The Pessimist Gin and Wine Bar in Lincoln

Great food and service, amazing wine selection. Highly recommend

Had a quick drink. Wish I had longer to spend there. I will definitely go back!! Hidden away but popular

Absolutely amazing The host went above and beyond For us. So much so, nearly bought my friend to tears, great place, great drinks, awesome staff

Everyone was so welcoming and so knowledgeable about their drinks menu. Would love to go back the next time we're in Lincoln.

Wow what a find , great food ( had a share platter) great wine , great atmosphere and really good friendly staff . If you go to Lincoln find this place you won't be disappointed...

Excellent food, great choice of drinks, and lovely staff... oh, and a fun quiz night. We will be back.

Went yesterday for a wedding reception. Staff were amazing and very attentive. Lovely ambience and decor. Food was attractively set out and tasty. We’d definitely go again

A really lovely little place I did not expect to find, it's kind of tucked out of the way but well worth a visit. There's a small courtyard with seating, and further seating inside. The bar itself is wonderful, the wood looks really old and the whole place just has such a nice atmosphere. There was no blaring music which made a refreshing change to all the other venues I walked past in Lincoln. There was music, don't get me wrong, but it was at a low volume so you could actually hold a conversation. The bar has a wide selection of wines, gins, rum, etc. It has a very good selection of gin as the name suggests, which is what I went in for! The staff were lovely and friendly, very welcoming and accommodating. They let my partner sniff a few of the gin bottles as he was after a very piney one, which we did find. All in all a gem of a place. Glad I visited and I am looking forward to my next visit. Do recommend!

Warm welcome, live music, great food

The Pessimist is a brilliantly little known gem in Lincoln, with an air of much needed sophistication in the city centre. Tucked away, you'd barely notice it's existence, and it relies heavily on its reputation and word of mouth for its custom, which is delivered in a wholly welcoming and personal, manner. The bar and seating areas are comfortable and encouraging of friendly engagement with friends, new and old, many of which you'll make here. The Pessimist promotes old-fashioned talking! The selection of drinks and food is significant. There's little room for a cheap swig of cheap grog you'd easily find in the local supermarket. There are a few usual tipples and many exotic liquors, all guided by the knowledgeable and motivated staff, who will assist you navigating your way through their comprehensive menu with tasting notes, including a refreshingly original alcohol-free cocktail selection. The food is worth it. There are platters of continental-inspired meats and cheeses, or you can book in for a tasting menu to accompany your journey through their extensive wine list. Visit the Pessimist at your peril. You won't be able to resist going again and again...

What an amazing place, excellent atmosphere, excellent service from knowledgeable and friendly staff. A truly great venue

Lovely hidden place. Great atmosphere to sit and have a drink and chat with a friend. They don't really do food more nibbles and snacks. Been a few times to have a few gins of which they have an immense collection. Also been to one of their craft evenings, which was also lovely £20 to decorate a wine glass, which included everything we needed and a bottle of wine.

Lovely find on a wet and windy day. Nice atmosphere, friendly owners and good 0% alcohol spirit selection.

Great service, lovely staff, super evening.

Love, love, love it here!! The service (esp. the knowledge) is second to none. Everything about your experience in this venue is worth both your time and money. Pure quality. Highly recommended. Thank you!

Can't get enough of this place Jo and Paul are an absolute credit to their trade. Fantastic wines accompanied with amazing cheese platters. Must visit place if in Lincoln, strongly recommend for a nice welcoming warm atmosphere.

Absolutely fabulous 👌. What a lovely place for a quiet drink with friends 🧡

There is only 1 word for this place: “gorgeous”. I like the food. Me and my friend tried their Christmas menu. Totally worth it. Highly recommend trying their desserts since me and my friend fell in love with them 🥰 If you don't know what to choose, people there will help you out. I had my amazing glass of rosé thanks to the choice of a very welcoming lady. My friend was a little bit confused about the level of alcohol in the dessert, and the chef totally eased her mind. It was a pouring evening when I was there, but inside was so peaceful and warm. Love that vibe!

Paul, Jo and all the staff are he Pessimist are fabulous, as is the food and the atmosphere. Wether it's as a singleton or a group of 40 people, the food is served quickly and always piping hot. Great hosts, great service, great range of alcohol and a great night out!

One of the best bars in lincoln

Brilliant gem music exceptional

My favourite bar in Lincoln. Always an amazing atmosphere and the staff are so friendly. The food is fresh and home-cooked, and there's a really impressive range of wines, gins, and rums.

