Cafe St Paul's Restaurant & Cafe Bar in Lincoln

If you love good food and drinks you must go to Cafe St Paul! Passion for quality, creativity and an unpretentious talent for service combine to making a pairing evening at St Paul’s a night to remember. Highly recommend it!

Excellent food and drink in pleasant surroundings, a stones throw from Lincoln Castle.

Part of me doesn’t want to share a review of St Paul’s as I would love to have the place to myself as it’s just amazing! Perhaps when I win the lottery. The food at St Paul’s is just perfection, and I love trying their new plates. We’ve had their breakfasts, small plates and Sunday roasts, and all have been faultless. The staff are always great, the owners are beyond wonderful, and the atmosphere is always just right. I cannot recommend St Paul’s enough!

Visitamos el café para almorzar para celebrar el cumpleaños de mi marido. Como siempre fue una gran comida, nada es demasiado problema para los propietarios y el personal que siempre nos hacen tan bienvenidos. Se adaptan a mis necesidades dietéticas brillantemente y el ambiente es genial.

We were visiting Lincoln for the day when we happened to spot this place opposite the car park we chose in order to explore the historic Bailgate and so glad we did! Once inside we received a very warm welcome from who we assumed to be the owners, we chose to sit upstairs overlooking the brilliant castle walls though downstairs also looked cosy and inviting. A very interesting food menu with something for everyone and allergens have been well thought about. We opted to share a range of small plates as these really stood out - pork belly bites, chicken salad and Brie, all absolutely delicious!! My partner and I have not stopped talking about how fresh everything tasted and how we could’ve stayed all afternoon working our way through the menu. The wine and cocktail list also looked amazing, something we’ll have to return for soon with an overnight stay! The warm welcome we received certainly remained throughout with friendly, efficient (but not overbearing) service. Nothing seemed like too much trouble and owners were more than happy to give us some recommendations of things in Lincoln to check out. Overall really impressed and will definitely return on our next visit to Lincoln!

A hidden gem of a place. My absolute favourite for food and friendliness. I’ve tried pretty much everything on the menu, and there isn’t anything I haven’t liked, those small plates are irresistible, there’s usually some tempting specials too. Their menu offers a great variety and they are as obliging as possible if you have different dietary requirements. Then there’s the wine list… white Rioja - yes please. Nicola, Gordon and their super team work extremely hard, and it shows, making it somewhere I will always highly recommend xx

Arrived for 10 am breakfast on 5/1/25 (booked and deposit paid for 7 of us at £10 each), and waited outside as a little early, only to be rudely dealt with by owner/manager. No "good morning" or explanation from him why we couldn't go inside which is basic customer service surely? Left out in cold, then told "go elsewhere" by him. Luckily we were able to go to the Duke William around the corner, where we had a lovey breakfast with excellent customer service. :-)

Seven of us arrived for breakfast this morning after making a reservation and paying the requested £10 each in advance. Our booking was for 10 a.m., and two members of our group arrived at 9:50 a.m. only to be met by what we believe was the owner, who rudely informed them that the café opened at 10 and then walked inside, leaving them outside in the cold. As more of our party arrived, it was 9:55 a.m., and the same man walked past us again. When someone commented on his rudeness, he retorted, “Go somewhere else then.” We explained that we had already paid our deposit, to which he replied, “You can have it back.” He then left us standing in the entrance while he went upstairs to retrieve the cash, returning with a dismissive “Have a nice day.” It was truly shocking! We are a group of ladies who regularly meet for breakfast, and we have never experienced such poor treatment before. We ended up having breakfast at the Duke William, which was delightful. We will not be returning to St. Paul’s, and I strongly advise against visiting this café if you prefer to avoid rude service!

Incredible food and fantastic service from Lucy! First time coming here and we will be back!

Came here for lunch and the food was so good I had to come back for dinner. Really nice place, good atmosphere, friendly staff.

This place is an absolute gem! Super glad we found you! Staff are very polite, food is excellent and the cocktails hit the spot!

