Leicestershire, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

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.

“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.