If you’re looking for an exotic cocktail evening with your friends, the coolest bars in Leicester are the perfect spots to try out in the UK. With vibrancy and an intimate atmosphere, the bars in Leicester City Centre are a great choice.
Leicester pubs have fantastic cocktails. Some even have an exclusive beer garden with various innovative craft beers. We have got you covered with the best cocktail bars in Leicester that you should look out for.
There are the quirky bars with few pints to the Leicester bars with a pool table. Read ahead to discover the funky and exciting list of the best bars in Leicester.
Best Bars in Leicester
1. Manhattan 34
Situated at Rutland Street, Manhattan 34 is one of the bars in Leicester with popularity and reputation. This is due to their high-quality aspects in everything.
It is a stunning quirky bar that excels in offering the most charming cocktails in the UK. Having a team of the greatest mixologists, Manhattan 34 is an amazing drinking den to visit.
The menu has a variety of items, ranging from drinks to bar snacks including meat, cheeseboards, and traditional cocktails.
The cocktail menu is highly intriguing since it is assembled and invented by their expert mixologist team.
Once you’re in the house, it is impossible to leave, due to the endless entertainment they provide. From the craziest live music to the comedic events hosted by the bar, this place is a hit. You can grab a drink with your friends while having fun in the bar.
This bar is that one cocktail den that hosts so many events. Especially when it comes to the yearly Comedic Festival in Leicester City Centre.
It is the heart of Leicester’s Cultural Quarter, so this extraordinaire drinking den is terrifically famous. Since this bar rose during the Prohibition Era in the 1930s, it has been inspired by the Speakeasy.
Along with all these aspects, the bar mixologists host learning workshops for making these fabulous cocktails at home. The live music events are completely free for the audience.
No wonder this bar is such a pride among the best cocktail bars in Leicester.
2.
The Locker Room
The Locker Room is one of the best cocktail bars in Leicester which is an ideal spot for Sports Lovers. If you’re into sports like football, rugby, or darts, this bar would be heaven for you.
Situated on Belvoir Street, the Locker Room is famous for its giant HD display screens attached inside of the bar, for witnessing the sports games.
It has an intimate setting along with a mysteriously dim-lit interior. The bar serves as a perfect drinking den for meeting up with your friends. A great sports game along with delicious craft beer and bar food would be perfect.
On those days when no game, head to its private game room. There, you’ll find American and English Pool tables and Olympic Ping Pong Tables alongside.
Imagine such a fascinating bar do exist where you can play pool games, along with watching thrilling sports with your friends or work colleagues, while sipping on your booze.
The delicious bar food they serve is beyond words. Locker Room is notorious for its smashing cheesy pizza and chicken wings, both savoury and tender. It is impossible not to come back again to this bar just for its delicious snacks.
What to Order
No wonder the Locker Room is such a masterpiece when it comes to the glorious cocktail bars in Leicester City Centre. The bar is really professional in maintaining the massive beauty of the place, along with taking care of the customers.
The bar has friendly staff who are always helpful to you with anything you need. They’ll help you find the best booth for watching sports games from afar as well.
As soon as you enter the bar, they will greet you with bright smiles and will guide you through the exciting weekly offers and shows that the bar hosts.
Fancy cocktail drinks have reasonable prices with a burst of great flavour. So, if you’re looking for a terrific sports bar where you can drink great cocktails for a long time with your friends, the Locker Room must be your top choice.
3. Apres Lounge
Apres Lounge is a funky and chic quirky bar, which is another one of the best Leicester pubs in the UK. If you’re seeking some thrilling alpine fun on the dance floor with fashioned glamour, excellent service, and great food, then be prepared for a big night with your friends at this quirky stylish bar in Leicester.
Located at Fulton Street, Apres Lounge is an ideal bar to visit if you’re seeking a vacation in the mountains, escaping your reality for a while. Apres Lounge fulfills your wish. It has an Alpine Lodge theme, inspired by the Apres Ski experiences.
You’ll be enchanted with gorgeous panoramic views of the Alpine mountain, along with random deer heads peeping out from the wallpapers stuck on the walls of the interior.
Even if you cannot go on a vacation now, or are on a tight budget – Apres Lounge takes care of you entirely. Just step in and relax inside the mystical aura and vibe of the bar. Not only famous for its drinking den, but Apres also has a popular nightclub located downstairs.
Take on your dancing shoes and hit the dance floor in a boozy mood, to escape from the tedious lifestyle on these nights at Apres – we assure you you’re that you won’t regret it, ever.
What to Order
Among the Leicester pubs or cocktail bars, Apres shines bright because of its thrilling atmosphere, unquestionable classy cocktails, top-notch dining food, and electrically satisfying ambiance. As the live music hits the bar, the mood of the place uplifts dramatically. From delicious bbq eats to hip-hop-styled good food, everything in Apres is worth it.
