8 Mouth-Watering Restaurants in Leicester you Need to Visit

Looking for a restaurant in Leicester? You’re in luck. For our students living in Leicester that have a taste for good food, this city has a lot to offer, and most of it is student friendly too! In fact, there is a good combination of restaurants in Leicester, from cafés and restaurants offering cheap student food to some fancy cuisine that is best timed for a treat or a celebration, with dishes from around the world!

And how can we forget Belgrave Road, or the Golden Mile as it is known. One of the finest places in the whole of the UK for Indian restaurants (as the city has a very large Indian population), you’ll find all-you-can-eat-buffets, bring your own beer establishments, and a wide range of curry houses to sample without having to spend loads of money for a delicious feed.

We’ve put together a list of 8 of the best mouth-watering restaurants in Leicester that you need to visit!

1. Barceloneta

If you’ve ever been to the beach in Barcelona, you’ll know that the area right on its doorstep is called Barceloneta. This tapas restaurant in Leicester doesn’t just give you tapas like you’d see in every other city in the UK, it brings the relaxed and casual atmosphere, and traditional dishes that you’d expect to see if you were strolling along the beach at Barceloneta. Or the type of small dishes you eat as you bar hop in Catalunya, whether that’s a Jamon croquette, a thinly sliced cured ham, or beautiful steamed mussels. The waiting staff are super friendly, happy to offer advice and with the Spanish music and some Spanish staff, it can feel like you’re abroad in a tapas bar, so get down and have that mini holiday with some tasty food!

Website – Link

Address – 54 Queens Road, Clarendon Park, Leicester. LE2 1TU

Opening hours – Monday to Thursday: 5pm – 9.30pm, Friday and Saturday: 5pm – 10pm

2. OGGI Simply Italian

The ‘home of Italian cuisine in Leicester’ is a bold claim, but as far as an Italian restaurant in Leicester goes, you’ll be hard pushed to find anywhere comparable within the city or the surrounding areas. Taking inspiration from all parts of the boot of Italy, OGGI has been offering up simple, traditional Italian dishes that get you excited whilst you’re reading the menu! If you’re after a great tasting pizza and a simple pasta dish, you can get that at OGGI and it’ll blow you away, but if you fancy trying something a little different from an authentic Italian recipe book, you’re in good hands here.

Website – Link

Address – 161D London Road, Leicester. LE2 1EG

Opening hours – Tuesday to Thursday: 5pm – 10pm, Friday and Saturday: 5pm – 11pm, Sunday: 4pm – 10pm

3. Bobby’s

As we’ve mentioned, if you love Indian food and you’ve moved to Leicester, get yourself down to the Golden Mile! That’s where Bobby’s is, one of the best examples of canteen-style Indian food out of all the Indian restaurants in Leicester. It was one of the first vegetarian restaurants of its kind in the UK and has continued to innovate and provide its customers with delicious examples of vegetarian Indian food, and in recent times vegan and gluten-free dishes too. The restaurant is loads of fun, with a Bollywood interior that is unique. You’ll never forget your first trip to Bobby’s and you’ll most likely be returning quite a bit as you wander along the Golden Mile.

Website – Link

Address – 154-156 Belgrave Road, Leicester. LE4 5AT

Opening hours – Monday to Thursday: 11am – 9pm (Closed on Tuesday), Friday: 11am – 10pm, Saturday and Sunday: 11am – 10pm

4. Knight & Garter

A pub, brasserie and gallery bar, the Knight & Garter has won awards at the National Pub & Bar awards in the recent past and this city centre location is the best of both a night out and a good meal. Set in a stunning building near the market, the bar area is open and bright, a calm place to drink cocktails and relax before going through the secret door into the restaurant. It makes it feel like a special, exclusive place just for you as you walk through to your seat. Knight & Garter is a great date venue, as you’ll impress your date with the brilliant service, friendly atmosphere, good music from the DJs in the bar, and some of the best food you’ll find in a Leicester restaurant. Steak is at the heart of the menu, though you’ll also find other British classics and some delicious puddings!