Had lunch here today for the first time and I literally couldn't contain the yummy noises the wonderful food here made. So full of flavour, I had the chilli and vegan burger both delish!! Lovely service, great view of the castle from our table, and lovely feel inside. Can't wait to return to try more of the menu! Been back here several times since this review and it has always been fabulous, such good food, service and atmosphere

Great food with a twist. Brilliant staff . Will definitely come again Belly pork was perfect . Great cocktails Brilliant

Popped in for lunch great food and service hope to be back soon

Amazing restaurant, delicous food and wine, service is excellent. Small plates of delicous food😋👌the crispy lamb from the specials board belly pok bites, shredded chicken beetroot, honey and feta all very beautiful. Loved had a fabulous evening. Thank you Cafe st Paul's 😘

Awsome food! High quality! Service very friendly. Toilet clean.

I am delighted with the food. The cook has a great talent. I had chicken soup, which is now my favorite soup. The burger is the best. The service is great. I will come back

Very impressed with this place. We came for breakfast and the food was delicious (up there as one of the best breakfasts in Lincoln). It wasn't run of the mill, the sausages and beans in particular where stars for me. The staff too were very friendly. The whole experience was perfect and we'll be back again soon.

Esta es una verdadera joya oculta. La comida era absolutamente fantástica. Sabores recién hechos y deliciosos. Teníamos una selección de los platos pequeños y los bocadillos de masa madre cubiertos. No sucede a menudo cuando nuestro grupo está junto, pero hubo silencio mientras comíamos, salpicado por pequeños gruñidos de placer. Los precios eran razonables también. Recomendamos de corazón este café y volveremos.

No dejes que la entrada te desanime, una vez dentro del bar de la planta baja es una zona agradable para disfrutar de una copa y el restaurante de arriba es encantador, especialmente la pequeña terraza. Los platos pequeños son deliciosos y los cócteles sabrosos y fuertes. Lugar perfecto para una tarde de buena compañía, comida y bebida.

I came for a Thursday evening tea with three friends and could not fault this place. Every mouthful of food was delicious. It was quiet, which was surprising, as more people should be trying this place. I wonder if the cafe in the title means people don’t think to go at night. It’s definitely a restaurant vibe though. The service, the ambience, the music, everything was perfect. I cannot wait to return.

Este lugar parece ser solo poco mirando desde el exterior, pero tiene un montón de asientos en dos plantas. Hemos pedido selección de diferentes bocadillos y bagels y todo estaba bien servido y muy sabroso! También tenía un precio razonable.

Vino a tomar café para evitar una ducha de lluvia, ya que todos los otros cafés locales estaban cerrados. Una encantadora bienvenida amable y un gran café con buenos precios (incluso una galleta de galleta!). Lo recomendaría y volvería si alguna vez estamos de vuelta en Lincoln.

Wonderful lamb kofta. Amazing pok belly bites. Generally delicious.

Recommend the hog roast sour dough . Not too spicy , but enough to notice.

Super relaxing place offering excellent food and 1st class service. We had a superb breakfast with friends.. We can 100% recommend this little gem

We had a great time at this well located casual restaurant . We had a range of very tasty small dishes and there was a good selection of reasonably priced wines . The service was friendly, helpful and cheerful. We sat upstairs and had a view of the castle wall.

The Sunday lunch here is excellent quality and value and I definitely recommend. Service can be a bit slow sometimes so probably best not to be in a hurry

What a little gem! This bar/restaurant is tucked away in a quiet part of town and is very unassuming. We ate and drank upstairs in the small and atmospheric dining area, first on the small balcony (only fits three tables), then inside as it got chilly. The choice of food is from a small menu but all unique dishes. The ones we chose were freshly made and extremely delicious. Corn bread with pulled pork, sour dough bread sandwiches and sour dough bread topped with mixed toppings. Absolutely delicious. Very reasonably priced too. Staff could not have been friendlier. Would highly recommend and I look forward to returning.

Lovely summer breakfast on the balcony for our first visit here. The staff were very friendly and the food was lovely. Will definitely be back, thank you!

We took over the upstairs for our wedding celebration and we had just the most beautiful time. The staff were friendly and efficient and the food was just sublime. Doing a Tapas style dinner helped us spread the entertainment over 3 hours and gave everybody something to talk about when we mixed them all up. Absolutely top marks to Gordon and his whole team.

