Eat My Words: We review The Sycamore in Lincoln

Nestled on a corner near a popular walking route (and more importantly, for us, close to our dog groomers) is a charming little rest stop which is perfect for a brunch, a coffee or a bigger meal.

The Sycamore, in West Parade, in Lincoln, is just a few minutes down the road from our groomer and sits next to the West Common, a large open space which runs along Saxilby Road and, more often than not, has a lot of horses milling about enjoying their day.

The Common is a great spot for walking, with a dog, and is also close to the Foss Dyke (behind the Grandstand across the road) which on a good day you can follow down to the A46, and then take a short hike across a few fields to Doddington Hall and Gardens, but that’s beside the point here.

It means The Sycamore, cafe, bar and restaurant, is in a pretty good location for a stop-off. We’ve been before and had a lovely time.

So, after dropping our dog, Baxter, off at In The Dog House (somewhere he did not want to be and tried to escape as we handed him over), we toddled down to take a load off.

The venue itself was really busy when we arrived at about 1pm on a Saturday, with the only couple of tables with empty seats visible having not yet had a chance to be cleaned - not that that was a bother, we were guided to one such table which was quickly cleared.

We sat to the back, my SO (significant other) on a wooden bench facing into the cafe and me taking the chair facing them, with my back to everyone else.

Drinks were a Victoria Malaga for my partner and a latte for myself. I tried the beer and it had a nice sweet taste. My latte was, well it was a latte - a caffeinated boost after a busy morning.

The drinks menu proudly boasted that the cafe was a “proud supporter” of local producers, listing several such companies.

Despite it being after lunch, we were handed a breakfast menu with the waitress telling us she couldn’t find the main ones at the moment.

We were slightly confused when the menu said breakfast was only served until 11.30am and, having checked the online versions of the menu, I was fully-prepared to order The Sycamore Breakfast (a £12.90 all day option for those of us who wanted brunch).

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However, when our friendly waitress returned it transpired that we could still have the breakfast, so in went the order for Eggs Benedict for myself and a New Yorker Toasted Sandwich of the Day for the other half.

The inside of the first room of the cafe is a rustic, boho theme with a peach colour scheme, with lots of painted or exposed wood, alongside greenery as well as exposed bulbs hanging from wooden brackets.

Posters with orange, red and yellow patterns hung on the wall, along with one I’m possibly going to order myself which was a lovely image of spaghetti.

The only out-of-place decoration seemed to be a Happy Birthday banner hanging from the ceiling - we assumed from a recent event.

A hand-crafted sign on the wall next to us read “West End Vibes since 2023” and a nearby certificate proudly announced that the venue had received the Taste of Excellence Gold Citation for Best Newcomer that same year.

The atmosphere was busy, but not too loud - which is good for someone who has one ear not working like me. I could still hear the other half of the conversation (mostly).

I nipped to the loo while we were waiting to find it decorated with a lovely floral theme and a small sign telling the user to “Get Off Instagram” - I wondered if this was aimed directly at me or was a strict warning to the staff who worked there.

When I returned to the table, we both noted, rather worriedly, that we’d probably be cutting it fine in terms of getting back to the groomers and that we might have to gulp our food down when it arrived.

This wasn’t the fault of the cafe but more our poor planning on how long such a busy venue might take with a post-lunch rush and how short our time was before the dog had had his hair cut.

When the Eggs Benedict arrived they were on a plate that looked much too large, and made the meal look quite small.

However the meal itself was delicious.

The sauce was lovely and creamy and the eggs themselves were perfectly cooked with a runny yellow centre. The ham was just a lovely slice of meat to add to it.

I was just left wishing there was more on my plate as it went down far too fast for £12.

My partner told me his £12.50 sandwich of the day was “bloody lovely” - though he wished he had time to savour it a bit more (again this was on us, not the restaurant).

In fact, when I asked him initially he just went: ”Mmmmmmmmmmm.”

The bread was quite sweet, which was nice, and it was buttery and rich due to being pan-toasted.

The ratio of cheese to meat, which was also “delicious”, was just right and the cheese was very melted to perfection.

Chips were chips. They were crispy and the garnish of the rocket was mainly left (greens? eugh!).

It wasn’t long, however, before we got a text from the groom: “Ready xx”. So we finished off what was left, downed our drinks and paid and left.

And we can’t wait to go back next time - maybe next time at a quieter time though, or perhaps just for a coffee.

Out of five:

Food: Tasty and cooked to perfection. I was definitely left wanting more on my plate. *****

Drink: Drinks were nice, menu looked like it had some really good options ****

Decor: Despite being busy, the cafe looked clean and inviting. I love the boho look and colour scheme. I’m definitely getting that poster at some point, if I can find it. *****

Staff: Friendly, guiding and even advised my other half into making their choice. *****

Price: Not too bad considering the taste, though the massive plate that came with the eggs benedict made the meal feel particularly small. Pricey but worth the money. *****

Have you had a great meal? Share your own Eat My Words reviews or tell us where to try by emailing: news@lincsonline.co.uk