Lunch at Café 44

mushroom soup

carrot cake

Lunch at Café 44. Great for tea and coffee and cakes, but not for lunch, though the fresh mushroom soup was excellent.

For starters fresh mushroom soup, served with a few slices of bread. Very dark, I did wonder had the mushrooms been grilled first, plenty of mushrooms. I should have asked.

Unless you have a breakfast, nothing really for a main course, snacks and sandwiches. I tried roast pork in bap. Nice piece of pork.

Followed by tea and carrot cake. Carrot cake was good, but not as good as carrot cake from Café Mila in Godalming, but then would be hard pushed to find carrot cake that good, and Godalming a long way away.

Spoilt for choice for cakes in Café 44. These they source from Greenhouse coffee shop on Burton Road up past Lincoln Castle.

The only other place in Lincoln for cakes of this quality, apart from that is Greenhouse coffee shop, would be Stokes on High Bridge.

Café 44 is misleading. From the outside it looks small, but inside it extends a long way back, though very narrow, and there are rooms upstairs, up very steep, narrow, winding stairs.

Very pleasant staff. The owner when not busy always has time for a chat.

In many ways Lincoln spoilt for choice with many indie coffee bars serving quality coffee, in Café 44 the coffee is from Stokes. Also spoilt for choice as many of the indie eateries are using fresh ingredients, locally sourced, soup will be freshly made.

Art by Phil Martin

Painting of Lincoln by Phil Martin on exhibition at Café 44

looking down Steep Hill outside Readers Rest

Steep Hill

Paintings of Lincoln by Phil Martin on exhibition at Café 44, an indie coffee bar in Lincoln.

Phil Martin is a local artist, who began his art career with military fine art. He has exhibited across Europe. He mainly works in oil and acrylic.

Café 44

Café 44

Tea and bacon sandwich in Café 44. Lovely indie coffee bar with art by Phil Martin lining the walls.

Last week I popped my head into Café 44. It was packed.

I thought the same today. I was the only one there.

I ordered tea and a bacon sandwich. The bacon sandwich was a mistake. Not that there was anything wrong with it, just too much to eat for mid-morning, a scone or a biscuit would have sufficed.

Downstairs the walls were lined with paintings of Lincoln by Phil Martin. Upstairs, via some very narrow and steep stairs reflecting the age of the building, more art. By the entrance, a collection of photos of Lincoln.

Café 44 is worth a visit for the art alone, though polite to have at least a cup of coffee or tea.

Something I have noticed with indie coffee bars, something you will never find in Costa or tax dodging Starbucks, is a love of what they are doing. This was apparent at Café 44 as soon as I walked in the door.

I had chat with who I assumed was the owner and the staff. All were very pleasant and cheerful. What I noticed was they seemed to know their customers not only to greet by name but also by what they would require.

The coffee is Stokes, quality coffee, fair trade. Served in glass, not a mug or a soup bowl.

The cakes are sourced locally, from a coffee shop in Burton Road.

One thing Lincoln has, a lot of indie coffee shops and few chains like Costa or tax dodging Starbucks.

Why go in Starbucks or Costa for rubbish coffee and factory cakes and sit a a cloned corporate coffee shop, when you can be surrounded by real art, sip real coffee and eat home made cakes?

Café 44 is located in Sincil Street more or less opposite the main entrance to the Central Market.

It is tragic that Sincil Street is earmarked for demolition. It is all what remains of the heritage around the Central Market, and even it has been ruined and the market a shadow of its former self. It is heritage that provides opportunities for indie coffee shops like Café 44 and lends character to an area.

Where there is development, there is a lot of money sloshing around. Plus a council lacking in vision and failing to look after the best interests of a thriving local economy.

Contrast threatened destruction of Sincil Street with North Laine in Brighton. A thriving, vibrant local economy full of indie coffee shops like Café 44, a diverse range of small independent retailers, an area of character worth a visit.

Morning in Lincoln

Stokes tea rooms on High Bridge

Newport Arch – Roman gateway to Lindum Colonia

Lincoln Cathedral

Just gone nine o’ clock the High Street very busy, but misleading. The level crossing had just opened and a wave of people poured across the tracks. By 10am very busy, by midday packed, barely able to move.

The two Waterstone’s only one copy of NeverSeconds each. At least now on display on the shelves.

Martha Payne was on TV over Christmas with an update of Martha, Meals and Malawi. She has so far appeared in every review of 2012, and still NeverSeconds not on prominent display in Waterstone’s. When I inquired last week, they had not a clue what I was asking for. Something very, very rotten with Waterstone’s.

River Witham has dropped 2-3 feet from it high of last Friday. Still flowing very fast, but not like last week, nor the ripples in the surface.

Stokes tea shop on High Bridge, purveyors of quality tea and coffee, pre-dates chains like Costa and Starbucks by more than half a century. The building a rare example of surviving medieval building on a bridge, the bridge has Norman arches.

Tea and bacon sandwich in Café 44. Lovely indie coffee bar with art by Phil Martin lining the walls.

Popped into The Collection. Two temporary art exhibitions. Neither worth wasting any time on. The Collection house an indie coffee shop run by Stokes.

Up The Strait, up Steep Hill. Lots of people around and yet many of the little shops shut, as was the Tourist Information Office. This is absolutely crazy. Yes, I can see they may deserve a holiday, but you do not shut when there are peak visitors on the streets.

Disgusted to find a Greggs in Bailgate. Literally the Roman Bail. Independent shops, plenty of eating places, not somewhere where junk food chains are welcome.

Lincolnshire Poacher Cheese from Comestibles, a type of Cheddar but vastly superior to Cheddar. A good selection of cheeses. Far better selection than the Cheese Society.

At the end of Bailgate, Newport Arch. A Roman gate.

Walking back down Steep Hill and The Strait, very very busy. Far more people than Friday of last week, when their few people around, though the town centre was very busy.

Lunch at County Restaurant. This used to be a good place to eat, but sadly has gone downhill.