Jamie and James have a sentence on the About Us page of their website. It says, 'The kind of places we wished existed...so we built them.' In that one sentence, you can understand why their venues have become so popular; it's not a cookie-cutter franchise designed to maximise table turnover and limit dwell time. No, what they've built is somewhere they'd love to be, and it shows.
Following their successful venture with The Oaks at Lincoln Golf Club, The Sycamore followed as a cafe, bar and restaurant in the chilled, leafy suburbs of Lincoln's West End. A true neighbourhood asset that, 3 years on, continues to grow in popularity and reputation.
We'd heard incredible things about their brunch menu so on a chilly, but beautifully sunny Autumnal morning, we headed down to West Parade to experience The Sycamore for ourselves.
Sitting in the window, watching the world go by with a flat white, you could easily be convinced you were sat in a stylish Notting Hill eatery. Indeed, as much as you are in the heart of Lincoln, the beautifully decorated café separates you from the city and transports you anywhere you'd like to go.
The brunch menu was glorious to behold, served from 9:00-2:30pm it had everything you might wish to see, from waffles and smoothie bowls to more traditional full English options. I went with the 'Fancy Pants' based on the name alone!
The large white plates were bursting with food and flavour, with each item aiming to be exceptional. The hash browns were particularly crispy, the sourdough had a lovely texture, and the chorizo mushrooms were a stunning combination.
This wasn't about trying to be experimental and overly innovative; this was high-quality ingredients being celebrated for what they were...
and the result was one of the best brunches I've had.
