The Cardinal's Hat in Lincoln

One of the very best pubs in Lincoln, staff are top notch as are all the beers on offer. An excellent place to while away and afternoon or a quick one to catch up with mates on the way up or down Steep Hill!

Great choice of beers very clean

Great bar at the foot of steep hill. Called in for a couple of drinks, tried the Cardinals hat lager which was very good and reasonably priced, not many places you get 2 pints for less than a tenner in a city center. Good atmosphere when we called late afternoon on a Friday and Saturday. It’s not the ritz but would recommend.

Best pub in Lincoln, welcoming & Friendly atmosphere from the moment you reach the door & are welcomed by Nas & Ben. Best drinks, fantastic service by all & definitely a team effort which makes our visits so memorable. Thanks to you all, you make it such a pleasure, lovely cosy interior or sit outside ( weather permitting) & people watch lol. We would highly recommend you give this beautiful pub a try, you 💯 % won't be disappointed. Thanks to you all, you are absolute ⭐️'s

Just love the cardinal's hat enough to say this is everything a bar should be

Just popped in for a quick drink .

nice quite drinking hole away from the madness with decent ales, by this time we were getting a tad weary and a curry was beckoning, one more then food.

I stopped drinking alcohol 9 weeks ago. Love the Cardonal's Hat so dropped in last night (Friday 27/9/24), asked for a pint of Blackcurrant & Soda. I was charged £5!!!! £5!!! Yes, I could have not paid and left but I like the pub and was in total shock when I paid. Two guys next to me bought two pints of beer/cider and were charged £10.20. I would have paid £10.00 for 2 pints of Blackcurrant & Soda. Yes, great pub, great ambience etc etc. So has the Wig & Mitre which 30 minutes later charged me £1.50 for the same drink!! Absolute rip off! Plus for that price, the gents' toilet seat is broken! Bye bye Cardinal's Hat.

Nice pub with a decent selection of craft beers. Atmosphere was relaxing.

No heat. No wifi. Comforters for full size bads on kings. And the most slippery tiles in a bathroom I've experienced. Absolutely HORRID.

Lovely welcome and decent pint.👍🤗

Best pub in town! Great choice of beers and the food platters are amazing!

Good choice of hand pulled beers. Worth a visit if you can walk up the very steep hill.

The best pub in Lincoln I have lived in Lincoln for four years now and visit the Cardinals regularly and have never experienced a problem. Great selection of lager, ales and cider. Friendly bar staff and doormen. Warm welcoming and vibrant atmosphere. Highly reccomend.

Never disappointed. Great selection of beers and some excellent seating options, when it's not too busy. Always stop for one here when in Lincoln.

Nice pub/bar.Quick one pint visit. Good choice of real ale. Quirky interior with several seating areas. Nice pint of Cardinals Ale.

Great Ales and Chilli and Honey peanuts

A real treat to find this place. They have a great range of beers in what is clearly a locals pub. Its a great place to sit outside and people watch too !

Quirky place, went upstairs - good comfy and original sitting, and relaxed place for drinks with colleagues. Good selection of drinks.

Top place! One of the oldest pubs in the city. Located at the top end of the pedestrian precinct on Lincoln's High Street. Excellent well looked after beers. Friendly and welcoming staff. If its busy check out the upstairs lounge for more seating.

Great pub ,great drink selection. Interesting building

I love popping into The Cardinals Hat whenever I have an overseas visitor! Their gin collection is impressive (not quite as large as mine) as is their choice of draught beers! 👍 Bust best of all is their sharing platter - well worth it!

This place is full of cheese and cold meat boards. A great selection of Spanish and Italian cheeses and cold cuts, but beware, apart from the boards, they don't serve anything else to eat. Plus a great atmosphere and a good selection of wines. They also serve lagers and always have some chanterelles with ale.

I would love to say what a great bar, but after I was told too much larger and the door man rubbed belly, I can only give it 1 star . I did think the doormen were mot aloud to touch you, and whether I had a drink or not, I have a belly it is an insult for him to say too much larger and touch me

Lovely pub and food. Disappointed with the value of the platter for £29

We called here on my daughter’s birthday, when she fancied a drink and some casual lunchtime dining, and this was definitely the right choice. The sharing meat and cheese platter was delicious. A really enjoyable experience, made more so by the friendly banter and efficient service of Bailey behind the bar. A real asset to the team. Would definitely recommend. We’ll be back again soon.

Nice, popular bar at the top of lincoln high street, friendly staff.

Nice lively place with great Ales .

Decent venue, good mix of drinks, marred by dismissive and uninterested staff. Our large party was made to feel unwelcome, so we left after just 1 drink.

Really nice place and good food. Friendly service. In a historic pub, beautiful building, lovely atmosphere, very good beer. Centrally in Lincoln.

Great place to stop before the hill

Superb pub, great selection of ales, great bar staff, proper old pub vibes

Love the CH. The charcuterie boards are a must have ☺️

Superb pub great selection of beers

Great pub, chilled out atmosphere with great beers.

