Middletons

In the heart of Leicester City Centre, Middletons leans into the pleasures of flame and comfort, a grill-minded kitchen with a soft spot for Italian-leaning classics. It is the kind of place where the sizzle from the pass sets the tone and plates arrive generous, warm and unpretentious.

Steak headlines the story: marbled sirloin and tender rib-eye, seared to taste and built for big appetites. The grill keeps pace with a hearty gammon grill crowned with butchers sausages and a fried egg, while a rack of ribs arrives lacquered in BBQ sauce with all the trimmings. There is equal comfort in the Italian staples, from a pepperoni pizza pricked with jalapeños to a margherita perfumed with oregano. Starters cosy up with garlic bread under mozzarella, or mushrooms in garlic sauce scattered with pangrattato. Even the loaded waffle fries have range, from the house version to a posh flourish of truffle oil and parmesan.

Sides keep things convivial, from fries to crushed new potatoes glossed with garlic and shallot butter. Puddings pull no punches either: think triple chocolate brownie with ice cream, or sticky toffee pudding studded with dates. There is a children’s menu for smaller appetites, ensuring everyone finds their favourite. Make a beeline for Middletons, bring an appetite, and let the good times sizzle — after all, the stakes could not be tastier.