Lincoln's restaurant scene clusters in two places: along Steep Hill and around the cathedral square on the Uphill side, and around Brayford Pool downhill by the river. Steep Hill leans toward smaller, longer-established places — pies, bistros, tea rooms; Brayford Pool leans toward larger chain and gastro options with outdoor seating in summer.
Local specialities worth seeking out: Lincolnshire pork pies (smaller, peppery, no jelly, often eaten as a snack rather than a meal), Lincolnshire sausages (coarse, sage-heavy, distinctively flavoured), the locally smoked Grimsby haddock, and Plum bread (a sweet enriched fruit bread, eaten with Lincolnshire Poacher cheese). The county is also one of the major English asparagus and strawberry producers; both are worth ordering in their seasons.