Curry

Set where you’d never expect it, Twenty1 is a new restaurant that has been open for around six weeks. It has a high-end feel and vibe of being a city centre destination but just on the city’s outskirts – close to what was in the 1980s “City Limits” some readers may remember!

What was a cafe has been transformed into an Indian restaurant. It would be quite loud on a weekend; we thought the music was quite loud when we visited on a Wednesday night and tables reasonably close together, but overall, it has been well furnished and kitted out. You can choose standard tables and high seats near the windows or outside when booking. Outside looks very lovely for a summer’s evening.

The menu seemed small compared to the pages of laminated choices often found. However, I think there is a choice for everyone. We ordered 2 Lamb Railway Dhaba (One on the bone and one-off), a Garlic Chilli Chicken and a Green Herb chicken curry. In addition, we ordered a mix of rice and bread between us.

We had our usual poppadoms and dips to start; these came quickly, but we had to ask twice for more dips.

The mains arrived in good time, but the table hadn’t been cleared or new plates and cutlery set out, so it was a bit hectic sorting; once sorted, we were missing a dish which was a shame; however, this came out after 10 minutes or so. A couple of the naans were not as ordered, which was fixed; my side of coriander did come, which is often missed elsewhere.

Everyone enjoyed the food. Mine was extra hot and just right spiced for me.

The more senior supervisor took the time to ask how our meal was and took on board our feedback; one of the owners later introduced himself and was interested in our evening. They offered to take off the main that was late. However, when the bill came, we were disappointed that they had added a 10% service charge to the bill, which seemed a bit cheeky, given the feedback!

Whilst we didn’t, a lot of tables had some great-looking cocktails.

Currently, the scoring puts this in the lead this year – the food was undoubtedly the best I’ve had this year. With a focus on the service, I’m sure this will be a destination Indian restaurant for Leicestershire.

We are all keen to return together or with friends and family, and we’ll update here how we get on. Try it and let us know how you find it too!