The Lansdowne

Spacious, laid-back, warm and welcoming, The Lansdowne on Leicester’s London Road is a lovely place to kick back with a beer, wine or cocktail. The fact it also has an impressive food menu and serves well-cooked, inventive, locally sourced food pushes it high up on Great Food Club’s favourites list.

With its sofas, funky ’60s-feel furniture, attractive walnut wood finish, open kitchen and impressive sense of space, it’s the perfect environment to relax in. Stress seeps away as you browse the menu and order your drinks, and it’s only politeness that stops you putting your feet up on the nearest table. This is casual dining at its most chilled out and most rewarding.

When we ate here in winter we chose the Malaysian beef rendang slow-cooked with ginger, garlic and lemon grass served with Asian pickles and braised basmati rice. Presented in a mini Le Creuset pot, the beef – chuck steak from local butcher Mark Patrick of Birstall, who supplies all The Lansdowne’s meat – was nicely tender, and the dish was full of flavour. We also tried the Japanese crispy salmon with yuzu and wasabi, which was beautifully presented, offering moist and delicious flesh against crispy skin.

With at least one homemade cake usually sitting on the bar to tempt you to round off your meal, plus lots of other cracking desserts, you’ll want to visit The Lansdowne again and again. If you’re anything like us, you’ll want to wear your slippers and smoking jacket next time.