Leicestershire Restaurant Guide

“Not your usual Indian”, down to the bright, café-style décor – this “totally authentic” icon on the Golden Mile was founded in the 1970s, and is still run by the Lakhani family; it’s built a huge reputation over the years for its “vegetarian, mostly Gujarati-style, home cooking” – and, surprisingly, its afternoon tea, acclaimed by TV chef Rick Stein, and offering unlimited sweet and savoury snacks washed down with masala chai. Top Tip – “try as many new dishes as possible – they won’t disappoint!”

Nisha Katona’s Liverpool-based operation has two branches in London (Charlotte Street and Westfield Stratford) offering her “very tasty” Indian street food – “with the occasional hint of raw spice”. The Lancashire-born former barrister launched the business in 2014 and now has 28 outlets around the country, whose “enjoyable, authentic food” is “really great for a chain”.

“Not your ‘bog standard’ Indian” (“don’t look for chicken tikka masala, onion bhajis and poppadums here, you won’t find them”) – this stalwart Leicester local – now with offshoots in Nottingham, Leamington Spa and West Byfleet – instead specialises in “innovative” Keralan dishes “using the likes of rabbit, pork or salmon” that “never fail to hit the spot”.

An “excellent special occasion” is recommended by fans of this well-established venue, which also has two rooms available for staying guests, set in a smartly modernised old building in a village in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire. Chef Danny Jimminson and his wife Sandra offer an array of menus including a three course selection of £65 for three courses (available Tuesday-Friday), while on Saturday night they serve a seven-course meal for £95 per person. Its superior cooking as acknowledged by its hard-to-achieve award of three AA rosettes.

Having recently celebrated its first birthday, this “largish, newish” Indian dining spot was launched by sisters Shweta, Shivani and Natascha Joon. The “premium location” and décor set the tone for some “excellent” and “affordable” food, ranging from street-food nibbles to eclectic small plates and mains.

“Remember to order oysters in advance if you go for the Thursday seafood special” at this contemporary restaurant in a thatched building (dating from 1590), in a Leicestershire village near Loughborough that’s home to arguably England’s most famous fox hunt. Each night has a different culinary theme or style and it was well-rated all-round this year.

2024 Review: With its oak beams and flagstone floors, this family-run rural gastropub between Leicester and Lutterworth continues to win a solid thumbs up from Midlands-based reporters in our annual diners’ poll. The fairly traditional, bistro-style cooking (e.g. chicken liver parfait, steak or seabass, panna cotta) is in a more ambitious mould than typical pub grub.