looked after by our fantastic waitress.

What an amazing little coffee shop. We went for my Mother’s Day treat delayed until today 24/08. The afternoon tea is to die for, all homemade and delicious. Excellent customer service. Would highly recommend.

Like a previous review has said. The welcome in any establishment is so important and this one was so genuine and appreciative. The coffees and cakes were delicious too. What an outstanding and quirky coffee shop. Well done and thanks.

I came in was greeted by happy faces, always a bonus and starts experience off well.We went upstairs to our table we had 4 children with us, they had the children's meals, very quickly, amazing service they didn't have to wait long at all! Result, we had empty plates. They loved their drinks, sandwiches, cucumber & grapes, crisps and cake after. (All included in the price!!)I throughly enjoyed my panini i HAD to take some yummy brownie home with me!! The children had ice cream after aswel! The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. Nothing was too much! So much so I can't wait for our next visit and my children keep asking to come again.Keep up the excellent work in these times.Well done

From outside the tearooms look inviting, however when you enter be prepared to be ignored.When we entered, an older lady was at the till, she knew we were there but chose to ignore us, eventually she acknowledged us and we were told that there were tables free upstairs, we went upstairs to a nondescript room, we were the only ones up there, a waitress was cleaning tables, after a few minutes we asked her for a menu, someone will bring one in a minute was the reply, five minutes later still no sign of a menu or a waitress.By that time we had waited long enough, the grumpy lady was still at the till, we mentioned that we had been forgotten, we are busy clearing tables was the response.In these tough time customers ALWAYS come first, money in the till will help to keep your business running!,bad service brings a bad reputation.

This is such a wonderful little oasis in the beautiful, historic Cathedral Quarter of Lincoln. Had a fabulous afternoon tea here this week, the staff were warm & welcoming & made sure we had everything we needed.... The building is gorgeous, really old & makes for the perfect back drop for a quaint afternoon tea (All government guidelines re Covid were adhered to) the food was delicious, a wonderful selection of sandwiches & way too many scrumptious cakes & scones for my waistline! The staff kept returning to our table to ask if we wanted more of anything, the service was faultless. I would definately recommend visiting here (just don't eat anything before you go!)

Twilight Afternoon Tea - visited this quirky little Teashop for birthday/retirement celebrations. We were able to bring our own bottle of wine to add to the enjoyment.An excellent range of sandwiches, they like to use local products, - the smoked chicken was gorgeous. Way too many cakes to eat in one go, luckily a box was provided for leftovers.The tea and coffee were regularly replenished and service was excellent. I would advise to book ahead due to current COVID 19 restrictions!

Bells was the only Tea room we visited during our 3 day stay in Lincoln but it was so nice we went twice!Located in a quaint old property just below the very top of Steep Hill it's well worth the hike up the famously steep road.You'll be greeted with smiles from the attentive staff and be able to order from their wonderful menu which includes all manner of the usual Tea shop delights.The picture shows the lovely afternoon tea we had on our return visit. Obviously as we went in Aug following lockdown being lifted there were certain restrictions in place but these did not impact on the visit at all.Bell's was lovely and we shall be back when we return to Limcoln.Recommended without hesitation.

Excellent breakfast here on 2 mornings. Lovely coffee, smelled wonderful when entering the premises. Very friendly and hard working staff

Definitely worth the walk up steep hill!!! Called in for breakfast,full English,cooked to perfection!! All staff really friendly,great sat by the window and people watch etc!! Can't wait to call in again, definitely no 1 for me!!!

We visited both days whilst being in Lincoln.Day 1 Tuna melt Paninis were great with fresh side salad & crisps.Day 2 Warm Cheese Scone with Butter absolutely Devine.Had a luxury Hot Chocolate that was like a meal in a mug.We will be back.

Four of us went for early afternoon tea on a Sunday. What a selection! absolutely fantastic, lovely sandwiches, cakes and scones, eye popping spread. Cosy and comfortable place with very friendly service and all for the price of £12.50 per head. What you can't eat they'll box for you to take away.

Best coffee in the UK by far, they do it right. Service was excelente! I was told by the tea drinkers in the group that the tea was also too notch! A wide selection of food and snacks available.

Nice tea rooms, good and friendly service and good range of food and cakes. If you want a rest before getting to the top of the hill then it is a good place to stop

The gluten free scone was delicious! Had to ask my partner to try some because I was convinced it was gluten. Very cute old style cafe, and lots of friendly staff working very hard!