Sanctuary in the Bail in Lincoln

Had a take away slice of cake. Not very good, I was really looking forward to it too only to be very disappointed. I hope for people that spend a lot of money here that they have a better experience.

The best afternoon tea in Lincoln. The selection of sandwiches, quiches, cheese scones are absolutely delicious. The cake platters well all I can say is WOW you would never leave this place hungry with the amount of delicious food, fresh cream scones, tiffin and cakes all fresh and homemade. The staff are so friendly, and nothing is too much trouble. I would highly recommend the Sanctuary, best to book as they only have a few tables and they are always busy. Twelve of us had afternoon tea today and we all took a doggie bag home with us.

Unfortunately this place reminds me of that old saying: Don't judge a book by it's cover. The cakes looked great but they had no tables available. So we decided to wait, went shopping and came back 1 hour later. Ordered up a couple of cakes including a chocolate brownie, tea and coffee. My wife always has a chocolate brownie if available as they are her favourite cake. On this occasion it had very little taste, was quite dry in texture and did not taste very nice. She asked my opinion and quite frankly it was horrible. So she took it back to the counter, discreetly explained and asked to change it for something else. Only to be told that it was down to her personal taste so she would have to pay for it and any replacement she had. Would we go again to this place? No way! Terrible example of poor customer service and poor quality product. Lots of nice good quality restaurants, coffee shops and snack places close by which offer far better quality food and customer service.

Lovely lunch as usual, friendly service too! Just a shame no GF cakes left as the cake is always a treat!! Best coffee in Bailgate always !!

I called in with my brother and a friend for lunch. I had my 14 year old cocker spaniel with me and as we had recently had to let her brother go I didn’t want to leave her on her own. We sat outside in one of the beautifully decorated huts. Cushions and throws were available The staff were great bringing treats and fresh water for my dog and we ordered two quiche of the day( cheddar and beetroot) and a Stilton, pear and walnut salad. The food was great and excellent value. The service was friendly and polite and we were even visited by a friendly robin. Totally recommend a visit here.

Visited on Saturday and was very impressed and the food was lovely and the staff very friendly and welcoming. Everything was home cooked and very reasonably priced. I would love to have tried the homemade cakes, which looked divine however was full after the Lunch and we had a fairly long walk to complete to get back to where we were staying and its no fun when you full.

Always greeted with a smile and such lovely lunches (and cake!) Fab to be able to sit outside again now the weather has cheered up. My favourite times have been bringing the dog in for us both to have a drink and watch the world go by. Thankyou!

We had a lovely afternoon tea today at the sanctuary in the bail! Food was so fresh and tasty, so generous with the amount of food you get! Very impressive. Made a birthday lunch very special! Lovely staff, thankyou!

I love popping in here for a consistently good take-away soup or a salad - nothing ever disappoints. The Rocky Road (usually has giant marshmallows in it) is my sons favourite. The tiffin is amazing, even husband loves it and he doesn’t eat chocolate!!!

Absolutely freezing! I asked for the heater to be turned on but sadly it didn’t generate any heat in time. I wasn’t expecting to have to eat in my coat and my fingers went wrinkly. Could not stay for coffee as needed to go elsewhere to warm up. Tart was quite nice but not keen on the half jacket potato - tasted like it had been cooked and warmed up and a bit dry. Not really what I was expecting. Used to love it here.

Bitterly cold. Couldn't take coat off. One tiny heater. Shoppers coming for takeaway drinks leaving door open Not enjoyable.

Spending a few days for the first time in Lincoln, safe in the knowledge the evening dinners were booked we fancied a spot of lunch and hit upon this fab place. I had the walnut, pear and blue cheese salad; fresh, prompt and well presented as was my wife’s chorizo and red pepper soup, great find, great food and friendly staff.

A gorgeous place with a lovely atmosphere. A must visit for lunch. Lovely outdoor area where our dog was allowed. Food is excellent. Large variety of drinks and beautiful shop inside. Everyone who works there is super lovely. Can’t fault the gorgeous lunch spot.

Super service, lovely atmosphere and scrummy food and surprisingly excellent tea and coffee. Independent not a chain which you can tell. LOVE IT!

