Many places in the UK offer a wide range of halal-friendly food including major cities like London. According to halal industry stats, there’s a surety when going to many of the major grocery stores that the meat has been prepared with halal customer needs in mind.
However, going to a restaurant or letting someone else prepare your food can be daunting, as you may be unsure if it was prepared in accordance with Islamic law. These 9 halal restaurants Leicester offers will put your mind at ease.
What Is Halal And How Do You Know If A Restaurant Is Halal Friendly?
Halal refers to the preparation of food following the regulations of Islamic law. This is often specific to meat preparation and the methods used for butchering, in addition to being prepared in a kitchen separate from pork meat.
Often, beef and pork will be prepared on the same grill top, which means the beef will no longer be halal. If a halal restaurant in London or elsewhere can assure you their butcher uses halal methods and the pork is cooked separately from the beef (or they don’t serve pork at all), then they will be halal friendly.
The Best Halal Restaurants In Leicester
Grizzlers
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Grizzlers has become a local favourite with their famous peri-peri sauce, generously smothered onto a variety of chicken dishes like burgers and wings. Served in a casual dining environment, perfect for a quick stop when you have a hankering for delicious, simple and spicy food. If you’re feeling extra naughty, you can include in their “Grizzpy Kreme” burger, which is a beef patty served on a glazed doughnut. The combination of sweet and salty is unsurprisingly satisfying.
The Rockin Diner
The Rockin Diner is another indulgent place where they offer and en entire menu that’s halal friendly. Washing down any of their classic American Diner style meals with a retro milkshake or soda float is a must. If you’re at the Rockin Diner, you have to embrace the theme. Don’t miss out on the Philly Steak and cheese, or their smash burgers.
Tipu Sultan
The Tipu Sultan offers a banquet-style feast at their location in Leicester. You’re not only coming for the creamy butter chicken and toasty garlic naans but also the themed and extravagant ambience that’ll have you feeling like a Sultan. The decor of the Tipu Saltun is luxurious and majestic, with jewel tones, comfortable leather booths and golden statues. You’ll aptly feel like you’re in a palace while tucking into their incredible curries.
Konak
Turkish food stands to be some of the best halal friendly cuisine available, and Leicester is spoilt for choice when it comes to its Turkish restaurants. Konak is the perfect place to go when you want a meal filled with aromatics, flavour and punchy spices. Their flame-grilled kebabs are a crowd pleaser and people come to them for the viral cheese pull of the Knafeh pastry, all whilst enjoyed in a comfortable and warm restaurant – perfect for families and friendly gatherings.
Best Halal Food In Leicester City Centre
Boo Burgers
If you ask any Leicestererians what their favourite burger joint in the city is, they’re likely to point out Boo Burgers. These burger masters are taking everything you know about a classic smash burger and making it cool and hip again.
They’ve opened up branches all over the UK, and often see queues of people lined up to try their mouth-watering burgers. Their smash burger methods ensure a caramelized crust on the whole patty, topped with a generous amount of sauces, and served with their iconic curly fries. An added bonus is that they’ve recently introduced a Ramadan breakfast, which is served from 10 pm – 2 am, for those who have a craving for their saucy cheesy egg roll after their fast.
An Najeeb
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It can be hard to dine out with a group of four or more, but when you go to An Najeeb on London road, you won’t be disappointed by the portion sizes. Their feasts for up to six people are often so generous you might even have leftovers. The “Tawa option for 6” gives you everything you could possibly want and more. Kebab, chops, chicken tikka, Tandoori chicken, Peshwari chicken, Tawa lamb, chips, naan and rice. Saying (and eating) all that is a mouth full!
Best Halal Steakhouse In Leicester
Toro
Toro’s prides itself in being the UK’s original halal steakhouse. A couple of years ago, it was difficult to find halal steakhouses in the UK, and now a place like Toro’s has branches all over the country. Their Surf and Turf branch is in Leicester city centre and offers a casual dining experience with some seriously good quality food.
Treat yourself to their succulent steaks and fresh and flavoursome seafood. Their surf and turf is their speciality, which can be your choice of prawns or Tilapia fillet accompanied by their special steak. Their food is accompanied by famous sauces and familiar sides such as fresh seasonal veg and chips.
Kobe Sizzlers
Kobe Sizzlers is a fantastic choice for those who are looking for generosity, big plates that are easy to share, and a bit of theatre in their food. As the name suggests, the steak is served to you sizzling hot and ready to tuck in. It’s hard to resist their extensive menu that not only has all the juicy steak you can dream of but also chargrilled chicken and fresh salads.
Kobe Sizzlers is all about imparting flavour from the fire, so you’ll notice a char on almost everything they serve. Even the burger buns have a crispy ring so that you taste the grill in every bite. You can’t have grilled meat without incredible sauces, and you’ll get a generous amount of that enticingly mouth-watering glaze slathered onto their sumptuously tempting burgers.
The Best Halal Dessert Bar
Waffle and Scoop
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It’s usually not too difficult to find a dessert bar that can cater to your halal needs, but the Waffle and Scoop deserve a special shout out for proudly catering to and supporting halal. Their speciality is waffles – sweet and savoury – in addition to fabulous flavours of ice cream, and if you’re feeling more inclined to the healthy stuff, their smoothies are great too.
They recently introduced a pastrami sub that features fully halal salt-cured beef that you can order in advance and freeze for months. You also can’t miss their gold leaf-covered ice cream cone, guaranteeing an Instagram worthy moment.
Waffle and Scoop is a great place to check out after visiting the amazing halal restaurants Leicester has to offer that’ll satisfy any craving you may have.
Sebastian is a former hedge fund trader who worked only to indulge his true passion – food.
He has dined at over 240 Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, savoring culinary masterpieces and understanding the stories behind them. He now advises restaurants on menu design, decor and holistic diner experience.