Beautiful hidden spot in the Bailgate area of Lincoln. Delicious food, reasonably priced cocktails and a great diverse menu! I will be back to try the Sunday roast 😍

Food here is fantastic and a good selection of cocktails

Food was amazing and the service was outstanding

We were in Lincoln for Madness at the castle. So getting nearer the entry time we wanted a 'quiet' drink somewhere... very difficult when 1000s are around for the concert.. but... we stumbled upon this amazing place. Two benches at the entrance downstairs.. then a few tables to the right on entry.. and then up to the left to a restaurant area.. far cooler... and then outside to a thin balcony. We went to the balcony. No smoking or vaping allowed.. great! So we sat opposite the castle walls, listening to the bands warming up... drinking a zero beer and a proper Czech Budwiser. Perfect drinks.. around £6 a pint.. served perfectly. We enjoyed the atmosphere.. had servers ask if we needed any more drinks.. no pressure.. just attentive, friendly service. Due to this.. the next day... we visited for breakfast. My wife had poached eggs on sourdough, guacamole with extra bacon. Beautifully presented and amazing. I went for the full breakfast with extra (free) black pudding. This was possibly the best breakfast I've ever had. Local butcher sausages... Lincolnshire... full of sage... and very fresh tasting. The hashbrown was finely shreaded potato... and homemade. This is not said on the menu... a missed trick... as it was superb. Far better than a frozen one. The baked pit beans.. also homemade... and unique... sweet, minty and mixed beans made for an exciting addition to the normal breakfast. Sourdough bread.. fresh tomato and two mushrooms made the breakfast spot on. The fried egg wasn't runny.. being picky I would have liked it slightly less cooked.. but to be fair I never specified. We also had a tea and a coffee. Both quality. And a biscotti biscuit alongside. I had a fresh orange on ice.. which was also perfect. Unfortunately a couple came upstairs and sat out on the balcony... which meant we were subjected to a) draft from the open door and b) the man kept vaping... so meant we were breathing in his stink. We knew that the balcony had a sign that said no smoking or vaping.. where they were sat... and staff didn't do anything about this unfortunately. We didn't raise this as we were soon to leave. The service was spot on both occasions. Food and drink perfect. Despite the selfish vapour... it was a great experience. Highly recommended. Thank you to the staff and hope the tip gets shared equally. You were all brilliant.

Wow the best lunch we had with the most attentive staff. Will be back next time we visit Lincoln. Spotted the balcony from the castle battlements thanks for a great meal

Fantastic find on St.Pauls Lane, Lincoln Highly recommend. We just stopped for a drink but the food looked fabulous & the service was 1st rate. We will definitely return - 👍❤️

Great Sunday roast / we called by for a take out Sunday Dinner after a busy day and it was fantastic. We had the beef and the Pork, both were tasty with lots of veg and home made Yorkshire pudding - the gravy is the best.

Very nice and chic place. Sunday roast could've been better with a bit of seasoning on the vegetables. The skin on fries and sourdough bread with dips were lovely though 😋

Great service, lovely staff and good location!

Lovely place to eat with good food

This was a true surprise of a place. The small plates were lovely! Perfect for a lunch or dinner option. Service was superb too. More people need to give them a try.

Brilliant place to pop in for a lunch, stopped over the weekend while visiting Lincoln. Awesome taste, good prices. Recommend 100%

Fantastic place, staff and delicious food 😋. When I looked at the menu I thought mmmm, not much to entertain my old fashioned tastes but I tried something different (for a change) and was delighted ! I wouldn't hesitate to recommend and return.

All four of us enjoyed our food and the service was quick and friendly too. I had the classic burger which was very tasty 😋

I've eaten here several times and not been disappointed yet. Delicious food. Good service.

Average Sunday Lunch, Yorkshire pudding was cold, gravy would be better served separately rather than swimming on the plate

Just had a lovely lunch. Great services and in a lovely atmosphere. Homemade parsnip soup was delicious as were all the meals. Father-in-law really enjoyed his schwarma chicken panini and wife loved her halloumi and mushroom bagel. Highly recommended and reasonably priced too.

