Imaginarium 1876 opened in the brand new Elizabeth Quarter building situated near Church Square at the beginning of December 2025. The Scunthorpe restaurant is sister venue to the popular Barton Upon Humber restaurant “The Imaginarium Gastro Lounge”.
The Imaginarium team have been working hard to bring the same charm and quality to their Scunthorpe restaurant. Turning a blank canvas into an inviting, cosy and trendy place to dine in the town centre.
The menu has just been updated and new dishes have been added to the evening menu but the favourites have remained.
The waiting staff took our drinks order and the wine list and drinks menu is extensive with some great alcohol free options too, which we like to see.
For starters we went for the classic prawn cocktail with a pineapple salsa twist. The dish had large succulent poached prawns, fresh salad, sweet tomatoes and small pieces of pineapple throughout.
We also opted for the Aranchini balls in Napoli sauce, with an impressive mozzarella cheese pull. Good crunch to the outside and perfectly soft centre, the Napoli sauce gave the dish it’s seasoning along with the grated parmesan.
While we waited for our mains, which didn’t take long at all, we were served some crispy complimentary fried tortilla chips with rosemary salt seasoning.
Mains, we went for the Halloumi burger and Rosemary fries, it was probably one of the best halloumi burgers we’ve seen and tasted, with a good thick slice of halloumi coated in crisp seasoned batter and paired with red cabbage slaw, lettuce and pineapple salsa. It was a really juicy burger and the brioche was lightly toasted and soft. We liked that there seemed to be plenty of meat free options on the menu alongside the meaty dishes.
I went for the Belly Pork, served with a glazed carrot, fondant potato and pork gravy. The plate had a good variation of texture with the added sprinkle of crunchy pork rind. The belly pork had a good depth of flavour paired with the rich gravy and the top fat was rendered well. The whole unpeeled and untrimmed carrot was a different take on a veg accompaniment and held it’s shape with a very earthy flavour, with small droplets of apple sauce down it’s length. There was also a sweet element to the dish with a currant sauce and the fondant potato was soft and buttery.
After finishing up our starters and mains we had room for dessert so opted for the warm sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and toffee sauce. The sponge was a great texture, so soft and very morerish and a generous helping. We also tried the Snickers peanut butter parfait, which was chocolate mousse, peanuts, salted caramel and a pouring pot of toffee sauce. This one was definitely for those with a sweet tooth, served neatly in a glass jar.
Overall, the venue is very relaxing with great ambient lighting and a great view of St Johns Church. I liked the quirky giant woodland inspired plant pots, ferns and olive trees and bold artwork that filled the walls. We were there from light until dusk so it was nice to see how the atmosphere changed in that transition. The staff were very attentive and quick to clear up after each course. There were a few other tables filled with couples and friendship groups. The venue are also in the process of opening up an outdoor seating area to the side, which will be a great place to sit out on a warm summers eve.
The restaurant also serves as a perfect place for a coffee, cake and catch up and their filled croissants look tempting.
Check out the updated menu below. Booking is recommended for evening meals but if you’re in town during the day just pop in.
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Imaginarium 1876 Scunthorpe
Elizabeth Quarter
DN15 6SX
Call to book: 01724 506236
Opening Hours
Mon 8:30am to 8:30pm*
Tue: 8:30am to 8:30pm*
Wed: 8:30am to 4:00pm*
Thu: 8:30am to 4:00pm*
Fri: 8:30am to 8:30pm*
Sat: 9:00am to 9:00pm*
Sun: 9:00am – 4:00pm*
*Please note: Finish times above are not the closing times. They are the latest time that an order can be taken for food.
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