My husband and I pay visit to this cafe quite a lot. One of our favourite been hit beef and horseradish sandwich. Today when I ordered it it was completely different. The beef was so tough and tasteless and I couldn’t bite it even with knife it was a struggle to cut it. I took it to them and they said they gonna take it to the kitchen and sort it out. They did nothing and didn’t even offer me to have something else or my money back. It’s a very poor service. The coffee was not the same too. Unfortunately our favourite cafe is not the same and customer service is zero. I won’t go back there anymore.

This is a quaint little café providing both quick meals and scrumptious cakes. Ideally placed in the Bailgate area.

We had a sandwich lunch in this lovely little café after our 2 and half hour guided walk around the ancient city centre. The " door step " sandwiches are made with local bread and filling ingredients and are very big. So I suggest that...

while in Lincoln wanted to find an independent cafe, This one looked interesting from the outside, and quite quirky. Was pleasantly surprised that they had an outdoor seating area, with 2 cabins and some other seating mostly under cover. Had a light lunch, salads and...

Very surprised by this place. Had a quick lite bite lunch, sat in their outdoor area, very cosy, covered so out of the sun though other seats were either uncovered or in their cosy looking cabins. Good quality food, salads etc were nice and fresh,...

Lovely shop, friendly staff, perfect for a browse and a pick me up! Always a favourite for stocking up with oils for my Maison Berger products, originally purchased here. Great also for light lunch or coffee and cake…although hot chocolates are also lovely. Owner is...

My friends all rated highly. Informal and friendly. Nice little shop too. Beautiful caked and ice cream. Give it a try. Comfortable surroundings.

Stopped here for a coffee and what a surprise. A beautiful little shop with lovely gifts and coffee shop too. Went outside as it was so busy and gorgeous little outside area with two little summer houses you can book out to eat in. Obviously...

Lovely surroundings, felt safe, friendly staff, good price. Wonderful food and fantastic service. Set up wonderfully and adhered to all covid restrictions but still kept that relaxing environment. We sat in a little summer house by ourselves which was amazingly decorated with the added little...

Excellent afternoon tea - great value for money and plenty of it too. Normal lunches are quite expensive. Would be nice to bring back the nice long baguettes that used to come with coleslaw. Panini was nice but I felt it was overpriced for what...

Myself and friend had an amazing afternoon tea today in a summer house perfect treat!! We couldn’t believe how much we got!! Brought the rest home to eat later 😄 The food was delicious so fresh and the cakes and the scones all homemade 😍...

Stephen & his team are serving great food and drinks with a smile. Rocky road is really a motorway portion and soooo good.

We were on our long walk up Steep Hill on the way towards the Castle and Cathedral and we came across this devine little coffee shop by pure chance. It looks like a quirky shop that just sells candles, scents and diffusers, unique gifts and...

Visited this afternoon I found the staff very accommodating, smiley and throughly professional. The food was superb and plenty of it three of us had Afternoon Tea which we all thoroughly enjoyed. I would recommend a visit you will not be disappointed. Thank you to...

It’s been quite a while since I last visited here and always used to enjoy it. The whole place feels too overcrowded atm and we sat and watched folk getting tetchy as they tried to move around. There are too many tables for the available...

Had tea and cake here. The food was ok but tea was a bag in a mug. There were 3 staff at the counter and only one other table of diners when I arrived, yet the vacant tables had not been cleared or wiped.

On arrival we received a really warm welcome, the staff were friendly, polite and happy. The food was beautiful. The shop is like an Alladins cave, with lots of lovely gifts and decorations with a section for Christmas at the rear of the shop. Will definitely be visiting again on our return to Lincoln.

This was my second visit and it was as good as the first. The menu gives enough choice for a good size meal or a light snack. Excellent decaffeinated coffee is always a bonus but I had a shot of cream with it

Great choice of tea and coffee and daily home made cakes, in a setting that is congenial. Lovely helpful staff and a quirky rear courtyard if the weather is good.

Really cute cafe with a special outdoor seating area which has nice little huts to sit in. Enjoyable cakes, nice coffee and they sell pretty nik naks in the shop. Lovely place to,stop in the heart of the Bail.

Great to find somewhere nice and clean that welcomes dogs. Not a huge menu choice but just enough and good portions. A nice range of gifts and home wares too.