Lovely find in the Bailgate area; one to revisit. Friendly and helpful re intolerances/ allergies

Have had excellent Sunday lunches here with my family in the past but this Mother's Day the staff really went above and beyond creating a really special experience for my mum! A big thank you to you all, she had a wonderful time!

Have had excellent Sunday lunches here with my family in the past but this Mother's Day the staff really went above and beyond creating a really special experience for my mum! A big thank you to you all, she had a wonderful time!

Great food and fabulous service. A lovely lunch.

Excellent food, atmosphere and service. I had the best Sunday lunch I've had in a long time. I also had an issue regarding payment and Gordon went above and beyond to assist. I would recommend.

You can't beat their view of the castle, and their Sunday roast is top-notch! Very friendly and welcoming staff, and good coffee, too. Fantastic place all around!

Hidden around the corner a little it’s a very nice Tapas Bar type eatery. We had Thai Fischakes, Pork Belly and Parsnip Bhajis followed by a couple of puds. Quick service, tasty food, good value and excellent staff. Look forward to visiting again and trying out the bar and cocktails!

This is a hidden gem! We were wandering around at the top of Lincoln (yes - we walked up Steep Hill). The place we had planned to lunch was shut, so were on the look out for somewhere to lunch. I am coeliac so require a gluten free diet which can limit the places to eat. The menu outside offered some gluten free options, so in we went. It was busy but were found a table. On looking at the menu there were quite a few g/f tapas options. Chicken wings, Shawarma salad, Beetroot and Whipped Feta, Korean BBQ fries and Parsnip Bhajis. All G/F. Delicious!! We did wait quite a while for the food (I think we were at the end of what looked like a very busy Sunday service) but it was well worth the wait and would definitely go again when in Lincoln. Thank you!

Myself & my brother came for lunch on a rather rainy grey day in February. . The atmosphere inside was happy & relaxed. Really good food & reasonably priced. Happy welcoming proprietor Will come again

Quiet on a rainy Thursday lunchtime but very friendly service & three delicious small plates were ideal for two of us. Will be back!

Saintly Food: After some consideration, we have decides that this - this - is the best breakfast in Lincoln. The tomatoes (& the tomato relish), which we usually leave behind in other establishments, are a highlight. The sausages (vegetarian or meat) are mouth watering. Splendid! 5/5 Location/Atmosphere: If you can get onto the balcony, you are gonna have a trip - great views of tourists crossing the Great Walls of Lincoln! Parts of the indoors are windowless so a little dark, perhaps. Still, a jolly atmosphere whenever we have been. In the heart of historical Lincoln. 4/5 Service: The staff are attentive without being overbearing. Helpful and with a sparkle in their eye! 5/5 A must visit!

We were looking for a comfortable and relaxed spot for a light evening meal. We found one! The food was utterly delicious, tasted fresh and arrived in good time. Presentation was appealing and showed care, but was not pretentious. Waiting staff offered friendly, attentive service without being overwhelming or obtrusive. There were plenty of customers coming and going but nothing felt rushed or hectic. I asked about local butchers and help was freely and warmly offered. The price point was affordable and excellent for the quality provided. This matters to us! Ambience was just as hoped for. 'Facilities' were clean as you'd expect. Nothing negative to mention. Party was mother and young adult daughter - one vegetarian, one not. We will return!

Perfect. Great menu. Lovely atmosphere. Attentive helpful staff. Great location and view of the Castle too. Can recommend

Fantastic food Amazing flavours with a great laid back atmosphere. Such a refreshing change to the restaurant/bar experience. Super friendly staff. A great small plates menu with a great Sunday lunch menu too. Definitely recommend

We are on the ground floor which has a great atmosphere as soon as you arrive. The staff were friendly, greeting us with smiles. We ordered the breakfast & were not disappointed at all The quantity & quality were fabulous, all of it tasted amazing A little gem of a place, thank you, we will be back

Only found this place today when walking past after parking it’s a little hidden gem. So much choice breakfast was amazing lovely local produce everything was cooked perfect. Plenty of choice some nice vegterian, vegan and gluten free options. Coffee was amazing lots of dairy free milk choices. Staff were extremely friendly. We will be heading back for a Sunday lunch soon.

