Orton’s Brasserie was due to open just after the lockdown began. This did not stop their determination to deliver great food and drink to the people of Leicester.

**Orton’s Brasserie has unfortunately ceased trading now**

They worked on their menus and started offering an interim brunch delivery service. You can read all about my experience here. 

A bit about the Brasserie

The branding for the Brasserie came from the Joe Orton (a Leicester born playwright), who had a trial, The Gorilla and the Rose. 

Orton’s Brasserie strives to be the culinary heart of Leicester’s Cultural Quarter and I can confirm they do deliver on this. Fresh seasonal British Cuisine, prepared with love and delivered with passion. 

Fast forward to August and they are finally open and ready to show off what they have been working on. 

They have tried to make the venue inclusive, catering for larger parties, meetings, those who just want that cheeky drink, a casual meal or a romantic dinner. The venue has a main dining area, two private dining rooms at and a basement bar. The decor is modern yet subtle. 

They also have a slightly sheltered and beautifully lit courtyard at the back and seating at the front (on the square) of the restaurant.

Oh and before I forget, they have a lovely bar/bar area too.  

On both my visits Becky was the server. She was upbeat, knowledgeable and ensured we were comfortable and had everything we wanted.

Tables are socially distanced and the Brasserie has taken the appropriate safety measures.

Drink

Alongside the lovely restaurant, stands a beautiful bar with talented bartenders. From wine to that perfect cocktail, Orton’s had a good beverage list. The wine starts at under £3. On my first visit, I had their Pink Orchid White Zinfandel which was £2.75 for a small glass. Perfectly chilled and not so sweet, the wine worked so well on a warm summer evening with tapas.

Kev & I tried their Dark & Stormy and Last Word cocktail when we went for dinner. The cocktails were not watered down and the ingredients were well blended. Priced from £7.50, the Big Joe’s cocktail menu has a good selection of some classics and some brilliant twists.

Food

I have been twice (second time was an invite) and enjoyed it on both occasions. Drinks were well presented, food was beautifully plated and the atmosphere was brilliant. 

Orton’s Brasserie makes everything in house including their ketchup. The food is made with love and passion. (Don’t expect to find that Heinz bottle there). As the food is fresh, once it’s gone, it’s gone. This also means the team work long days prepping food to deliver the best.

They try and source local produce wherever possible and they have a high standard when it comes to the quality of their ingredients. 

The a la carte menu is small but it covers everything ie vegetation fish, white meat, red meat. 

Tapas

On a separate occasion, my friend and I visited Ortons for a summers evening of tapas and drinks. We sat in the courtyard (which I am in love with), sipped wine and tucked into 6 of the 9 tapas. They all sounded so nice we couldn’t pick. Priced at under £5 each we thought they were great value for money. 

• Courgette Tempura: The courgette slices were covered in crispy batter and served with aioli. This dish was so delicious and went down a treat.
• Chorizo Sausage Roll: A juicy sausage roll was served with beetroot ketchup. Crisp pastry stuffed with a signature sausage blend, this was so tasty.
• Orton’s Scotch Egg: Perfecting a scotch egg can be difficult. Luckily the chef can create a good one. Runny egg yolk, cradled in black pudding and covered in bread crumbs, the scotch egg came on a bed of celeriac. This added to the texture and it didn’t take us long to finish the dish. I didn’t read the black pudding part and if I had I would have missed the opportunity to enjoy this dish.
• Parmesan & Truffle Arancini: Warm crispy balls filled with parmesan rice and served with an aioli. There was no garlic taste to the aioli however because the arancini were so moist you did not need the dip. They didn’t have a truffle flavour either but were still so good.
• Ham Hock, Rillettes & Apple: The slow-cooked ham hock, was served on a crispy toast and topped with chopped pistachios. Another great tapas that was filling and flavoursome.
• Pea & Mint Hummus with Lavash bread: One for pea and mint lovers, this vibrant hummus went really well with the flavoured crispbread. The Vegan dish was served with sauteed baby carrots and asparagus.

Mains

Fish & Chips:  Delicate pollock fried in a seasoned batter, served on a curried split pea dal with chunky chips. The dish was served with a coriander & lime yoghurt. Every mouthful was delicious and the flavours blended in so well together. The textures were perfect too.  

Belly & Beets: The perfect crispy top, slow-cooked pork belly was served with a carrot & anise puree, salted baked beetroots and cider jus. There was some potato purée on the dish too. The dish looked small but it was deceiving. A rich, perfectly balanced dish that filled Kev up. 

Desserts

I am glad we had skipped starters so that we could tuck into desserts, one being a cheese board.

Chocolate Fondue: A warm rich, gooey dessert, garnished with burnt caramel, popcorn, chocolate sauce, caramel. Served with ice cream this dreamy dessert was polished off really quickly. The textures of the ingredients went perfectly together.

Orton’s Cheese Board: The board was beautifully presented. There was a good selection of cheese (Black Bomber Cheddar, Sparkenhoe Red Leicester, Golden Cross & Cropwell Bishop Stilton), pretty home-baked crackers, thin apple slices, celery sticks, grapes, quince jelly and chutney.
Everything tasted fresh and good quality. It was a great end to the meal and apparently, cheese is good to clean teeth so an added bonus.

I love the new addition to Leicester and I hope you can pay them a visit soon.

Follow them on social media to keep up to date with the latest news and opening times. 

Orton’s Brasserie
Orton Square, Leicester, LE1 1RD
Tel: 0116 248 9100

Neha

Disclaimer [AD]: This was an invite/gift. All views, opinions and photos are my own unless otherwise stated.