Sessions Restaurant in Lincoln

We enjoyed another three course lunch at Sessions. We began with a cocktail each, a Negroni and a Espresso Martini, both of which we excellent. The starter we chose, a mousse from Lincolnshire blue cheese was the dish of the day for me. The sharpness of the blue was at exactly the right level. My wife chose the Masala mackerel for mains while I opted for the boeuf bourguignon. The dish was rich, with succulent pieces of beef and a delicious red wine sauce. We both had apple and blackcurrant crumble for dessert. Portion sizes were perfect and the students worked hard at getting their heads around everything. Well done to Josh for great service to us. Two 3 course meals and two cocktails, £35.

Another top notch performance by the Sessions team, coolly steered by tutor Andrew Brooks. If the students don't realise it now, they will in a few years, that they have one of the best and most knowledgeable tutors for many a mile. I began with the slow cooked egg while my wife opted for the carrot and coriander soup. The slow cooked egg was atop my favourite starter, a crispy slice of black pudding. Beautiful. For mains, I chose the Steak Diane while my wife chose the Lincolnshire Poacher soufflé. My Steak Diane was cooked perfectly by a 2nd year student and she did a fine job - it was the best SD I've ever had. The sauce was spot on. We finished with the chocolate fondant and again, these were cooked to perfection, the chocolate oozing out, the cream topping dripping into the lava.

Sessions is run by Lincoln College allowing catering and hospitality students the chance to run a high standard restaurant service for members of the public. Really enjoyed the imaginative Puerto Rico themed tasting menu. All the flavours worked well together and the food was superbly presented, and we were served by a very friendly and helpful waiter. Definitely recommend. DE MALLORCA: A Sweet bread accompanied by chilli butter and salted butter. FRIED PLANTAIN WITH MOJO DE AJO AND PIQUE: Fried Banana (not plantain), with a garlic dipping and hot sauce. COCONUT SEAFOOD STEW: Inspired by my love for the sea, a coconut stew containing cod, crab, plaice and shrimp. REFRESHING MOJITO SORBET: A pallet cleanser containing rum and mint, frozen for a refreshing experience. AREAS CON GRADULES PAIRED WITH SLOW COOKED PERNIL: A hearty rice dish containing nutritious peas with a slow cooked joint of pork, braised over 8 hours. PINA COLADA PANA COTTA: Last but not least, a delicious mousse-like dessert, flavoured with coconut rum and topped with delicious fruits, and miniature Maraschino cherries.

Staff were friendly and helpful , food was excellent and generally a great evening with a large group of friends

I heard about this whilst on a trip to Lincoln. I booked to avoid disappointment, as the window for opportunity was small. I was greeted by friendly students, who showed me to my table. I was given the menu, which had a good choice of food, offered cocktails (£5 each or 2 for £8), which were made at my table and a choice of wines. The food was hot and produced to a high quality, and well presented, the price was unbelievable, (2 courses £9.50 or 3 for £12.50), the staff were faultless. The team leader Andy was friendly, knowledgeable and explained what the students were learning, and was there overseeing everything. I can't praise enough, if you are in Lincoln this is well worth a visit, I will definitely return for another meal.

Fabulous food and great cocktails at rock bottom prices. Run by the students this restaurant has fabulous food at a fraction of what you'll pay elsewhere. We had a superb 3 course meal for £12.50 and freshly shaken cocktails (whatever we fancied) at 2 for £8. Great location and decor - you are eating in old prison cells. Go eat

We pre-booked our table to avoid disappointment. The students are a ‘new intake’, and we believe it’s so important to be a part of their experience too, it’s all a part of the learning curve. We were politely greeted on arrival and then shown to our table. Menus were brought to the table and everything on there sounded superb! Then we placed our drinks order, only one of us fancied red wine, so one Shiraz was ordered. The rest of us had water. The students were all very good and friendly. Three of us ordered the special chicken soup and I ordered the pulled pork for starters. We were all delighted! Even the red wine was delicious 😋. For the mains two of us ordered the fish of the day, which was a smoked fish cake with vegetables and a wonderful sauce, one pork dish and one chicken in breadcrumbs. Again we were all delighted with our meals, superb flavours and textures etc etc For the desserts one of us had the banana (looked amazing) and three of us had the dark rich chocolate with a delicious crispy base etc etc I could not eat mine it was a bigger portion than I anticipated! And once again we were extremely satisfied. We definitely without any doubt, absolutely recommend The Sessions Restaurant in Lincoln. Give the students a chance to shine and let them show you what they can do! Enjoy the experience, and be a part of their experience too. Thank you to everyone who served us today, Wednesday 17th of November 2021. Oh 8 forgot to mention that it’s also fantastic value for such great quality & good service!