I had my 77th birthday lunch with 13 friends and the food was beautiful and delicious. The service throughout was quick and timely. My thanks go to Gordon, his wife, and the front of house team, who delivered the chef's wonderfully mouthwatering tastes. The kitchen staff did wonders catering for everything that we ordered and even the odd dishes extra to the list. I cannot recommend this restaurant too highly.

Food was excellent. We had a selection of small plates from the menu and specials board. All were extremely tasty and well presented. The main menu is relatively small but the specials are good and the food quality and selection of drinks is outstanding. Definitely worth a visit.

Visited Cafe St Paul today for the 1st time. Gordon and his team fit myself and my wife in without booking. We were super lucky, as several walk ins had to come back late in the day. We both had Pork Belly Sunday lunch at £14.95 per head, and it couldn't have been cooked anymore perfect. 5 out of 5.

Beer good, food good and staff excellent ... what more could you want? Thank you

I had my 77th birthday lunch with 13 friends and the food was beautiful and delicious. The service throughout was quick and timely. My thanks go to Gordon, his wife, and the front of house team, who delivered the chef's wonderfully mouthwatering tastes. The kitchen staff did wonders catering for everything that we ordered and even the odd dishes extra to the list. I cannot recommend this restaurant too highly.

Amazing small plates. Not a mega choice but delicious eclectic menu. Loved all our choices. Fabulous service.

Some great specials, very tasty. Lite saladHappy to recomend and return

Amazing small plates. Really tasty - thank you chef Christian. Great service - huge thanks to Toby. We will be back and would highly recommend.

Relaxed and a welcoming environment. The owners/staff were fantastic. Menu is small but the food is outstanding. Was that good we returned back for food after 5 minutes of first leaving!

Paid a return visit to this lovely restaurant a few weeks ago for Sunday lunch with family. Couldn't fault the service, lovely welcome and a very nice atmosphere. The food was extremely good, very fresh and piping hot, Both starters and mains were really delicious, lovely choice of vegetables to accompany the roasts and portions were so plentiful we had no room for dessert. Service was excellent, we really couldn't fault anything. My wife and I were in Lincoln again the next morning and popped in for coffee and breakfast. Again , a lovely warm welcome and my wife's request for poached eggs on toast (not on the menu) was was met with a cheerful smile. This is really a little gem which appears not to be that well known, possibly due to it's entrance "off the beaten track". Well worth seeking out, so nice these days to return to a restaurant that has clearly maintained it's high standards of food and service. A huge "Thank You" to a lovely team and we will definitely return when visiting family again. Highly recommended.

Beautiful little place, food was lovely, light tasteful & plentiful. We sat upstairs as pub quiz downstairs, it's a lovely place to eat, rustic and not cramped in at all. We had a starter of bread and dips, wete delicious, we had paninis but they came with plenty to fill you on the side, Lovely view of castle when you leave too, so fab bonus!!

Amazing food, atmosphere, view and staff. Hash browns should have legendary status! Don't hesitate to go inside and enjoy

Had a lovely family lunch, we went for the small plates option with a number of dishes to share. Really interesting range of dishes with a Christmas theme but taken to the next level. Service was good and staff friendly and welcoming.

I would highly recommend it! Food is delicious 😋 there are many gluten free options!

Great little hidden, gem, friendly staff great food & beer the owner who I believe, is Scottish is a nice guy and extremely friendly and helpful. If you visit Lincoln you must look for it 😀👍🏻

Best Breakfast in the Bail! The Pepperdine Butchers Sausages are the best.

Not happy with this bar! Asked us to keep the language down when there had been no complaints from other customers (we checked) and he waited until we bought a 3rd round so a little bit disappointed quite frankly!

Came highly recommended. Not disappointed. Very friendly staff. Great menu choice. Many vegetarian options. Fresh cooked food, well presented. Not expensive but good quality food and good value for money. Been there for breakfast and lunch. Will be going for dinner very soon. Highly recommend...