This is a gem of a place . Can't compliment enough. Owners wonderful and happy to care for their customers. Service and food fantastic. Can recommend.

Amazing selection of wines and the owners are so passionate and knowledgeable. We will be back!

Very passionate and knowledgeable owner, amazing wine bar

Only a short visit due to a date meal arrangement, but well welcomed and friendly establishment. We will visit again soon!

Beautiful place to spend time with your friends. We went there with my friends, we had some drinks, water was free and it was amazing. Drinks were good as well as beer. Owners are superb and kind. Staff is very nice as well.

Fantastic evening great hosts highly recommended.

Called into this little Gem for a quick wine and ended up staying all night 🙌 very classy place with such lovely hard working owners ! Would highly recommend 👌

The perfect place to unwind over a bottle or 2 😀😀

fantastic choice of gins and wines equally fantastic staff working alongside Paul and Jo

A hidden gem, my first visit but will be back

Spent a great few hours here. Great wine and Gin menu and lovely owners. We’ll definitely be back

An amazing experience with a wealth of knowledge, an attention to detail, and the warmest and freindliest of atmosphere, service and welcomes.

The drinks are amazing, great service, just a couple of things that didn't quite make it a 5 star review, it was really cold and the chorizo on the meat selection was sparce for the price and poor value but I would still recommend it

Really nice atmosphere and the staff are lovely.

Nice bar, good service, great name!

Dropped in for a gin with friends of the back of a recommendation. Straight away I liked it, as the owner gave us a warm welcome. Table service which is unusual for Lincoln, and a great atmosphere. Fantastic long list of gin, rum and wine, the owners know their drinks and had some great recommendations. Two rounds of gin’s, one round of rum and a bottle of champagne later, it was time to leave, but will return very soon.

Very relaxed Atmosphere Extensive selection of Gins Definitely worth a visit

Lovely bar. Staff were lovely couldn’t be more accommodating. we went for a birthday and they went above and beyond. Couldn’t recommend them enough!!

We loved this cosy friendly bar . Friendly staff and owners. A place we will be visiting again soon.

It's Gin heaven!! Delicious food and mouth watering Gins. The gin choice is amazing, they are absolutely delicious and garnished with fresh fruit to enhance the flavours. The atmosphere of the place is very cosy and extremely welcoming. Will definitely be returning on a regular basis. Thank you Jo and Paul for your lovely hospitality.

The hosts made this a memorable evening, the service was excellent and their recommendations were gratefully received.

Third visit here Saturday evening, we were lucky to get table - its popular venue now, so best to book ahead. Has truly fantastic wine list and amazing gin menu. The best Fever tree products to go with the gin. If having a good dinner, there's excellent range of ports to try. They have regular speciality food/ drink evenings planned for the autumn evenings, reasonably priced night out. Has a very upmarket feel, good location between High Street and Brayford. Hosts are very friendly, knowledgeable and steer you into good choices. Staff are friendly and helpful and bar, tables, toilets are spotless

Fantastic little hidden gem! amazing gins..huge choice!.will be back!

What a lovely environment to enjoy a gin from their vast menu. Not to mention the great service from the owners and staff! Highly recommend 🥰

What a gem. Seek it out( not easy to find) worth the effort x 10. Knowledgeable. Amazing selection. Classy.

A fantastic birthday meal and had an amazing selection of everything, from wines to rums, the hosts and staff were amazing, hidden away, simply amazing will be returning :)

Thank-you for a great night out and for looking after Mrs G after her tumble. Many thanks The whiskey man.

Wonderful place, exquisite service

Fantastic hidden gem with people who know their stuff, highly recommended

Lovely place, friendly and good service... Can't ask for more

Just attended the gin tasting event 10/10 would recommend. Hosts were great, drinks were superb - will certainly be returning in the future!

Excellent food and wine, great hosts

Friendly, good selection of drinks

A lovely find, a cosy bar tucked away in a back street. Excellent and friendly service. Lovely and unusual tapas. Mind blowing choice of gin and wines.

An excellent place with a fantastic ambiance, superb hosting and great food. Very knowledgeable and friendly staff, awesome for a good night and a chilled evening. Thank you for looking after us.

Grat variety of gins and rums, delicious food and excellent service. Very friendly staff 🙂

This is a great bar with an excellent menu that details the choice of various spirits and wines on offer and that are accompanied by which mixer is recommended for each. Nice ambience with staff that are a true credit to the establishment.