I love this place! A cafe within a shop :) A great selection of food, cake and drinks. Staff are welcoming, informative and friendly, what more could you want.

Wonderful little place, we didn't eat just went in to browse the gifts and really enjoyed our visit. This place is really lovely and had a very relaxing atmosphere. The big chalk board menu was simple and sounded very tasty indeed.

Popped in there and it is an absolute Aladdin’s cave we had been looking for Berger lamp burner ...( look them up , well worth it ) and they had every style and every scent .... lovely staff couldn’t have been more friendly the food they were preparing looked delicious ...

Lovely cafe with seating in amongst the the beautiful homeware and gifts on sale . Cakes looked delicious but we resisted , maybe next time! Really nice outside seating area at the back of the shop with cosy covered summer houses to sit in . Very well done.

Whilst it has the usal frills and piped elevator style music I can live with this; what I can't live with is the most dire coffee I have ever had the misfortune to taste. A 'flat white' is how the menu described this, over extracted stale? bitter beyond belief was what I was served with. There are NO barista skills here and without looking at the acutal machine we have..... old beans left in hopper and maybe a doser that has pre ground coffee oxidising, a machine that is not regualarly backflushed, too high a brew temp which ideally should be 92/93 C, over extraction as in not the 25/30 sec double shot parameter,r poor tamping technique or a combination of any of these.....truly aweful and NOT how real coffee should be presented at all.

Visited with friend for coffee and cake. Excellent service with excellent coffee and cake. I had the lemon cake which was delicious and my friend had the chocolate cake. Always felt relaxed and we weren’t rushed. A small but beautiful establishment. Always worth a visit.

Wanted a sandwich in a café middle of the afternoon on a Wednesday and a lot of places had closed. Sanctuary was still open and I had a Brie and grape sandwich & Mum had a salmon and cream cheese sandwich. Both were served on thick chunky bread (which was super soft and very fresh) and a lovely side salad with a really nice dressing which stopped it from being boring! To quote my Mum she said ‘that was the best sandwich I’ve had in years’. I think that says it all. The staff are lovely & friendly and they have some lovely things to buy(fantastic lamps, clocks, flowers, smellies and trinkets). Perfect place to buy a gift. Highly recommended

When we arrived in Lincoln, it was early afternoon- there is plenty of shopping opportunities on Bailgate especially if you like antiques, alcohol or individual shops. There are also a few tea rooms - expect York prices as this is the nice part historically part of Lincoln.

Wanted a light lunch. Perfect place. Food was excellent. Very polite staff. Had a meatball and mozzarella ciabatta. Wife had the beef and horseradish sandwich. Both outstanding. Would highly recommend. We will definitely visit again when in Lincoln.

We have had an amazing afternoon tea here today to celebrate a friend's birthday. The afternoon tea was the best I've ever had. All the staff were so lovely too.

Mi esposo y yo pasamos por aquí para buscar un regalo especial de Navidad y con las sugerencias de Stephen que nos atendió, y obtuvimos exactamente lo que buscábamos. De hecho, compré el mismo artículo para mí. A menudo he almorzado aquí con amigos y siempre he tenido un buen servicio, sabrosa comida y bebidas, nunca me sentí apurado, el servicio siempre ha sido muy amable y el personal feliz. Las opciones son buenas, a veces pueden ser bastante ruidosas, pero se siente con energía y siempre es bueno buscar una compra especial. Se lo recomendaré a amigos y familiares y, por lo general, es mi primera opción de lugar. Un día probaré una rebanada de pastel, pero necesitaré una bolsa para perros para llevar las sobras a casa. Si se pregunta quién soy Steven, hablamos sobre viajar al Lejano Oriente y prestarle algunos libros. Te veo de nuevo pronto.

Delicious lunch following a trip to BGU, enjoyed the summerhouse setting, great new find will definitely come back again.

Cafe at the front of a very pretty shop. Very crammed. Staff friendly & accommodating. Food average but nicely presented. Hot chocolate was not good. Tea - bag in a cup!! No pot. Unpleasant.

