One of the oldest cities in Britain and the newly discovered burial place of Richard III, Leicester is a historical place with long traditions. It’s also a hub for contemporary culture, with international culinary influences. Here we round up some of the best brunch spots the city has to offer.
Step into this 1940s American Cuban Bar for your first meal of the day and you won’t be disappointed. Named by some as the very best breakfast available in Leicester, Bar dos Hermanos is a tapas bar with a large breakfast and brunch menu. Yoghurt, fruit, porridge, bagels, freshly squeezed orange juice, and a variety of eggs done ‘dos Hermanos style’ are available. Mix and match to your heart’s, and to your stomach’s, desire.
This is a venue fit for any occasion but with a particularly delicious weekend brunch menu. With eggs florentine, eggs benedict and the traditional English breakfast, North Bar & Kitchenserves traditional British food with a contemporary attitude. North Bar & Kitchen has an open kitchen, where you can watch your food being made, contributing to a relaxed atmosphere perfect for a casual brunch on a lazy weekend. If you’d rather have something different to a traditional brunch, afternoon tea is also available. Being a bar as well as a kitchen, it’s also ideal for a drink or two.
Cafe Two Ten is a small cafe serving the very best builder’s breakfast in Leicester. Delicious hash browns, bubble and squeak, bacon, sausages and vegetarian options are all on offer and reasonably priced. If you’re looking for a proper freshly made fry-up, Cafe Two Ten is definitely the place for you. Breakfast is served all day with newspapers available and outdoor seating, ideal for a sunny day.
Situated right by Victoria Park, Jones’ Cafe Bistro is the home of the 666 Breakfast Challenge, daring customers to eat their £15 full breakfast in under 30 minutes: six pancakes, six bacon, six hash browns, six slices of toast, six eggs and six sausages. That is more than two kilograms of breakfast in half an hour for the possibility of a free meal, a t-shirt and a spot on their wall of fame. If you prefer a lighter and more relaxed meal, Jones’ also offers a variety of delicious (smaller) dishes.
If you’re looking for a less traditional breakfast in Leicester, Cafe Mbriki is a good place to go. Housed in a Grade II listed building, this café serves healthy breakfasts and lunches inspired by the owners’ Greek Cypriot background. An independent family-run restaurant, Mbriki serves freshly baked bread all day and both Greek and English breakfasts. You’ll find excellent coffee, sweet cakes, savoury sandwiches and a relaxed start to your day.
Named after the Spanish artist, Salvador Dali, Salvador Deli is the sister café of Bar dos Hermanos and serves and sells authentic food from local sources. The cafe can offer a full English breakfast and all that should go with it but also a wide variety of sandwiches, made with fresh harvester bread, porridges and yoghurt. Stop by Salvador Deli on your way into town, sit down for a meal outside on a sunny day, or buy cheese, olives, and other delicious goods from their deli counter.
In the heart of Leicester’s Cultural Quarter lies the Leicester Creative Business Depot, a hub for creative businesses, and inside the LCB Depot is Gray’s Coffee Shop & Kitchen. This coffee shop serves hungry creative brains all day with award-winning caffeine and seasonal ingredients. With crumpets, sausages, vegetarian options and toast, Gray’s is open to the public every weekday and is a wonderful place to stop by before work or after a long day of sightseeing around Leicester.
Established in 1890, Mrs Bridges Tea Rooms has spent more than a century honing its reputation as one of Leicester’s most well-respected tearooms. This spacious venue has a casual and comfortable atmosphere with a menu boasting delicious breakfasts, lunches, dinners and drinks. Enjoy an elegant cafe experience in this historic location.
This family-run Leicester cafe is another long-standing establishment. First opened in 1937 by Luigi Brucciani, this is an artisan bakery as well as a cafe. Offering home-baked goods, there is also an extensive menu of breakfast and lunch dishes honouring the family’s Italian origin. If you want a sweet end to your morning meal, the cafe’s home made dairy ice cream is well worth a try.
In St Martin’s Square in Leicester, St Martin’s Tea & Coffee Merchants find their home. A local coffee shop and restaurant, St Martin’s has a shabby chic interior with a retro ambience. The coffee shop offers a dedicated breakfast menu and is a great fit for a coffee lovers, with their range of different roasts as well as their selection of tea blends.