Great food and good wine first class

Fantastic place. I will be back!

Excellent. Food lovely, service brilliant.

Spent a rainy Saturday afternoon cosied up with a sharing platter and a bottle of red, can't think of anything better. Food, wine and hospitality couldn't be faulted.

Excellent selection of rums, we were made to feel welcome and all the staff are friendly.

Great selection of wine, gin and rum. Helpful, friendly staff with a calm relaxing ambience. Highly recommended.

Great choice of gins.nice friendly staff.

First time there. Friendly and professional staff. Plenty of choice. Really enjoyed our time there.

A must visit, came for a weekend away with a friend and the atmosphere was lovely, the staff are so kind and chatty and friendly. I'll be here Everytime I'm in Lincoln

Such a great venue with good drinks and food on offer too.

Great ambience and atmosphere! The hosts and staff very welcoming and the gins are out of this world!

Definitely a hidden gem of Lincoln, beside the wines, cocktail and of course gin! The best aspect would be (in my option) the above and beyond service I received from the staff - always polite and had the best advice for wines to drink. Apart that the interior layout creates a lovely/intimate setting, great for dates, group meals and catch-up.

Great food, great wine. An amazing evening

Favourite lunch during our stay Great service food and wine selection Dont hesitate!

Lovely place, great knowledge of their drinks and relaxing atmosphere

Excellent place and excellent service and definitely we’ll be back. Had to book due to COVID but felt very safe being our first time out in absolutely ages. Thank you

So lovely for our first date out in a while since all this covid stuff. Fantastic food platter and tasty rum 😋 had a great time

Always a pleasure to visit. Not only is this a pleasant place to be with friendly staff, they actually know what they are talking about when it comes to gin! This is particularly good if you have a mate who isn't overly fussed by gin as they will find their new favourite drink here. Foods good too.

Had a fantastic afternoon with great food and drinks. The hosts Paul and Jo made a catch up with friends very special THANKS!

Beautiful drinks, lovely staff, good prices too 👌

What an amazing place. Great hosts . Thank you for my sample of your best rum .a little gem of a place

Lovely space, very chic. Lovely staff, interesting tasty food. Huge and interesting variety of drinks. Top notch (:

Excellent service and a great place to relax.

Friendly staff and super service. Very keen to convince a reluctant gin drinker.

Excellent food and an incredible gin list!

If you love gin then this little gem is for you. Hidden away off the high Street this little bar offers a wide range of gin, wine and rum at great prices

Great service, lovely staff with sparkle and charm. Comforting food and every type of gin you could wish for. Would definitely recommend that you try it.

Huge selection of gins. Really friendly and knowledgeable staff. Cant wait to go back!

Excellent venue, run carefully by the whole team. Food top notch. Will be returning very soon to enjoy the vibe with Jo & Paul as the host's.

There is an amazing selection of Gins and Wine to pick from. The menu has some yummy treats from platters for yourself or ones to share. They also have starters, mains and desserts to pick from if the platters don't suit you. The whole evening was enjoyable, the staff friendly and welcoming ☺️ Looking forward to going back again

Had a fantastic couple of hours there on Saturday. Service was extremely good and nothing was too much. Drinks were brilliant and some amazing cheese! Every member of staff who we spoke were very welcoming. Thank you. We will definitely be coming back for a revisit!

Great atmosphere, choice and service. Will definitely be going back here!

Lovely, intimate bar, amazing wines, very personalised service.

Great little bar, friendly owners, had an enjoyable evening with their pairing menu experience. Would definitely go again

Fantastic places very welcoming and helpful. Will definitely be back soon.

Out the way and staff was all you could ask for ,

Friendly welcome, great service, great choice of Gins.

Great selection, friendly and knowledgeable staff

Amazing selection of gin and other drinks with welcoming and friendly staff. Will definitely be returning.

We visited for the first time and found the venue to be lovely, fantastic choice of gins but sadly it was let down by over priced food and one very rude member of staff. Had it not been for the apology through her gritted teeth we very nearly walked out and took our money elsewhere. I will not be visiting again

Best Gin experience in town! Come in and leave it to Paul...he will find the Gin you didn't know you loved! The Pessimist was recommended to us by a friend because we wanted to taste Gin for the first time. Paul, the owner of the Pessimist is THE BAR MAN par excellence. The welcome is very warm and his in-depth knowledge of the various types of Gin is impressive. It's impossible to choose from the over 300 types of Gin so let PAUL advise you for the best tasting experience.