Popped in for coffee and cake mid-afternoon last Sunday but left rather disappointed with the whole experience. Whilst the cakes (we both had to have the same as their stocks were running out) were tasty and of a generous size the drinks were poor to say the least. My tea consisted of a limp tea bag in a small tea cup whilst my wife's latte was far too strong. I mean I like really strong coffee but even I couldn't help her out to finish it - I reckon it had at least 4 shots of espresso in it! I'm sorry but if you make exceptionally strong coffee as standard you need to highlight this to customers and whilst I appreciate that the Bailgate is a tourist attraction and therefore you might expect to pay a premium for drinks, this is just taking the mickey.

An excellent choice of food on the menu, including for a vegetarian, and well presented. Also has a good choice of ornaments and arty style nick-knacks. Unfortunately it is not open in the evenings for dinner. Highly recommended.

Called here for lunch as our usual fabulous cafe , The Arches , just up the road was closed....what a mistake.......the hot drinks took 25 minutes to arrive then the food another 20 ....so starving when my rubberised microwaved quiche finally made its appearance. That pastry was brown mush and the filling impossible to cut into....when I enquirer if it had been microwaved I was advised that they always used the microwave for heating quiche......quick tip....DON’T.......decided to have a jacket potato instead and couldn’t believe it when this arrived in an equally obliterated state.......they refunded my money and I advised them to get an oven........no apology, just embarrassed expressions.........

went out for end of term afternoon tea with workmates. plentiful food, too much to eat but more than happy to provide bags to take leftovers home

Lovely staff. Can take dog in cafe. Only had tea, so can’t comment on food. Nice little shop with it. Would recommend. Also, good prices

Nice fresh food. Water melon and feta salad was perfect for a hot day. Didn't try the cakes but they looked good.

We sat in the back garden in a little cabana. There was no table service. The food, however, was good and the premises are licensed. Relaxing.

Stopped here for lunch the other day, a bit cramped with seating a bit close. A reasonable selection of items on the menu, everything was prepared fresh and tasted good. You can sit outside if you want to.

Tasty coffee, friendly service. Baguettes are nicely presented with salad. Cake a little sickly - not too keen on the icing. Tables a bit sticky. Overall a nice cafe and would return.

stumbled on this place by accident and didn't go at lunch time great service fresh filling food well done!!

Lovely cafe with lovely merchandise but way to crammed. Having The menu too near the till to order is ridiculous...people are qeueing to read the menu as well as pay for items... not very well organised.

This place is an absolute gem. The service, atmosphere and food are all wonderful. We popped today and I had the warm beef and horseradish sandwich - it was devine!!! The meat was so tasty and tender, and the malted granary bread was thickly sliced. It was served with a mixed salad and homemade coleslaw. My daughter opted for a brie and cranberry on ciabatta, served with salad and crisps. We shall definitely be going back to try other things from the menu

This is a little haven in the Bail. A must visit. Today we enjoyed the most delicious homemade lemon birthday cake. Attention to detail is second to none. Thank you

Compact cafe area set within an attractive gift shop. The tables are rather squeezed together but I suppose they need to make the most of the space to accommodate as many customers as possible. The double espresso and soya latte were fine and although we were a little disappointed that there was no vegan cake there were animal free options such as jacket potato & beans and hummus & roasted veg sandwiches.

Very good, food was excellent and it is doggie friendly we had a very nice lunch there today. There are steps up into the cafe but flat inside. You can also buy nicnacs.

Coffee and a lunchtime snack. Half gift shop half café. Browse the homeware gifts and when you’ve done have a good coffee and a slice of home made quiche try the cheese and beetroot. Cakes, soups, baked potatoes and deli style sandwiches are also on the menu to tempt you. The Bailgate area of Lincoln is at the top of Steep Hill, Cathedral and Castle. Car parks are close by. We visited on a Saturday lunchtime it was busy. Friendly staff. I’ve attached a photo of the menu for prices and types of food as a guide but I’m sure they change it regularly. A bit cramped for pushchairs and wheel chairs. Give it try if you’re in the area.

Just popped in for a coffee and it was a very good Americano. It had a good flavour to it and was a good sized cup. It’s a lovely shop with some nice things to buy as well.

First visit following a recommendation from a friend. Black coffee was good and strong. Quiche came with a well dressed side salad, coleslaw and half a jacket potato. Substantial lunch for £9 something. Busy little place but service was good. Would visit again.

We called in here for a light lunch and it was good. My wife had a spiced lentil soup which...