Website – Link

Address – 14 Hotel Street, Leicester. LE1 5AW

Opening hours – Bar is open for longer hours around the food, including late night at weekends. Food hours: Monday to Thursday: 11.30am – 9pm, Friday: 11.30am – 9.30pm, Saturday: 10am – 9.30pm, Sunday: 10am – 5pm

5. Kayal

An award-winning South Indian restaurant in Leicester, Kayal specialises in authentic seafood dishes from Kerala. The inexpensive Indian restaurant is the perfect place for students looking for a genuine taste of India. Choosing a dosa is a good starting point as they are famous here, as is the seafood, but you’ll find everything you know and love from your local curry house, from meat and vegetable curries to all those amazing sides that fill your belly and put a smile on your face! An Indian is often a good place to go with a big group of friends, order a bit of everything and share some dishes. The Kayal team is one big family, and you’ll soon feel part of that community too!

Website – Link

Address – 153 Granby Street, Leicester. LE1 6FE

Opening hours – Monday to Friday: 12pm – 3pm and 6pm to 11pm, Saturday: 12pm to 11pm, Sunday: 12pm to 10pm

6. The Joiners

Sometimes, all you want is some good pub grub, and The Joiners is one of the best in Leicestershire. It is about half hour away by car from the city centre, but if you’re after a Leicester restaurant where you can get a filling and tasty Sunday Roast with all the trimmings (especially a big Yorkshire pudding!) then The Joiners is well worth the trip! It is gastro pub food at its best, using local, seasonal ingredients that make it a special treat. The village of Bruntingthorpe, where the pub is located, is a lovely example of a beautiful English countryside village too, so why not walk off the lunchtime excesses in some nice fresh country air?

Website – Link

Address – Church Walk, Bruntingthorpe, Lutterworth LE17 5QH

Opening hours – Tuesday to Saturday: 12pm – 2pm, 6pm – 9pm and Sunday: 12pm – 3pm

7. Grounded Kitchen

The best restaurant in Leicester for those of you who love Korean food. Korea rules the world right now, with the biggest bands, the biggest films, and the best food! It may be a small restaurant in size, but Grounded Kitchen delivers a big punch full of flavour, whether you’re sampling the bibimbaps, nourish bowls, or broths. It is popular because it promotes a happy, healthy, and grounded life. Life is simple and we all deserve simple pleasures. Korean food is definitely that, the best food in the simplest form. Grounded Kitchen is a perfect place to recharge after a hard day at uni or to pick up a tasty lunch.

Website –Link

Address – 50 Queens Road, Clarendon Park, Leicester. LE2 1TU

Opening hours – Sunday to Wednesday: 11am – 8.30pm, Thursday to Saturday: 11am – 9.30pm

8. Little Tokyo

Get your ramen on in Little Tokyo, always near the top of the list for restaurants in Leicester, there is so much to love about this place. The menu is delicious and varied, serving up warming bowls of noodles, stir fries, rice dishes, and sushi, incredible flavours at a really good price. For students in Leicester, it doesn’t get much better than Little Tokyo, a haven for those after something nourishing, fresh, and flavoursome. It’s even a fantastic place to book for a celebration (keep it in mind the next time you have a birthday coming up!).

Website – Link

Address – 33 Braunstone Gate, Leicester. LE3 5LH

Opening hours – Tuesday to Friday: 11.30am – 2pm, 4.30pm to 11pm, Saturday and Sunday: 11.30am – 11pm

Wow! What a selection of mouth-watering restaurants in Leicester for you to choose from. As a student in Leicester, you are really spoiled for choice whatever type of food is your favourite. You might favour a traditional Sunday roast in a countryside gastro pub, a little flavour of Tokyo or Seoul, or make the most of the finest Indian cuisine anywhere in the country along the Golden Mile. Leicester has a bit of everything, it’s all quality and students eat well without it costing the earth. Let us know what you think of our list, and if you’re already living and studying in the city, let us know your own favourite restaurants in Leicester.