How to Choose a Good Restaurant for a Special Dinner

“Good restaurant” means different things on different nights

When people search for the best restaurant near them, they usually have one of four nights in mind: a quiet dinner for two, a family celebration, a team meal, or a visit from out of town. The restaurant that is right for a quick weekday lunch is not automatically right for a milestone birthday. Use the checklist below to compare any options in Leicester or Leamington Spa, including Herb.

Six checks before you book

1. Read recent reviews for your kind of night. Look for reviews that mention birthdays, anniversaries or groups, and how the team handled them. Herb holds a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice award (2024): read the story.
2. Check the menu for every guest. If anyone is vegan, gluten-free, nut-allergic or avoids certain meats, look for a menu that tags dishes clearly. Everything at Herb is vegetarian, and vegan (V) and gluten-free (GF) dishes are tagged on the menus. Restaurants must tell you about the 14 major allergens, per the Food Standards Agency, so always say what you need when you book.
3. Look up the food hygiene rating. Every food business in England is rated from 0 to 5; search the restaurant name on the Food Standards Agency ratings page. It rates hygiene, not taste.
4. Plan the journey. Check the nearest station, car parks and walking distance. Herb Leicester is five minutes from the railway station; Herb Leamington Spa is in the town centre with car parks on Upper Grove Street, Royal Priors and Bedford Street.
5. Talk to the team. A good restaurant answers a phone call about a birthday cake, a seat by a window or a vegan guest. Herb’s team is on 0116 233 2715 (Leicester) and 01926 771460 (Leamington Spa).
6. Know the price before you arrive. Look for a published menu with prices. Herb publishes both menus online, with set party menus from £25.95 to £35.95 per head and a service charge policy (discretionary 10% for groups of 9 or more on the regular menu).

Matching the restaurant to the occasion

• Date night: sharing starters, a dosa and two curries. See date night ideas.
• Family celebration: a set menu so nobody has to choose. See family parties in Leicester and in Leamington Spa.
• Team dinner: one menu for everyone; see office dinners in Leicester.
• Visitors from out of town: a place that is distinctive and local, not a chain. See restaurants for special occasions in Leicester.

Why a vegetarian restaurant is a safe bet for the whole table

In a mixed group, the guest with the most restrictive diet decides where you can go. If the restaurant is fully vegetarian, vegetarians and vegans are never an afterthought, and meat-eaters can still enjoy a full meal: see is a vegetarian restaurant good for meat-eaters?

Book Herb

Table booking is online on the Leicester page and the Leamington Spa page. For parties and private hire see party menus and private dining.