10 Great Places to Eat in Leicester
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If you are looking for some great places to eat in Leicester, you are in for a treat. Moving to luxury student accommodation in Leicester places you in the heart of the action when it comes to top cuisine.
There are some truly amazing cafés, pubs, and restaurants within the city and the surrounding leafy areas of Leicestershire, and it’s well worth a trip around some of those listed below to see which tickle your tastebuds.
Let us know what you think, and feel free to get in touch to let us know which places you like the most away from our list, especially after you have lived in the city for a while as a student, and got to grips with the local area and different options of cuisine.
1. The Joiners – Bruntingthorpe
On the outskirts of Leicester in the lovely village of Bruntingthorpe, The Joiners has been delivering some of the finest gastro pub cuisine in the region for quite a while now. The team has another local that is a firm favourite on the foodie scene (The Boot Room), and have taken the menu at The Joiners to a whole different level of quality.
There is a commitment to the finest quality ingredients, with a wine selection that is carefully matched with the perfectly crafted food menu, making the place a real gem of a restaurant.
It is a must visit for those moving to luxury Leicester student accommodation, as it is one of only two restaurants in the whole of Leicestershire to be awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand (awarded to those restaurants that offer great food at a reasonable price).
2. OGGI Simply Italian – London Road
‘The home of Italian cuisine in Leicester’ is the tagline that OGGI Simple Italian prides itself on. The head chef at this quintessential authentic Italian restaurant has developed a menu over the course of 25 years or more that reflects both traditional aspects of Italian cuisine and modern dishes that have been researched in recent times across the boot of Italy.
Don’t expect to head in and find cheap and cheerful pasta and pizza dishes that are mediocre at best, instead, OGGI delivers simple and outstanding flavour, in dishes that are as close to the best cuisine you’ll find in Tuscany as anywhere else in the UK.
For Italian restaurants in the East Midland area, you’ll struggle to find a better place than OGGI Simply Italian if we’re honest.
3. Kayal – Granby Street
Leicester is a multi-cultural city that has a vibrant selection of South Indian cuisine, especially along The Golden Mile.
Kayal, on Granby Street is an Indian restaurant that focuses on delicious seafood recipes.
It was opened by a large group of locals who were tied together through family, and has gone from strength to strength, as recipes have developed, and quality suppliers found to boost the reputation from an early stage.
There is a real commitment to quality ingredients and fine detail in the recipes, ensuring that the customer receives the very best in both the dish at their table and the service they receive from the waiting staff.
The team behind Kayal have the mantra that ‘the guest is God’, and this can honestly be seen with every visit.
Also Read: Afternoon Tea in Leicester: The 5 Best Places
4. Shivalli – Welford Road
Shivalli is a village in India where vegetarian food has been perfected to exquisite levels, and the team behind Shivalli the restaurant wanted to pay homage with a vegetarian haven in Leicester.
Traditionally, vegetarian dishes in the village are served on plantain leaves, and this is the case with some (but not all) of the dishes in the restaurant. Indian cuisine is often ahead of the curve when it comes to vegetarian dishes, and Shivalli is certainly cream of the crop for veggies living in Leicester.
5. Knight & Garter – Hotel Street
Knight & Garter is an extravagant bar and restaurant, with a food menu that has a huge emphasis on serving up some of the finest beef from Owen Taylor in Derbyshire.
The whole place has been designed in a brasserie style, with access to the restaurant found through a hidden door to offer it that stylish and exclusive feel. The décor is very sleek and luxurious, and the food on offer is of the highest quality. The service is excellent, and the food is of the highest quality without costing too much.
You certainly get value for money at every stage of proceedings, including in the bright and light bar area, where you can sit and relax with some of the finest drinks in the area.
6. Grounded Kitchen – Queens Road
This small, cosy, intimate restaurant on Queens Road welcomes you with the motif of ‘Love, Life, Eat’ on its walls, and it certainly delivers dishes that are packed full of flavour and love.
Ahmed Kidy is a Leicester native, but was inspired by time spent in Korea, especially the weird and wonderful food he experienced. He wanted to bring it back to his hometown, and Grounded Kitchen delivers Korean-inspired bowls of Korean nourishment and goodness. Expect bowls that are packed full of vegetables, plenty of healthy fats, and proteins of the highest quality and of your choice. Nothing is frozen, with an emphasis on fresh, quality ingredients and all sauces are made on the premises, from scratch.
The staff are happy to talk you through the menu in detail, recommending dishes, and welcoming in the long queue of customers that can be found almost daily at the restaurant.
7. Mowgli – St Martins
Mowgli has been a success story since its humble origins in Liverpool. After branching out with two venues in its home city and in Manchester, Mowgli has gone further afield, with several restaurants in towns and cities throughout the UK (but no plans to give in to the pull of London – which is a pleasant change of approach from many successful independent restaurant chains).
The emphasis is on Indian street food based on authentic home recipes. It has plenty of tasty vegetarian and vegan dishes, delivers a yoghurt chat bomb that is an amazing explosion of taste to begin proceedings, a range of small street food dishes, such as Himalayan Cheese on Toast, and Gunpowder Chicken, and larger dishes of varying taste and spice. Why not try the Tiffin roulette, where you can buy 4 dishes and have pot luck on what you get delivered to the table?
8. Bobby’s – Belgrave Road
Bobby’s can be found along The Golden Mile and has been service up amazing canteen-like Indian food and sweets alongside each other. It is one of the most famous parts of Belgrave Road as a consequence, and it is a must-visit for any person who is new to Leicester, whether visiting or living in student accommodation in the city.
Bobby’ has recently undergone a stunning Bollywood-style transformation, and has added some healthy dishes to the menu list. We would highly recommend the dahi puri’s for some crispy goodness, filled with some delicious vegetarian ingredients.
9. Barceloneta – Queens Road
Tapas can be found in almost every town and city in the UK these days, but at Barceloneta there is a real emphasis on authentic tapas and the highest of quality ingredients.
Alongside the food is a wide range of aperitifs, liqueurs, and wines from Spain, that have been chosen to perfectly complement the food on offer. Barceloneta feels authentic, with the classic Spanish music and accents from the waiting staff. The waiters are happy to stop and chat, using their expertise to offer you the perfect dishes and advise on how to have the most relaxing time eating in an informal way and beautiful setting.
These are just a few of the best restaurants, pubs, and cafés in Leicester that offer some fantastic food. If you are living in new Leicester student accommodation, you’ll find some of these on your doorstep, and other cuisine not too far away. It is a city that has plenty on offer in terms of tasty food.