Our first evening meal post-lockdown was at Sessions, perfectly appropriate as a former jail. It was great to be back, the food was excellent as usual and it was a pleasure to be served by young, enthusiastic people learning the hospitality business. The rarebit starter was beautifully cooked, my wife loved her hake and I was especially impressed with the pork belly and pork cheek. A really innovative dish that hit the spot - congratulations to the chef. My wife was amazed with her passion fruit dessert and I enjoyed my chocolate torte (though wish I'd followed her lead with the passion fruit). Matching wines were great and I thoroughly enjoyed my Old Fashioned aperitif. Value-for-money? The best available in Lincolnshire, in my view. A perfect evening, and as always, perfectly marshalled by the gentleman in charge. We'll be back!

Was totally blown away by the standards of food! The food here is produced by some youngsters starting out in their chosen career of food and hospitality. The restaurant itself is the old city court. I’m not sure what you could improve on, I wish I could cook at this standard and I’m 60 years of age! Well done to you all for the hard work you put in, thank you Mrs Shannon for your quick tour, all in all brilliant, £18 for a 4 course meal is the best value in the city of Lincoln, you also get a couple of chef’s specials thrown in as well

What a gem! I ate here on speck after playing squash in the college gym. The food was amazing, the service led by Mr B was top draw. I have eaten in some Michelin starred restaurant s and not been so well looked after. Bradley my 23 year old son was blown away that students can provide this level of food and service so early in the academic year.

Exceptional in every respect, Service,Food, Drinks, settings and prices. Also will supply gluten free meals

Went to the restaurant with my mum and dad plus my little girl. Had a wonderful time. Meal was sublime. Will definately be back for future visits. Plus they do amazing coffee.

Our second visit with two family members. The food was outstanding and the efforts of the waiting staff were brilliant. The best place in Lincoln to eat without a doubt at a fraction of what you would pay in a restaurant capable of serving food of the same quality. Don't miss out.

We pre-booked a table for the fine dining experience & wow what an experience it was! We started with 2 delicious breads, one being a fantastic curry bread with mango chutney butter, followed by 3 kitchen snacks of goats cheese mousse, Cornish crab & chicken liver parfait, to get the taste buds started. The starter was wood pigeon with chicory followed by the mains of lamb rump, then grilled mackerel with celeriac purée. Dessert was lemon panna cotta with Italian meringue. The meal was outstanding. The choice of wines were excellent, as were the cocktails, mocktails & dessert wine. The service all through was excellent & very professional. If we lived locally we would most definitely dine here often, it was a fine dining experience not to be missed.

This absolute gem must not be missed- how can such a great place be so little known- the service was first class with very attentive and friendly staff which was matched by absolutely wonderful food, the trio of starters set the mood with a delightful mix of flavours and textures which continued through the mains to the plate lickingly delightful dessert- can’t rate this highly enough

The name jumped out to us on the Facebook advert so we booked. Without question, this proved to be one of the restaurant best meals we've eaten. The service provided by 'the Sleaford two' was excellent - table service was prompt, polite and friendly, and the explanation of the paired wines was as good as anything I've heard from a professional sommelier. The highlights for us were, the lamb's bread, the (stunning) chicken liver parfait (never tasted any parfait as rich and creamy as this), the Amritsari cod (perfectly cooked fish in a crisp, delicately spiced batter) and the pork belly. The students in the kitchen must have worked so hard on preparation and presentation. The lamb carrot was exactly as Clare Smyth's recipe shows. We've eaten lunch here many times, but this was our first evening and for sure, we'll be back. Well done to Andy Banks for his superb, subtle teaching and coaching style. Oh, and I didn't mention the value-for-money. You just can't receive quality dishes like this at these prices anywhere else.

We dined during the Christmas menu period and found the food, as usual, absolutely outstanding. The smoked salmon mousse and prawn was probably the best starter I've had in many years, while the cod wrapped in pancetta was beautiful, the salty pancetta complementing the fish so perfectly well. For dessert we both chose the Bailey's cheesecake and that was beyond words, just so so good. The service was great, lovely friendly students trying to learn the craft and genuinely appreciative of our custom. And all perfectly marshalled by the tutor and maitre d'. Each time we dine here we say the same thing, we must visit Lincoln more often. Well done everyone, and Happy Christmas.

The students do a marvellous job cooking and serving at table. The food is delicious and very professionally presented. Great value for the money we have to pay. Lovely place to go if you are in Lincoln for the day, it is best to book and they do not take bookings after 1pm, which is a shame as I think they could be a bit more flexible and be able to take bookings at least until 1.45pm. All in all highly recommended.

