Relax and revive at No.THIRTY8

Barbara Young dines out at the Tower Hotel’s No.THIRTY8 restaurant in Lincoln and enjoys some of the seasonal menu choices on offer.

Situated within the stylish Tower Hotel in the Cathedral Quarter, No.THIRTY8 Restaurant specialises in seasonal menus of eclectic dishes, featuring the best of fresh local produce.

With the original building dating back to the 19th century, this privately owned boutique hotel has long proved popular with residents and visitors alike, being well situated in the picturesque historic Bailgate area with easy access and parking, and just a short stroll from the main shopping streets.

Step through the warm and welcoming entrance of the hotel’s foyer and you are greeted by friendly staff who guide you through to the cosy, relaxed restaurant where you can choose to eat from either the extensive All-day menu, or the À la carte menu – or select dishes across both.

Head chef Craig Wilkes, who has worked at numerous eateries around the city including The Wig & Mitre, and The Beck at Caunton in Newark, works alongside sous chef Danny Gugliotta, who brings influence from his Italian heritage.

The chefs both share a passion for delivering hearty meals while not compromising on the creative output of the busy kitchen, which produces classic flavours with consistency and flair.

“Our All-day menu focuses on creating the best of classic dishes which everyone is familiar with, honing techniques and mastering consistency,” explains Craig.

“There is a great range of dishes within this menu to satisfy many customers, while our À la carte menu allows us to experiment and take more risks.

“We try and introduce a wider range of flavours, often using classic dishes as inspiration, but introducing new techniques and flavours to subvert what the customer often expects.

“Our aim is to offer a wide range of choices to suit everybody, but always with consideration for locality and the seasonality of our produce.”

FRESH INGREDIENTS
From the restaurant’s latest spring À la carte menu, we chose the Stilton cheese soufflé, a rich and flavoursome starter which arrived with a sizzle and proved very moreish, as the soft cheese was complemented perfectly by the crunchy baked walnuts.

We also couldn’t resist trying the Thai green curry scallops, which proved as pretty as a picture with delicate slices of perfectly cooked translucent scallop nestled in sea herbs and finished with toasted cashew nuts, which added just the right amount of crunch.

The green curry sauce is homemade and authentic, using traditional Thai ingredients such as galangal root, lemongrass, plus Thai basil proving fresh tasting and light.

To follow, the sole meunière was impeccably cooked with the fish softly flaky and accompanied by delicate brown butter and caper sauce, served with Hasselback potatoes and al dente green beans.

From the All-day menu we also sampled the suet crust chicken and leek pie, which was hearty and traditional in flavour, with rich buttery mashed potatoes and sweet honey glazed carrots.

The dessert menu offered many tempting treats, but we couldn’t resist the blood orange and chocolate tart, served with salted caramel cremeaux and hazelnut Chantilly cream, which was deliciously well balanced in flavour.

The restaurant service was friendly and attentive, but never felt intrusive, and Jack, our ever cheerful and accommodating server, went the extra mile to help make our meal memorable.

CHANGING MENU
According to Craig, both the restaurant’s  À la carte and All-day menus, described as “creative British cuisine”, generally change quarterly with the seasons. However, customer favourites such as the Tower Fish and Chips, Double Burger and selection of “small plates” and “nibbles” feature regularly.

“We’re proud to offer our menus both in our relaxed and lively bar area and in our more refined No.THIRTY8 restaurant.

“We are big believers in allowing people to eat what would perhaps be considered more pub classics in our restaurant and likewise our beautifully devised À la carte menu in our more relaxed bar setting.

“We welcome people to eat cross-menu and see this philosophy as one of the reasons we remain so busy. We have designed both spaces to stand out and feel vibrant yet warm, offering the opportunity for intimate dining experiences.”

For those who might like to extend their Tower Hotel experience, don’t miss the chance to relax in the cosy bar area, which offers fine wines, cocktails and real ales before or after your meal, or treat yourself to a night in one of the hotel’s elegant boutique bedrooms before waking up and enjoying a sumptuous traditional cooked breakfast to help set you up for the day!

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