Needed a hot drink whilst showing friends around the sights. There are only a few tables, but we were able...

We visited on a Sunday afternoon. This is a small coffee shop with about 6/7 tables, quite close together within...

Usually love it here but today had one surly member of staff who was out of her depth! After waiting...

Went to sanctuary on a sat lunch , it was busy , some seating outside which is not noticeable ,...

Staff were helpful and were friendly even though it was very busy and near the end of the day. Salads on offer were fresh and interesting. There was a good choice of sandwiches and these were nicely served. The cakes were great and pieces were huge! They even did a gluten free carrot cake. There is an outside area through the back and this is not at all obvious when you get inside. They also served 3 or 4 interesting gin and tonics.

One of my favourite local places for lunch. Homemade food, great coffee & a warm friendly welcome awaits here.

Nos sentimos atraídos a su gran pantalla ventana y luego vimos que no la comida! Disfrutamos de algunas realmente sabrosa comida casera y luego descubrió que tenía una encantadora área de estar al aire libre también con cabañas de colores. Tarjetas de calidad y agradable en la tienda de artículos de regalo. Servicio de atención al cliente realmente servicial.

Tenía muchas esperanzas para la sopa casera de calabaza asada butternut en esta nuestra primera visita, lamentablemente amigo y yo muy decepcionado con la falta de sabor. Sabor principal era de butternut en la doble/salir sabor amargo.

Paramos para tomar café y tarta en la cafetería. La comida y las bebidas eran buenas, tienen un pequeño jardín pero tuvimos que sentarnos dentro ya que no podíamos conseguir un asiento en la sombra.

Very very poor service - as though they were doing us a favour!!! Cluttered tearoom with tables crammed together - couldn't help but overhear every conversation whispered in the tiny room. Hot tea and coffee, sadly a glorified knick knack shop

Arriving in Lincoln for a long weekend, we needed somewhere for a light lunch. We found a one-hour parking space in Bailgate and crossed the road to Sanctuary. My wife ordered the thick pea soup and I had a salmon and cream cheese doorstep sandwich. Including non-alcoholic drinks, the bill was only £15, and we were out in 40 minutes, giving us time to look at local shops before we had to move our car.

A great place for coffee or for lunch. The soup is always good, the salads are delicious, and the cakes add inches just by looking at them!

Out for lunch with friends. Reserved table, friends had soup, I had beef and horseradish sandwich . Lovely bread very nice side salad and homemade coleslaw but the beef oh dear , melt in yor mouth with such a lovely flavour. Cake to follow - lovely.Very pleasant and helpful staff. Will definitely visit again.

Started looking through the window at the gifts & ended up inside having lunch! Great decision - terrific service & amazing food! What a find!

Visited here today for afternoon tea. What a delight it was! The table was all set up for us when we walked in and staff immediately prepared our drinks. The tea perfect and was a huge pot! Now the food where do I begin my god the sandwiches, the quiche, the scones, the cakes! Oh they were all so nice! Everything was in perfect quantities. The cakes though oh my they were divine!Totally recommending this place to everyone, and it's a very fair price too! I left feeling very full and happy! P.s. thank you for all the pots of tea, definitely needed for the final fork-fulls of cake!

Lovely little café on Bailgate. Food was ok but expensive. Sandwich, baked potato with beans & a sweet chilli chicken salad, hot chocolate & coke circa £27. Staff didn't ask about bread type for sandwich. This was served in brown bread, which is great if you like brown bread ! The salad was unimaginative, it was really just a pile of lettuce with a couple​ of cherry tomatoes & slices of cucumber & maybe half a chicken breast. Now i thought the chicken was Marinated, but it was just covered in case chilli sauce. If memory serves the salad was around £7 & was not good value. Staff were lovely however. I love the location but i wouldn't go back as it was expensive & average.

Wandering in the Bailgate area we were enticed in by other patrons who were 'singing it's praises'. This is a small coffee shop surrounded by a retail shop which has a large range of very interesting things. For a small establishment the menu is huge, all that you would expect, large portions and excellent value for money. Friendly staff.We enjoyed toasted tea cakes and large lattes all for £7.10Will definitely return.

