Not only its Leicester famous for its University, but it’s renowned for the local food scene. If you are planning on studying in Leicester, you’ll be delighted to hear that you can eat out cheaply once you get tired of subsisting on pot noodles, beans on toast, and pesto pasta.

There are some great cheap restaurants in Leicester, and the city boasts a diverse and vibrant local food scene with cuisine from around the world. Indian food features prominently, reflecting the city’s large South Asian population, and there are countless Indian restaurants serving authentic curries, biryanis, and street food specialties like samosas and jalebis.

But Leicester also has excellent options for Thai, Chinese, Italian, Caribbean, Turkish, and Middle Eastern fare. Your taste buds will thank you for exploring new dishes and sampling some of the local cuisines. Here are some of the best cheap places to eat in Leicester for foodie students!

Best brunch places to eat in Leicester

There are three Northern Cobbler Coffee Roasters in Leicester, but the one in Clarendon Park has a good rep for the best brunches in Leicester. It’s a popular venue with art students and the Bohemian crowd. Rock up on a Saturday morning and enjoy a chilled brunch of buttery baked egg pretzels and warm banana bread.

Discover their instagram account here

Cheap lunch/dinner places to eat in Leicester

The Six Hills Café Bakery & Pizzeria on Fosse Way is good for light lunches and pre-clubbing dinners. They serve two-course meals for less than £20, and three courses for just over £20.

Daft Bird on Grandby Street serves halal burgers, wraps, and salads with sides. Prices are very affordable if you’re cash-poor and hungry.

Amigo on London Road is another cheap halal fast food place close to the university.

Fancy sushi? If so, check out Kuru Kuru on Welford Road, a short stroll from the university.

Bobby’s Restaurant on the Golden Mile is one of our top picks for Indian and South Asian cuisine. It’s a Gujarati-Indian chaat diner serving street food and Dosas. The Indian afternoon tea is unique.

For a traditional roast dinner, you can’t beat a Toby Carvery. Toby Carveries offer classics like roast beef and roast lamb with all the trimmings we know and love. Missing Mum’s roasties and Yorkshire puddings? Fear not. Toby Carvery does a bang up job for £10.99 on a weekend. There are also vegetarian options. The nearest Toby Carvery to Leicester is in Loughborough, but it’s only a short train ride away.

Vegan eateries

The Good Earth is a low-key eatery serving plain vegetarian and vegan food. Free Wi-Fi is available, so you can hang out and study here while snacking on spicy chickpea casserole or hot bakes and flans.

Prana Café on Horsefair Street serves vegan fare and afternoon tea. Choose from starters like Garlic Mushrooms on Sourdough with vegan cheese followed by Vegan shepherd’s pie. Prana Café also offers an all-day breakfast.

Herb, a South Indian restaurant on Granby Street has vegetarian and vegan food on the menu.

Follow Six Hills Café Bakery & Pizzeria on Instagram here