Even the staff of the bar is very friendly, efficient, and super quick. Even at the most hectic hours, the service in Apres stays quick and professional. Along the bar area, you may also find a beer garden which is directly attached to the dining area.
The menu consists of real ale, bar food, lunch, and dinner, along with exotic cocktails in the great atmosphere. Whenever visiting Leicester pubs, Apres is one of the best quirky bars in Leicester to try out first.
4. Queen of Bradgate
Queen of Bradgate is another one of the quirky bars in Leicester which is extremely popular in the list. This chic, contemporary bar is the home to the exquisite craft beers collection along with great, finger-licking food.
The bar also has a vegan menu inspired by British cuisine and others. If you’re into versatile bars in Leicester, then this bar is definitely for you.
Earlier, this quirky bar used to be an old furniture store, but now it has risen from the ashes like a phoenix, by becoming one of the coolest bars in the UK. The bar space is vast and enormous with fine wooden furnishings, also inspired by the Vintage era in the UK.
Even though the food may not range up to grand meals like lunch or dinner, the bar food and snacks are pretty heavy and delicious, once you take a bite of them.
The bar may sound a bit quiet and calming, but it contradicts the idea on some days of the week. It hosts a weekly dose of sensational music and party vibes. So, if you’re someone who likes fun and music, without much exaggeration – The Queen of Bradgate is an ideal bar.
Grab your pack of friends and set a gathering at this exquisite and professional bar, for experiencing a lot of innovative craft beers, lip-smacking food, as well as buzzing music.
The next night you visit this place, and make sure to enjoy the intimate atmosphere of this bar. The bar is filled with favourites amongst the drinks and the food.
What to Order
Along with a wide selection of craft beer and new innovative classic cocktails, this bar has an extensive list of the best bar food in the house.
As good as the craft brew may taste, the food at this bar is equally tantalizing, especially if you’re into pizza, burgers, or sandwiches. Since all of these great flavours, come at an affordable price – it certainly makes Queen of Bragate among the top bars in Leicester.
If you’re visiting this cool bar for the first time in Leicester, we’ve got you covered. For the best cocktail drinks, you can order – Angry Orchard Cider, Vedett Blond, The Cloud Factory, Nua Rose, Jules Feraud, Camen Hells Lager, and Asahi Super Dry.
For a few of the delicious, savoury treats, you can try – Queen of Clubs, QOB Beef Burger, Spiced Chicken Stew, Creamy Coleslaw, Eggs Florentine, Seared Minute Steak, Crispy Fried Halloumi, and Vegan Breakfast.
The dessert section is also pretty big than the other bars in Leicester, so make sure to satisfy your sweet tooth once you’re in this creative bar. No wonder this bar is beloved and popular among Europeans. Don’t forget to visit these quirky bars in Leicester. It is among the classiest bars to ever come across in Leicester.
5. The Basement
Being another one of the quirky bars in Leicester, the Basement is an underground nightclub and cocktail bar, situated on Wellington Street. This fascinating bar has a dimly lit atmosphere, with red and neon-coloured interiors. The quirky usage of the lamps, rugs, lights, and items helps in exuding charm to the bar.
Ideal for private hires for events and parties, the Basement is quite a vast underground bar, which is perfect for weddings, get-togethers, birthdays, and even gatherings after work.
So, grab your friends and take a break by enjoying the subtle warmth and mesmerizing ambiance inside the Basement Bar.
The range of cocktails is quite diverse and expertly made. With both fancy cocktail drinks and craft beers, this place is the home to the musical hours.
On some days of the week, Guest DJs arrive to uplift your moods with dramatically fun playlists of Jazz, Blues, R&B, and even Hip-Hop.
You can check out their official Spotify account, “The Basement Leicester“. It is a great option if you love to listen to the classics played by the Basement DJs.
The security that you’ll find in the Basement is its strong security system. You may find a few troublesome people in a lot of bars in Leicester. For that – the bar takes extra caution for the safety and comfort of the customers.
No inappropriate behaviour or troublesome activity is entertained, so the people inside can comfortably enjoy their boozy night. The security guards are also very polite in communicating with the customers.
What to Order
The cocktail menu of the Basement is vast, we have made a list of all the best cocktails you can order. For the bar’s favourite cocktails, you can order – Banana Split, Chelsea Sidecar, Cherry Bomb, Long Island, Dirty Sanchez, Caiprinia, and Shark Attack.
The Basement has a lot to offer if you’re ready to pay a visit to this hidden treasure. No wonder it has made it to the list of the best quirky bars in Leicester.
Conclusion
There are several cocktail bars in Leicester, whether it is luxurious ones or affordable ones with classic cocktails. Either way, all the bars in Leicester have a quirk of their own, which is admirable and unique.
Whether you’re craving a casual drink with delicious food or a few classic cocktails with trendy urban decor and bar snacks, the bars in Leicester have everything you would look for.
So, which Leicester bar would you choose to visit with your friends, this year?