A visit to Lincoln was to be a first for us. We travel extensively, around the UK and abroad, but this was to be our first visit to this beautiful historic cathedral city, and as we were to find out – it certainly won’t be our last.
For any new destination, we always do our research to get a feel for what there is to see and do, and of course, the best places to stay. However, no amount of research could prepare us for this wonderful city, and The White Hart Hotel which was to be the perfect base for our Lincoln adventure – in so many ways.
Here is everything you need to know.
The White Hart Hotel
Located in the oldest part of Lincoln, the White Hart Hotel is situated between the 900-year-old Norman Castle, built in 1068 by William the Conqueror, and Lincoln’s Medieval Cathedral, which dates back to 1072.
Have I got your interest yet? It gets better…
The hotel stands on Bailgate, an ancient, cobbled street that now showcases a range of independent retailers, restaurants, bars and cafes, having been at the heart of Uphill Lincoln since the 14th Century, and if like us you adore history, historic towns and cities and love getting under the skin of the past, this is definitely the place for you.
Top Tip: Take comfortable walking shoes, you will certainly get your steps in, and you need to be prepared for some very steep streets!
The Welcome
The team at The White Hart Hotel excel at hospitality. Everyone we met was smiling, and genuinely friendly and helpful. It was an absolute pleasure to stay somewhere that from check in to check out was faultless. We were super impressed and if they could bottle that magic and sell it, actually scrap that – let’s keep the magic in Lincoln.
There are 49 luxurious bedrooms, from Classic Rooms that are spacious, thoughtfully designed, and ideal for business or a leisurely break, to Suites that have welcomed major celebrities.
Each room blends timeless elegance with modern comforts. Tasteful décor, soft furnishings, and contemporary touches that create a relaxing space, with some rooms also offering wonderful views of Lincoln’s Cathedral, making your stay even more special.
Deluxe Rooms offer spacious interiors, a sumptuous king-size bed, a mini-fridge and a coffee machine with pods, plus a bluetooth sound system. Some also have lovely views over the charming Bailgate area.
Top Tip: There are also Deluxe Accessible Rooms available.
For celebrations, or a more luxurious experience, Superior Rooms are spacious, elegant, and perfect to make your stay all the more memorable. Each Superior Room oozes luxury and class, with a king-size bed to match. They come equipped with wine and gin glasses, and also throw in beautiful views of historic Bailgate.
Our own room was one of the Superior Rooms, which was perfect for us, with space to work, a dining table and chairs, a very large settee, and a wonderfully comfortable bed!
Top Tip: It’s all about the bed, because if you don’t get a good night’s sleep, you won’t fully enjoy exploring this amazing city.
For something extra special, there is The Brownlow Suite. This is a room designed with comfort in mind. Sink into a king-size bed, or relax in your own private sitting room after a day of exploring. A dedicated dining area makes it easy to enjoy a quiet breakfast or a cosy evening in for a truly romantic break, where from the windows, you’ll be treated to stunning views of Lincoln Cathedral.
Over the years, the suite has welcomed well-known guests including Tom Hanks, Baroness Margaret Thatcher, Omar Sharif, Ronnie Barker, and HRH Princess Anne.
Top Tip: You could add yourself to that prestigious list!
Explore all rooms here.
Let’s talk about the food, because this is worth taking about, especially if you are a foodie like us.
Depending on your appetite, you have a choice of dining experiences throughout the hotel, but we highly recommend Antlers Restaurant, which holds two AA Rosettes and is headed up by renowned chef Billy Frost – who was a TV finalist on MasterChef: The Professionals in 2012 and reached the semi-finals of the National Chef of the Year in 2021.
Our expectations were high!
We were fortunate to arrive on a Sunday to take advantage of their Sunday Lunch Set Menu. At this point, I have to say that a Sunday Roast is our favourite meal of the week, we are complete traditionalists as far as this is concerned and we judge eating out harshly, as this is a meal that can vary in quality and value for money greatly. But as I said, our expectations were high.
