Leicester Restaurants and Dining

(Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK)

The vibrancy and cosmopolitan nature of Leicester is very much reflected in its diverse array of food and dining options. Leicester restaurants offer everything from gourmet meals for foodies with a demanding palate, to affordable family meals and buffet lunches. It should be noted that Leicester was the birthplace of Walkers crisps and sausages, whilst Melton Mowbray, home of the pork pie, is also close by.

The cuisine now provided at many restaurants and eateries in Leicester is often of a modern, world-fusion nature, offering refined dining in stylish surroundings. However, since in the past the city of Leicester has been awarded the title of 'Curry Capital of the Year', the plentiful Indian restaurants around the vibrant Belgrave Road (Golden Mile) area really are unmissable and not to be overlooked at any cost, together with those on Granby Street and Narlborough Road.

Where to Eat

Diners visiting the Indian restaurants on Belgrave Road will find award-winning tandooris and curry houses serving tasty Indian cuisine, as well as some popular vegetarian and Portuguese eateries. Just over 1.5 km / 1 mile to the south of Belgrave Road, the renowned Taj Mahal on Highfield Street is the city's oldest Indian restaurant and has been serving its spicy dishes since the late 1960s.

The exciting regeneration of Leicester is expected to result in an upsurge in the city's dining scene, and already new restaurants and cafes have arrived at the enormous Highcross shopping centre.

Italian eateries, noodle bars, burger joints, sandwich shops, fish and chip shops, and pizza restaurants are all easy to find and tend to be distributed around the main shopping arcades and precincts, being especially concentrated at the Haymarket and St. Martin's Square.

Further eateries in central Leicester are to be found lining Melton Road, St. Nicholas Place, Upper Brown Street and in the Cultural Quarter, where both Halford Street and Phoenix Square reside. As a city with no less than two universities, there are also countless trendy dining venues, cheap eateries, traditional pubs and bars surrounding these campuses, being much favoured by local students.