We pre-booked the table to avoid disappointment. The students and staff are very friendly, professional and helpful too. The setting is wonderful, white cotton tablecloths, all set out lovely. We enjoyed a ‘mocktail’ each, very well made. The menu always has a good choice, something to please everyone. We enjoyed our starter, main and dessert too. Amazing prices! We cannot fault it at all. We’ve been numerous times now, and we will definitely return again. It’s really wonderful that the students have such an amazing place to gain all these skills and experiences too.

Wow, quality of food and value-for-money here beats anything in Lincoln. Today we took time out from shopping and enjoyed a bar lunch of chicken, rice, onion bhaji and popadoms. For two filling and tasty meals served in the bar area, plus two Barista-made coffees, we paid £9. I can't understand why people aren't queuing out of the door!

We came here, as we have on several occasions, as the students are consistently good at what they do. The food is always absolutely excellent too. We have never been dissapointed, the food is always absolutely delicious and great value for money too.We celebrated our friends birthday.We will definitely be back.Wendy & Derek, & friends xx

I can only write in support of other reviewers who have given this teaching restaurant the five star treatment. Our lunch today was certainly in that category. We were encouraged to choose the smoked trout starter as it was served at the table - we shared this dish and the student George did a darn fine job in preparing and serving it. He carefully and professionally removed the head, tail, skin and bones, and served the delicious fish onto two plates. For mains we both chose the fish of the day, cod, served with chips, a clever mushy pea variation and homemade tartare sauce. The fish was beautifully cooked, lightly golden brown, tender white meat, while the chips were perfect, golden crisp on the outside, white and fluffy on the inside. Our waitress did a great job too, she was friendly and her timing was just right. It was a pleasure to meet the students' manager as well as being given a chance to support the development of young people in such a tasty way. We'll certainly be returning, probably to one of the interesting evening events. The price was remarkable value-for-money, two alcoholic drinks, one starter, two mains, two coffees, £19 excluding tip.

We have eaten at Sessions Restaurant many times. It is a College Training Restaurant but the quality of food and level of service has always been excellent. Yes, there maybe one or two things not quite right but you just have to remember that the students are still learning their trade and take any comments and learn from them, good or bad. Lunchtime menu is currently £10.95 for 3 courses, served Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday evening’s fine dining menu is £18 for 3 courses. Most definitely worth booking a table and giving it a go.

A friend of mine recommended I try this restaurant after going to the escape room in the same building & when we got there it smelled delicious so sure enough we thought we’d give it a try.

We booked a table. We’ve been here several times with our friends. It’s absolutely consistently fantastic! The students are keen to learn. The food is absolutely five star! Friendly and helpful students working hard to gain experience. Fantastic price too! Wonderful wine! We recommend the Australian Shiraz.

We enjoyed a lovely linch at Sessions, Our waiter Phillip was very professional and attentive to our needs and nothing was too much trouble.

I have been dining at Sessions for years and felt it was high time I put a review on trip advisor. It's always such a great experience to dine here, the food is superb, great value and more importantly you are supporting the students and giving feedback to help them in their career.

Eating at Sessions is far more than just having a meal. It provides a fine dining experience. The quality is as good as any restaurant we have eaten in - and far better than most. The food is a visual delight, presentation is superb. Flavours are well balanced and everything seems well thought out, rather than 'thrown together'. Prices are unbelievably cheap, but the food definitely doesn't reflect that. The staff are attentive but a little hesitant. Understandable, as they are students and are often assessed as they work. We visited as a group of friends but will be returning with a much larger corporate group in the near future. It is good to see that the future of catering and hospitality is safe in these young people's hands.

So....I’m speaking as someone connected to Education....

Amazing quality and giving the students a chance to hone their skills in serving the public too. We have been here several times now and have never been disappointed. Highly recommended. You need to book. Mon-Fri 12-14:00

Part of the catering college, waitress service, all the staff and cooks are in catering college, some of them are a little nervous but its still very good.

I have been to the Sessions for both lunch and fine dining on several occasions and decided it needed more of a profile. It is run by and for the catering students to practice and the quality of the food is beyond praise for the meagre price paid. Lunch £7, fine dining £12, on a Wednesday evening. The chefs are excellent and while there will be a few( very few) errors the standard is excellent. ~The restricted opening hours means it is difficult to arrange but if you can it is a real treat.

A small party of 8 visited last month at lunch time although specialist evening visits are limited also. Good inventive choices in a 3 course selection were all good.

Our U3A Dinner Club (20 people) spent a pleasant lunch time in unusual surroundings (restaurant is based around the Old Police Station Cells. The quality and variety of food produced by the students is very good.

Went with a group of friends for our xmas lunch The sevice was good as was the food great atmospher for a get together would go again the students did a good job