Stokes have been roasting coffee in Lincoln since 1902 — their main roastery is still in the city — and the High Bridge Café, in the 16th-century half-timbered house perched directly on Lincoln's medieval bridge over the Witham, has been the company's flagship since the 1930s. The dining rooms are spread across two creaking upper floors; the windows look directly down into the river and across to the medieval guildhall.
The coffee is roasted in Lincoln; the cakes are made on site (the Lincolnshire plum bread with butter and Poacher cheese is the standard order). It is the most atmospheric café in the city and reliably busy at lunchtime. Open from morning until late afternoon.