Nice place to pop in when in the bailgate for a cuppa. We didn't eat here but food that was coming out to other customers looked lovely. Nice pleasant staff too and lovely displays of gifts to purchase dotted around too. They even had the heater on to keep away the chill

Great for coffee, cake and light lunches. We especially like the hot roast beef sandwiches. Very helpful, friendly staff and good value for money. But they need to buy some teapots!

First time in Lincoln and what a lovely place! Shopping trip in the town and as the weather was getting colder, we decided to stop for lunch. Very tiny cafe with a few tables but the menus choice was very good. Grabbed a table near the heater and ordered baguettes for each of us. Mine was ham and mustard and I was hven a choice of musards, this came with home made coleslaw and salad, it was all very delicious. I had a special lemon and ginger tea and my friends had normal tea and a hot chocolate. The choice of homemade cakes was a real problem, with us wanting to taste every one! So we went for Rocky Road and two carrot cakes, which were as light as a feather. I would highly recommend this lovely little cafe, if its full, go into the quirky nearby shops and keep going back till you get a table.

Came here after walking the steep hill and looking around cathedral. It was quite a cold day so both I and my partner opted for a soup of the day and a cup of tea. We actually had a choice of two different soups, chorizo and bean or leek and potato. My partner had the first one whereas I chose the latter and I must say both were amazing and the portions where very generous. Definitely would recommend:)

Really good coffee, cakes and lunches, good service, and really friendly staff, all at really great prices

Called in on the off chance and were delighted with the food and service. It was good to find somewhere that would tailor the food to your needs. It's tiny but that should not put you off.

found by chance, this is a little oasis and an Aladdins cave was a breath of fresh air. it was a warm day near the castle and cathedral that was full of tourists, we needed a break.we found a novelty establishment offer good quality food and drink without the commercialism of many of the near by establishments. in their quaint little yard we had freshly roasted vegetables in lovely bread, served with an iced coffee. thank you and well done

Abbiamo preso un caffè e una fetta di torta. Il dolce era molto buono, anche il caffè era sopra la media della zona. Locale molto carino, personale gentile e disponibile.

Friend & I on an overnight deal staying at the Lincoln Hotel, found the 'Sanctuary' as we walked through the old City section. It was a lovely day so we sat outside in the small garden area-go through the shop to the back. We had tea, coffee and cakes, all of which were very nice. Average price for the location I think. It was a popular venue judging by the footfall. I would visit here again, perhaps having lunch the next time.

Some excellent food - step inside the shop to see the specials on the blackboard. Helpful staff and a good portion of food for a very reasonable price. Great to be able to support a local enterprise as well as eating well. Good selection of ciabatta, salads, snacks, cakes. Vegetarian food good. Shop sells gifts and homeware.

I read the reviews and decided that it would be a good place to visit. I wasn't disappointed. We arrived at about 12:15 and already there were tables taken for lunch. We were able to get seated and went to look at the menu. There was a very good selection and we were able to change what we wanted very slightly with no hesitation from the Lady taking the order. Our drinks and food arrived fairly quickly one after the other. The portion sizes were great and the food was delicious. After we had eaten we were able to sit and chat and there was absolutely no rush for us to move. I will definitely visit again.

A great little cafe. This is both a shop and a place to eat. All the items sold are nice items that are placed around the shop. The staff are fantastic and the food even better. Lots of cake and great coffee. The meat ball ciabatta is my favourite. All the food is packed full of flavour, which makes a change to a lot of Lincoln's bland restaurants. This can easily be mistaken for just a shop and passed by. But you should make sure to pop in and grab lunch or a coffee. You'll enjoy it!

We had lunch at this excellent cafe situated in the historic Bailgate area of Lincoln. The incredible doorstep sandwiches were delicious as was the cake. Service was friendly and efficient. The cafe has a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. We'd definitely call in again when next in the area.

Complained about hot chocolate as it was made with water, not as expected as we thoughtit would be milk. They changed it with no problem, were given two large drinks of our choice and even given the price difference back. Excellant customer service. Would definatly go back again.

Delicious food with great customer service in a lovely setting! The shop sells some really lovely gifts. The quiche and cake are amazing! Portion sizes are very generous and reasonably priced! We will be back!

Strange little place - from the outside it looks like a shop but inside you find a cafe. Variety of sandwiches and cakes, and really good coffee