Really well present pub, with a great choice of drinks. Somewhat limited on the food, however I think it adds to the charm of the place. The meat platter board that we had was excellent.

Fantastic selection of beers with knowledgeable staff. Good atmosphere too.

Great choice of beers 🍻 on draught and keg. Good can and bottle selection. Wide gin range. We didn't eat or see food on our visit as we popped in for 1 drink

Back to my home town wouldn't be complete without visit to the best pub in Lincoln

Best pub on Lincoln Great selection of ales.

More of a stop off than an end point but enough beers on cask and keg that'll see you sticking around for more than one round.

We didn't eat just had some drinks and talked. The atmosphere was really nice and it's a nice looking pub inside.

Real nice place to grab a drink. Looking forward to going back.

Always a good night out, can recommend upstairs if you like a comfy sofa. Good to come in as a large group or just a couple. Haven’t tried the food but the sharer plates look good

Went in here for an early evening drink with my partner after a wander around Lincoln. I was sat in the small room downstairs having quite a nice ale, and i took off my shoes as my feet were a bit sore. All was OK until the bouncer got on a power trip and said I had to put my shoes on. Totally unnecessary, there was no one else in the room. I did explain, but I think he just wanted to feel important. We actually thought it was really funny it was that ridiculous, but I would not go back because of it. We found another place which was far more friendly and also valued its customers.

Good atmosphere and if you're a real ale drinker then you are well catered for . I tried the Camden lager which didn't taste all that so went on staropalmer lager ,which was much better.

Lovely atmosphere and very friendly staff. So welcoming and somewhere I could spend the whole evening

Loads of single malt whiskeys at a good price

A good pub with good ale in a good location, spoiled by the pong of cheap plug-in air fresheners which only serve to taint the taste of your beer.. Why?

Cracking interior. Really sympathetically updated. Great selection of beers and really good staff.

I found the 4 men stood at the bar especially one really offensive at about 5 o'clock this evening, the language was absolutely appalling being used by him I'm a 64 year old lady and I don't think the f word and the c word is appropriate, they are obviously locals and bring you alot of money in ,I'm just so pleased I didn't have my grandchildren with me .Sorry it really made me feel uncomfortable.

The bar staff are really friendly helpful and attentive could not ask for better, however in two experiences of the door staff are exceptionally rude and definitely will not attend recommend nor frequent again. If you wish to have a more enjoyable evening that is not soured then I would recommend 200 yards more on the right bar staff not as friendly but busy door staff helpful and respectful.

Lovely pub, shame not dog friendly

I never ordered any food, but the atmosphere is great and the beer options are very good. Move place.

Best pub in Lincoln. Gorgeous historic building with two levels of seating. Service is always quick, even though it can get quite busy. Huge selection of beers and ciders, including many rotating guests, although house larger and house cider both fantastic.

Decent choice of beer Cracking little pub Sit in the hidden room watching the world go buy

Nice comfortable city centre pub. Really warm amd welcoming. Will return for sure.

Lovely pleasant staff. The pub has a nice ambience. Perfect clean pint. Shall return here when am next in Lincoln. All in all, a perfect experience.

Pub kicked me out because apparently my seat "smelled of weed" I offered to move and go to another seat, however the manager kept repeating "I refuse to serve you" I have never smoked a weed in my life and yet get kicked out fot such reasons.

Lovely cosy pub with good range of drinks and nice atmosphere. Can't comment on food as I have never eaten here.

good atmosphere n pub however the man was kind of rude at the bar need more charisma next time

An absolutely fantastic range of ales, beers and stouts to choose from. By far the best place in the city of you like drinking the non commercialised nonsense every other place seems to churn out. The atmosphere is really friendly here too and the staff are great.

Great selection of beers and wine, good amount of seating both downstairs and upstairs. Service is always friendly as are the fellow clientele.

As you all know i like my beer and believe me this is the place to go for the best pint in Lincoln, I had @brewyorkbeer fairy tale of brew York and without any shadow of a doubt was was the best pint i had this year, simply stunning. Also the range of hand pumps was massive, about 11 and a further 4 simply for cider, then a huge amount for keg beers and lagers. This is a beer drinkers paradise.

Definitely a spot worth going for food and drink when visiting Lincoln. Lovely atmosphere, friendly staff, great range of local craft beers and ciders. Food is very nice too. Would recommend trying some of their meat and cheese platters.

Lovely pint, great atmosphere and attentive bar staff. I'll definitely be adding this to my list of regular places to enjoy a beer or two.

Great to find a cosy quiet corner and watch the world go by, with some great guest ales.

Lovely pub. Such a great choice of real ales, stouts and beers, gins to mention but a few. Comfortable seating area, cosy. Best I've found in Lincoln.

Very nice atmosphere, food and drink. Zoê was very helpful providing snack advice (but probably shouldn't be allowed to pick the music 😉).

Popped in for a few pints before going on else where. The drinks were good and the service was good too.