We were hungry, and hoping our Roast Beef with all the trimmings would hit the mark…
Wow! This was possibly the best restaurant Sunday Lunch we have eaten in probably two years. The starters of King Prawn and Crayfish Cocktail, and Wild Mushroom Fricassee on Sourdough Toast were equally superb, and set the bar high for the main event of Roast Sirloin of Beef, served with Yorkshire Pudding, roast potatoes, bone marrow gravy (I asked for the recipe), sausage meat stuffing and seasonal vegetables, with a side of Cauliflower Cheese to share.
We stifled a cheer as our plates were placed in front of us as….the beef was pink!! Not only was it pink, it cut like butter and gave a deep savoury, rich, juicy, tender mouthful that melted as if by magic, leaving all of that gorgeous flavour behind. The vegetables were cooked to perfection and the cauliflower cheese was full of luxurious creamy, cheesiness. Perfecto!
The choice of desserts gave us a dilemma. All four on offer fell firmly into our ‘favourites’ category, it was difficult to choose, but after a sensible rest period and much deliberation, we decided on Belgian Chocolate Delice – dulce de leche caramel, shortbread, caramel ice cream, and Vanilla Set Custard – forced Yorkshire rhubarb compote, shortbread. We chose well.
I hope you are drooling reading this as much as we were reading the menu! What a meal, we just couldn’t fault it. The service was also first class, whoever trains the team should be proud.
Staying at The White Hart for two nights, gave us the opportunity to also try their renowned A La Carte Menu. Following such a successful Sunday lunch, and a full day of exploring Lincoln, we were ready to do this menu justice.
We started with Dressed Hand-Picked Whitby White Crab – dill pickled cucumber, apple, radish, sea herbs, warm Lincolnshire poacher scone, and Chalk Stream Trout Gravlax – Bloody Mary puree, heritage cherry tomato salad, basil, homemade milk bread and sea salt butter.
I had the crab dish and in all honesty, if it had been a main course portion, I would have been happy to stop there. It was fresh, light, bursting with flavour, and set the bar for the main course. My husband chose the trout dish and was also very happy – until he tried mine. He agreed the crab won the competition of the starters – but only just.
For our main course, we stayed on the ‘fish theme’, we don’t eat enough fish and this menu gave us the perfect opportunity to indulge. I chose Pan Roasted Fillet of Lincolnshire Sea Bass – buttered baby spinach, warm tartare sauce, peas, crispy potato, wild garlic, panko breaded calamari. My husband chose Pan Roast Trout Fillet – sage and onion hash brown, shellfish bisque, summer courgette, dill oil.
I can speak for both dished equally here, as once again we tried each other’s for comparison, and it was difficult to choose a winner. The sea bass was delicate, with a mildly sweet flavour and a moist, buttery texture. The trout fillet had a subtle taste with tasty tender flesh, and the shellfish bisque was the perfect complement. Both were light, delicious and moreish. Realising how much we enjoyed fish, we planned a visit to the nearest fishmonger on the way home!
We knew we wouldn’t do justice to a dessert each on this occasion, so opted to share the Strawberry & White Chocolate Cheesecake – macerated strawberries, white chocolate, strawberry sorbet, basil. It was beautifully presented, utterly delicious and just enough. A great sharer.
Chef Billy Frost and team had done it again.
After eating twice in Antlers Restaurant, it is easy to see why it is so popular with non-residents. In a busy tourist city full of amazing places to eat, Antlers at The White Hart Hotel stands head and shoulders above them all.
Top Tip: Make your reservation early, this restaurant is popular.
We have to finish by mentioning the superb cooked to order breakfast menu. We are absolutely not fans of the mass buffet breakfast in large corporate hotels, a good breakfast menu doesn’t need a lot of choice, just good favourites, that are cooked and presented well. Breakfast at The White Hart will more than satisfy and set you up for a day of exploring. And the poached eggs were perfectly soft and runny.
Take it from us, Lincoln is 100% worth visiting as an underrated, postcard-worthy cathedral city packed with history and a lively local charm.
However, The White Hart Hotel is where you will make memories that last a lifetime.
Watch out for ‘What We Did in Lincoln’ – coming soon!
For more information and to check availability visit www.whitehart-lincoln.co.uk
Review and images by Angela Riches and Dave Riches
Some hotel images supplied
