The county is often overlooked, yet its pubs offer much that merits greater attention.
Located in the centre of England, Leicestershire is frequented by travellers but rarely explored. This benefits the area. Villages remain authentic, farmland is productive, and centuries-old pubs still serve their communities today.
These establishments are not trendy gastropubs. Instead, food is always well-cooked, beer is genuine, and winter fires provide warmth. Many predate the turnpike roads and remain destinations worth a visit.
Quick Facts
- County: Leicestershire, East Midlands
- Common traits: old stone buildings, local ingredients, classic cooking, and a warm, genuine welcome.
- Leicestershire’s larder includes Melton Mowbray pork pies, Stilton, Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, trout from Rutland Water, Charnwood game, and hogget from nearby farms. Several pubs are within 30 miles of Leicester, Nottingham or Market Harborough.
Anne of Cleves in Melton Mowbray, built in 1384, is a family-run pub next to St Mary’s Church, known for its unique medieval architecture, stone exterior, and rich history. It serves seasonal, locally sourced food, blending heritage with honest cooking.
After becoming Crown property in 1539, the pub was given to Anne of Cleves by Henry VIII. Today, enjoy a historic setting, exposed beams, and quality food.
The family-run pub retains exposed beams, timber floors, and cosy corners where generations have gathered. Its kitchen sources seasonal ingredients from local producers, focusing on food that is both enjoyable and visually appealing.
Melton Mowbray has earned its title as the Rural Capital of Food. As the official home of the Melton Mowbray pork pie, host of a major livestock market, and holder of a long-standing connection to Stilton cheese, the town embodies its food heritage. Dining at the Anne of Cleves offers a direct experience of these traditions.
- Worth Knowing: The walled beer garden at the rear is one of the finest in Leicestershire, sheltered and flower-filled in summer. The pub is closed on Mondays.
2. The Stag & Hounds, Burrough on the Hill
The Stag & Hounds, a 16th-century pub near Melton Mowbray, is known for its weekly-changing menu sourced from on-site gardens and local farms, ensuring fresh and authentic flavours.
This proximity is significant: sheep graze on the hill just above, so it is possible that the lamb served at the pub was recently raised nearby. Such local sourcing is genuinely practised here, not merely a marketing claim.
The Stag and Hounds is Leicestershire’s only Michelin Bib Gourmand pub, has made the Estrella Damm Top 50 Gastropub list, and previously won Great Food Club’s Dining Pub of the Year.
Locally renowned, the Stag and Hounds offers menus featuring seasonal, market-fresh ingredients that change weekly.
The Parish Brewery, located in an outbuilding adjacent to the pub, brews beers on site and serves them just metres from where they’re made—a rare feature in Leicestershire that especially appeals to beer enthusiasts and defines the Stag and Hounds.
- Worth Knowing: The menu changes every week without exception, driven by what the kitchen can get locally and what is in season. Book ahead, particularly at weekends.
The Nevill Arms in Medbourne, a stable yard inn built in 1863, offers 10 rooms, locally sourced pub food, and a welcoming bar, all in a picturesque village setting.
Rebuilt in 1863 after a fire, the Tudor-style Nevill Arms faces Medbourne Brook and uses local ironstone.
Built from local ironstone, the pub stands alongside the brook. Nearby medieval bridges and St Giles church add to the village’s charm, with the Nevill Arms at its heart.
A distinctive aspect of the pub is its dedicated farm at Great Easton, where rare breed cows, sheep, and pigs are raised for the kitchen. This true field-to-fork operation ensures the Nevill Arms’ menu has a unique local provenance.
Serves real ales and lagers in a traditional bar with two open fireplaces and comfortable seating—ideal for a pint.
- The Nevill Arms itself has ten boutique bedrooms. Six are in the original ironstone building; four are above the old stable block in the courtyard. The Times named it one of the cosiest places to stay in Britain. Book directly at nevillarms.co.uk.
- Worth Knowing: The Josper Bar & Grill in the sheltered courtyard opens in warmer months, cooking over charcoal with an open kitchen. Medbourne is around 15 miles from Market Harborough, which has direct trains from London St Pancras.
Dating back to 1700, it was originally the Griffin Hotel. Over the years, it has also been a brewery and a bakery. The village of Swithland sits inside Charnwood Forest, the ancient hunting ground that runs north-west of Leicester. The pub stands at the centre of one of the most intact old villages in the county.
The Griffin Inn in Swithland, dating from 1700, retains original rooms and a courtyard garden and is recognised for award-winning service as part of the Cat and Wickets Pub Company.
A recent £1 million refurbishment retained the Griffin’s 1700s charm. The pub is renowned for its atmosphere and award-winning pub food.
Bradgate Park, one of the Midlands’ largest open spaces, is just a short walk through Charnwood Forest from the pub. Lady Jane Grey grew up in the park’s ruins, which still stand today. Swithland Reservoir and the preserved Great Central Railway are also nearby. The Griffin is a great base for exploring the area on foot.
- The pub accepts card payments only. Swithland lies within Charnwood Forest, and several well-mapped walking routes pass through the village. Download the AllTrails app for walking routes through the surrounding forest and across the reservoir paths.
5. Hercules Revived, Sutton Cheney
Hercules Revived is a 17th-century coaching inn in Sutton Cheney, serving seasonal food and a carefully curated wine list.
The pub’s name comes from Hercules, a prizewinning horse once owned by the Dixie family.
