Sam Aberman
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.
Vickie Hamilton-Barr
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.
Mel Marsh
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!
Miroslava Todorova
Great atmosphere in the oldest pub at Lincoln! Lots of space especially on the upper floor. Interesting menu in the shape of newspaper 😄 Fast service at the bar although it was quite busy. Friendly and welcoming!
Mat Read
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!
Guy Harmer
I'm a CAMRA award winning publican. I tried 3 cask ales and all 3 were exceptional. Well done, guys
Brendan Mc
Great old pub with lots of history. Friendly staff and good range of real ale at reasonable prices.
Daniel McGwinn
Old pub with modern beer from a variety of craft breweries, a great combination. A clear chalkboard menu next the bar clearly displaying the current cask and keg options. Food options sounded nice for sharing but I didn't try any on this visit.
Carl Davies
Large and historic pub located at the bottom of Steep Hill. Decent size with plenty of space but I can imagine it gets pretty busy at peak times. Large selection of pump and tap beers so something for everyone. Clean and tidy, recommended.
Paul B
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.
Tom Devereux
Before moving to Lincoln in February I never knew, The Cardinals Hat existed. Until recent months upon walking past whilst out on walks through Lincoln fine areas. Happened to pay a visit last Thursday, What a lovely place it is, Great Staff of whom are very friendly and whereas in mainstream pubs and bars you have your 'mainstream' beers etc, The Cardinals Hat have not and well what can I say about these guys, What a selection they have, great selection or real ale, Great Lager and Cider that you wouldn't find anywhere else in Lincolnshire. Great place with a great atmosphere for a few well earnt decent pints. Think I have now located my new favourite drinking hole in Lincoln.
Chloe Shannon Brookes
Came here last night with my other half to order a cheese and meats board. We weren't disappointed. We chose the Cardinal platter and was greeted with a fantastic selection of really high quality food, certainly worth the money. Also the lovely Yorkshire gent behind the bar was very helpful with my boyfriend, helping him to choose a beer and having a chat with us.
Great food, great service. I'm not one to leave reviews but they deserved it!
Richard Bacon
Been to this place twice and the staff are friendly, polite and nothing is too much trouble for them. They have some of the best ales I've ever tasted. My favourite is the comfortably numb. Would recommend this place to any of my friends.
Jonathan Casey
Stopped in for a drink and ended up having a sharing platter. Couldn't recommend this place more! Service was great too.
Joanne Gilbert
Had a lovely afternoon, staff were friendly and knowledgeable when asking about gin. Such a pleasaent place to sit and watch the world go by. Will visit again.
Eira James
Beautiful pub with a great atmosphere. The drinks on offer are top notch too. Menu is a nice little feature as it gives you an insight into what you’re drinking but alternatively you could just kick back and enjoy the experience.
Mark Chambers
Fantastic pub with a great selection of beers brewed locally and from around the world. Coupled with the great tapas/pincho styled food and warm and welcoming bar staff, this is a great watering hole. Proud to call it our local!
Tracy Redhead
Lovely pub, friendly staff and great sharing platter. Would definitely go again
Matthew Hinds
Superb bar with an excellent supply of craft and real ales, numerous gins, rums and whiskeys all served by very knowledgeable and friendly staff in a great venue. The best bar in Lincoln. I didn't eat here but the food that passed by look great too!
Glen Warburton
Superlative choice of beer from all over the world. Food choice limited - but sometimes all you want is a big plate of quality meat, cheese, bread and olives. Very friendly people who run the place. Will be back!
Liz Desforges-Brennan
If you like you're real ales this is the place for you I like the porters and milk stouts and have tried the ciders they also offer a wide range of tapas and if your lucky as we were the Italian cake shop opposite was giving free cake samples away
Daz Billard
Good staff. Well kept beer. Coul ila whisky. The only pub I've found in England so far with it. Awesome.
Iris Shreeve
Great place we allways make a point of going into the cardinal's hat 🎩 lovley staff and the platters are great will be in again in a few week
Joanne Bastiani
Fantastic little pub, their sharing platters are amazing and an absolute must!! Great atmosphere and staff very friendly and welcoming
Melanie Watts
We visit Lincoln often as we live in Derbyshire and it's not far away. We found a gem (or so we thought). This place is where we always head for as it's surroundings/beer/wine are a pleasure.
This visit was such a disappointment. I went to order a food sharing platter from the bar and I explained that I had a mustard allergy and please can they check if any of the items contained mustard.
What a perpormance! A guy ( with a beard) seen him there a lot maybe the owner/manager couldn't have been more patronising if he tried. I know myself from been an allergy sufferer & also owning my own restaurant the requirements by law about allergens. They could not provide this, even the girl from the kitchen said 'all the ingredients are in Italian so I don't know..
Basically I decided not to risk it, pointing out that by law they should be able to provide this information(in the nicest way).
I was then pounced on by I think a local who said 'I'm a lawyer & they don't have to provide that info!' Actually mate if you check you will find mustard in the 12 allergens that are a requirement by law to provide.
If I eat mustard I could potentially die, it's not just a case of not liking it..
Check with the food standards agency for all the information on allergies as I think you seriously need it.
Sad to say I don't be back. �
Dymphna Medlock
Quirky pub. Lots of interesting rooms. Knowledgeable staff with great range of drinks.
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