Wig & Mitre

Food here is pretty darn good. They usually have a decent variety of specials. Service is quick and friendly, but they seem to be a little stingy with the ketchup.

Went for a wine tasting and followed with a dinner. Food was first rate and the service was very good.

Excellent side wine shop! Pub is huge and loads of lovely seating. Service is excellent! Food is great.

So after a disappointing visit to the Wig & Mitre last year, this visit brought it back to the standard I know and love. After looking at the menu and the specials board… I had trouble narrowing down the decision… the duck breast sounded amazing, but I went with the two course special for £12.95.
I went with the soup of the day… now when I read the board, I saw ‘Creamed Parsnip Soup’. That’s not what it actually was. Apparently the squiggle on the board was ‘Curried Parsnip Soup’. You can imagine my horror when this dark yellow liquid was placed in front of me. To make a long story short… I had a very bad experience with curry when I was a child. It involved a very spicy, extremely strong tasting, and neon looking curry and a tall glass of milk. Did I mention I’m a lactard (for those of you not current on the lingo that means lactose intolerant)??? I don’t think I need to say anymore, but just the smell of curry makes me a bit nauseous. The smell wasn’t too strong, so I decide I will take a taste of it. It was not too strong and I did make myself have a few spoonfuls. I will say that it was really salty, in fact I think that is more the reason that I stopped, rather than the curry. That’s why this visit received four stars instead of the five that the next dish earned! I had a half pint of the Winter Wellie to wash it down.
For my main, I went with the smoked haddock with poached egg, potatoes, and a wholegrain mustard sauce. This dish was wonderful!!! The smoked haddock was beautiful, the sauce with the yolk from the poached egg was creamy and delicious, and the potatoes were wonderful as well! This is, hands down, the best dish I have had at the Wig & Mitre. Everything about it was just right! Moral of the story: skip the curried parsnip soup and go straight for the smoked haddock!

What do I know about British fare? Not much. I had the opportunity to visit this pub on a business trip in December of 2011. I was very pleased with the service and the food. Of course, we may have gotten special treatment since we reserved the entire second floor. I can’t comment on the prices, since I didn’t pay for it and I don’t know what’s normal for the area.
I had the cauliflower soup as a starter, the duck for a main, finishing with the chocolate and orange mousse. The portions were just right, and the salt was on the low side, which is the way I like it. I was happy to try some of the local beers, but the selection seemed limited. Being in a large party, I had the opportunity to see most of the items offered on the menu. Every plate was presented in a simple yet chic style. I like the fact that the menu is seasonal and the food is local. I look for that in any restaurant. I’ll be living in the area in the near future for a 6 month stint and the Wig and Mitre will be on my list as a regular stop. I want to see their spring and summer offerings.

I can’t believe I have the honor of writing the 1^st Review for a place like Wig & Mitre.
Wig & Mitre, a family pub-​restaurant is really what fine British dining is all about. There are cask ales, great food, and an old English atmosphere. It is located a few minutes away from Lincoln Cathedral, but on top a street literally named «Steep Hill.» But don’t fret, the uphill battle is worth the reward.
They have an extremely hospitable and friendly staff. They are running around everywhere through the various parts of the house serving dinners, putting out cutlery, and serving bread. Yet, they are never too busy to fulfill a request. Though the a la carte menu is extremely tempting (£12−21 for a main), the set menu offers are just too good of a deal to resist. They are offered all day until 10pm. The prices are £12.75 for two courses and £15.25 for three courses. Everything on their menu is seasonal and local.
Choosing from the three course set menu, I was having the chicken livers, salmon, with a ginger cake to finish. Everything tasted so freshly home-​cooked it was like going home for dinner. I could not believe how delicious something as simple as chicken liver was – from the juicy liver to the gravy it was drizzled with. It literally melted in my mouth. I suppose I was being less adventurous by ordering the salmon, but I did not complain. It was flakey and juicy, and just a little undercooked in the middle. My ginger cake was warm and gooey, like it had just come out of the oven. The caramel sauce that topped it complimented it perfectly. I was so happily content at the end of my meal.
All those stickers and awards in their windows do not lie. I’m not sure if I’d call this a gastro-​pub, as I think it sounds a little pretentious, which W&M definitely isn’t. So let’s just say a pub with extremely good food. The food is definitely worth a day trip to Lincoln!
P. S. Don’t worry if you can’t get a reservation. There are tables for people coming and going, and those that are for reservations. All of them have the same menu.

Impressed, good service, well cooked food. Definately recomended.

Generally a nice meal — poor service as I ended up waiting ages for my desert to be cleared and an equally long time to pay my bill. I had to leave the table to do so. All diners beware of the disclaimer they have about their food. Luckily I escaped unscathed.

I always head to the Wig and Mitre when in Lincoln. It is a foodie pub (I would hesitate to tar it with the epithet ‘gastropub’). Its name gives a clue to its location, near the courts in Lincoln.
There are different menus (‘sandwich’, ‘breakfast’ etc etc.) These are all available on the website. It is perhaps notable for having the most expensive pub starter I have ever seen — Iranian Sevruga Caviar with Blinis and Crème Fraiche which will set you back a cool £68.70! Happily the rest of the food is a little more reasonable than that.

I admit it is quite a few years now since I lived in Lincoln, but when I did I visited the Wig as often as possible! It was, quite simply, an outstandingly good pub-​cum-​restaurant; the food was consistently exquisite and the beer was good too. It was a little pricey, it’s true, but then as with most things in life you get what you pay for. I have been back more then once since and it has never disappointed. The only word of advice I’d offer if you’re planning a visit is to approach the pub from the top of the Steep Hill; it’s about 80% of the way up, so if you approach it from the bottom you may struggle to get there if you’re as unfit as me!

Situated on steep hill, very touristy but excellent food and drink

The Wig and Mitre is best approached by going to Bailgate or Castle Sqare and walking down as it is almost at the top of Steep Hill. it is close to the court in the castle and therefore gets frequented by barristers and lawyers.
Tourists also like it so it can be quite crowded.
Probably best to have a beer, in the bar, in the day as a pot of tea and a bikki can rush you £6−7.
It does however have an excellent upstairs restaurant. I had one of my graduation dinners there. As well as a great range of food and wonderful breads they also printed us special little commemorative menus to keep. Lovely touch that.
Not cheap but excellent food and polite, friendly service.