Hercules Revived is a 17th-century coaching inn in Sutton Cheney, known for a relaxed bar with an open fire, an upstairs restaurant, and a menu focused on seasonal local produce.
A few hundred metres up the road stands St James’s Church. Richard III is reputed to have heard his last Mass there the night before the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485. The Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre sits on Ambion Hill above the village. History is unavoidable here. The food at Hercules Revived is serious enough to justify its own visit, regardless of the battlefield.
The kitchen creates hearty English fare with fresh seasonal ingredients, partnering with local producers for meat, fish, vegetables, and English cheeses. The innkeeper especially values ales and wines.
- Worth Knowing: The sommelier-led wine list is one of the more carefully considered in any pub of this kind in the Midlands. Wine tastings and wine dinners are held regularly. Dogs are welcome in the bar.
6. The Star Inn 1744, Thrussington
The Star Inn 1744, a coaching inn on Thrussington’s village green, is valued for home-cooked food and real ales in a setting rich with history.
Thrussington sits beside the River Wreake, and the Star Inn overlooks the green. Dating back to 1744, it offers delicious home-cooked food, real ales, and a notable wine list.
Original beamed ceilings and genuine fireplaces remain, preserving the historical atmosphere. The Star Inn 1744 is notable for its generous portions, use of locally sourced ingredients, and commitment to simple, expertly prepared food—qualities that set it apart on the village green.
The Star Inn 1744 is a Visit England 4-Star Silver-rated gastropub with accommodation. Built in the mid-18th century, it retains many characterful and charming features, including intact beamed ceilings. The inn overlooks the village green and provides a welcoming setting.
- Worth Knowing, the only Roman road in Britain to have kept its original Latin name, runs just beside the village. The road connected the Roman settlements at Lincoln and Cirencester. It is still easily traced on foot.
7. The Joiners Arms, Bruntingthorpe
The Joiners Arms, a Michelin Bib Gourmand pub, stands out for its flagstone floor, exposed oak beams, church-pew benches, and in-house-made venison sausages in a friendly village setting.
The Joiners is a charming village inn noted for its quality food and relaxed, informal service in the sleepy village of Bruntingthorpe. The menu uses British produce cooked in a way that is sophisticated without being showy. The in-house-made venison sausages have a following. The wine list is extensive and well chosen. The pub has been consistently full for years, a reliable sign it is doing something right.
There’s no bus service to Bruntingthorpe, so you’ll need a car or bike and a good sense of direction. This isn’t really a drawback—those who visit for Sunday lunch in this quiet village are rarely disappointed. The Joiners is consistently full at weekends and regularly full midweek. It’s open Tuesday to Sunday. The walk to the pub from the surrounding Leicestershire countryside is described well on the AllTrails app.
Practical Tips
- Download the AllTrails app for walking routes in and around all seven pub locations. Charnwood Forest, the Welland Valley, and the Wreake Valley all have well-mapped routes connecting villages.
- Leicestershire produces some of Britain’s finest food. If you are passing, Leicestershire is known for producing some of Britain’s best food. If you’re passing through Melton Mowbray, stop by Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe on Nottingham Street—the original maker of the Melton Mowbray pork pie. Sparkenhoe Farm near Market Bosworth makes Red Leicester cheese right on the farm and sells it directly from their small shop. The Stag & Hounds and the Joiners Arms fill quickly and are not suitable for turning up unannounced on a Saturday evening.
- The A6, A46 and A47 make most of these pubs accessible from Leicester in under 45 minutes. Market Harborough has a direct rail link to London St Pancras in around an hour.
Responsible Visiting
These pubs stay open thanks to local support. Visitors are always welcome, but it’s the nearby communities that keep the fires burning and the kitchens running through the winter. Book directly when you can, enjoy a drink after your meal, and if you’re in a village, please park considerately.
Reader Q&A
Which of these pubs is the most historic? Anne of Cleves in Melton Mowbray, built in 1384, is the oldest by a significant distance. It predates all the others by at least three centuries and has a documented royal connection to support its history. The Hercules Revived and the Griffin Inn are both 17th-century buildings and carry considerable age of their own.
Are any of these pubs child-friendly? Most are welcoming to families. The Star Inn 1744 specifically mentions families, with two rooms connecting to create a family suite for those staying. The Nevill Arms and the Griffin Inn both have gardens suitable for families in warmer months. It is worth checking with individual pubs in advance about any restrictions on children in the evening.
Can I walk between any of these pubs? Not easily between most of them, as they are spread across the county. Within the Charnwood Forest area, the Griffin Inn at Swithland is within walking distance of several good routes. The Nevill Arms at Medbourne connects to the Welland Valley walking country, with paths to Uppingham and beyond. The AllTrails app has routes for both areas.
What is the best time of year to visit? Autumn and winter are when stone pubs reveal their purpose. Open fires, game on the menu and empty car parks. Summer brings the beer gardens, particularly at the Nevill Arms, with its Josper Bar and Grill, and the Anne of Cleves, with its award-winning walled garden. All seven are worth visiting year-round.
Leicestershire has a long history of feeding people from its farms and fields. The pub in this place has been around for centuries—they were here before the motorways and even before the railways that put Melton Mowbray on the map. Some were already old before the English Civil War. Today, the food is better than ever. That mix of history and quality is rare, and it’s well worth making the trip to experience it.