Great cosy traditional pub ideal for a chat with friends. Friendly, cheerful staff & great selection of drinks

Called in here for a beer, probably the best kept pint we had in Lincoln during our visit. Good to have sit down and people watch.

Very good selection of ales on draft.

A fabulous pub/Bar great range of drinks, good service and great atmosphere

Pub in a central street in Lincoln, good service and good beers.

This is our favorite pub in Lincoln

Always a wonderful time, the staff are welcoming and helpful, we book the room at the top out once a year for Steampunk and the staff are always very kind and accommodating for us. Drinks are a touch on the pricy side but worth it for the great selection. I've tried the food a few times in the past great if you love cheese and meat!

Historic pub where it is pleasant to be, very competent and friendly staff.

Great beer, food and staff. Been many times. Thank you.

Great pub. Great atmosphere. Always busy. Also a great selection of beers and ales.

great atmosphere and nice playlist!!

Very nice place with unusual selection of beers. Which some were good and others not ..... friendly service and good vibe in an historic building.

Steeped in charm and history, The Cardinal's Hat Pub is a Lincoln institution, having first opened its doors in the 13th century. We visited this venerable pub on a bank holiday Monday during a local festival. Expecting crowds, we stopped in for lunch and were pleased to find a comfortably bustling atmosphere. The pub exudes cozy, old-world ambiance with its dark wood beams, stone walls, and bowed ceilings. We grabbed pints of their hand-pulled local ales and IPAs at the quick and friendly bar. Settling into a table, we relaxed over our drinks while taking in the pub's character. A lone blues guitarist strummed soulful tunes, complementing the warm vibe. Patrons swayed along as they ate lunch. While we didn't dine this visit, the novel newspaper-shaped menu was stacked with classic British pub fare that looked generously portioned and appetizing. Upstairs, the Cocktail Bar would be an ideal perch for evening revelry. But even during our lower-key lunch, The Cardinal's Hat maintained its quintessential old pub charm. History seeps from every corner of this centuries-old public house, making it a must-visit for great beer and cozy atmosphere steeped in Lincoln tradition.

Good!Read Excellent probably the best pub in Lincoln

Great place,very friendly. Food Great,we go regularly. Lots of good wines and beers.

Classicone tra i classiconi, storico pub nel cuore della stupenda High Street, sempre piuttosto pieno di gente (almeno in estate) e quindi con un clima nella sala principale abbastanza caotico. Buona selezione di birre locali e non, con anche la possibilità di bere la birra propria del locale (Cardinal's Ale). La zona "letteraria" è davvero bellissima, ci sono delle librerie in cui trovare qualcosa da leggere, magari nello stanzino adiacente, un po' troppo piccolina ma che mantiene intatto l'arredamento, lo stile, insomma l'atmosfera generale, di qualche secolo fa. Davvero un bel posto, con un servizio a banco notevole e una clientela caratteristica del luogo che si presta ad un'ottima compagnia. Noi ci abbiamo trovato persino una coppia che si era appena sposata e si era fermata per un brindisi, ma suppongo sia un'eccezione anche se, per confermare la regola di cui sopra, la sposa è venuta al nostro tavolo a raccontarci delle nozze, del viaggio e, insomma, a scambiare due parole di cortesia. Atmosfera top, birre buone, nel cuore di una cittadina meravigliosa.

I'm a CAMRA award winning publican. I tried 3 cask ales and all 3 were exceptional. Well done, guys

Lovely well kept pub. Great staff. Good range of drinks to choose from. Dog friendly outside. Beer choice on Duart interesting and better than run of the mill.

Joined a couple of friends for a few beers. Great service, good beer, great staff

A little quirky with a good atmosphere. The staff were really nice.

Very impressed with the sympathetic renovations. Knowledgeable, friendly staff. Husband reports that the beer is well kept, great choices at reasonable prices. Definitely worth a visit if your in Lincoln.

Amazed at how old the pub was... oh and great beer!

Found a new addition to my list of ciders worth drinking so great place in my books!

We had an amazing time here last night, a group of around ten of us. Found ourselves some seats and it was nice to be able to talk to each other, drinks were fantastic, the staff were amazing. The woman in this photo was especially fun and a really good asset to the venue, thank you for making it so much fun. I hope the secret office cheese was tasty!

We visited for a drink on a Sunday evening for a few hours. We liked that the drinks/food menu which was on each table. There was a big variety of different ciders / vodka / rum /tequila etc. They rotate guest ciders and beers. We enjoyed lily's mango cider. It was a good spot to sit, have a drink and relax. Bar staff friendly. Toilets OK.

Big pub at bottom of steep hill. A long way back up.

Amazing place with the best sharing platters. Staff are very knowledgeable.

Very good pub, probably the best one in Lincoln. Cardinal bitter and cider very nice. Great history and character that drives the atmosphere. Staff friendly and efficient. Nice location near Steep Hill. Recommended.

What a pub. The beer was great a massive choice. The prosecco was fresh. Seating inside and out was great for people watching. Staff were super friendly.

A good place to have beers, the waitresses are adorable and very helpful. A highly recommended place to go. We will be back!!!