This is a lovely hidden gem. The staff are so friendly and it is cosy and warm. In the evenings the choice is a little limited and would benefit from a couple more main courses in addition to the small plates. Would definitely return though.

We visited for an evening meal as a celebration and the food was extremely tasty and the service was excellent. We would recommend visiting here, however really do think the menu needs expanding as there is really limited choice. Mostly small plates with only two...

Excellent home made food, great wine and brilliant service. Highly recommend!

A hidden gem, great food and service.

Great place to get a full cooked breakfast on a Sunday morning. Fresh good quality food and only £10. Opposite the castle walls plenty of parking lies this little gem. Well worth a visit

Great find despite the many touristy places : superb food, small plates to share or more standard portions sizes. Lots of gluten free options and interesting Asian dishes. Friendly and quickly served

Never been here before. Food and service were excellent. All dishes were obviously freshly cooked by talented chef. Watch out, Ole Ole! You have a rival! Highly recommend.

Went in here this morning on a whim, walked past it and saw it did coffee. We then decided we wanted food and well, I for one was blown away. I'm a vegan and I often feel like vegan breakfasts at a lot of places are afterthoughts and just whatever on the menu happens to be vegan is thrown on the plate. At Cafe St. Paul's it felt like just as much care was put into my breakfast as a "normal" one. The vegan sausages were excellent quality but didn't try to be fancy or flashy. Lovely flavour that complimented the breakfast. The home made hashbrowns were out of this world. Crispy and seasoned well, leagues better than out of the packet hashbrowns that most places offer. I reckon the hash browns themselves are worthing coming for. The tomato relish was amazing, and you'd think that with the grilled tomatoes aswell it would be too much, but no. The grilled tomatoes came with their own seasoning and they became their own event. Mushrooms are usually either served too wet or way too dry, but this was perfectly done and tasted fresh and not over powering. The toast - sour dough was amazing. Sourdough toast gets overplayed a lot these days and loses its quality but this was amazing and had that real authentic sourdough feel and toasted perfectly. An absolutely fantastic breakfast through out all. A breakfast that lifted the spirits! The service was great, super polite and helpful! An unexpected but amazing time. Absolutely recommended.

Greeted by wonderful staff. Shown upstairs with views of the castle. The food was to die for. Can't recommend it enough. I will be telling all my friends

I love it! Smart design, friendly staff! Amazing view ❤️ We came only for cocktails but definitely come back for Sunday dinner

Didn’t know it was there. A hidden gem. Friendly atmosphere and nice food. Visited after work on the way home. There are tables for just having a drink and a chat. I’ve heard the Sunday lunch is great and breakfast too. I would recommend a visit.

Great first visit, good food, and place is popular .

1st time visit & wrong first impression - style over substance. Noone there to show us to a table upon arrival. Slow service and when order was taken for drinks 1 of 2 drinks never materialised. I had to go and ask. That was over 30mins. The food we had was good (soups) but the service not so good. The waitress did apologise and was sincere in her apology but the cafe wasn't overly busy when we visited (post lunch rush) and hence this review. Like to think it was a one off. A pity as the food provided was lovely and maybe would've spent more on additional dishes - but didn't want to risk being late to an afternoon appointment.

One of the best restaurants I've been to in Lincoln. Excellent food, service and atmosphere. Good view too.

Walked in and greeted by a lovely team, the food is sooooo gorgeous. This place is now my new fav in Lincoln, the people who own and run it are so lovely and they made simple egg on toast into a taste sensation. 5 stars isn't enough!!

Superb food and service second visit will be going again to try the evening menu. Staff and owners are all very friendly and helpful.

Popped in on a recommendation and was not disappointed by the slightly more upmarket breakfast than you would get elsewhere. The homemade hash browns in particular were delightful and the staff were very good with my son who has a severe milk allergy. Couldn’t have...

Me and my partner stumbled upon this gem of a place when wandering around steep hill and Lincoln Castle. We only stopped in for a couple of drinks, but we loved the atmosphere and the food looked fantastic. It also has a little sun terrace over looking the castle which is perfect for a sunny day. I would highly recommend a visit.