Lara Restaurant in Charnwood

We have just paid 62 pounds for a dinner that never arrived, the staff from the restaurant should know to whom they deliver the food because the food was lost between 2 Uber drivers, or the Uber drivers are thieves.

We visited laras for a birthday meal as we've been many times before. It's usually busy and Saturday night was no exception. The drinks and food order took longer than hoped but it's to be expected when so busy and the waitresses seemed rushed off their feet, they were really working hard. The food was incredible as always though the dishes came out staggered which meant some of us were finished by the time the last meal came. It was incredible to see the team doing so well for the amount of customers in the restaurant, not to mention they had takeaway orders on top of a full restaurant. When leaving we even got given a small bottle of wine which was a really nice touch and meant a lot to us. The only thing that let the night down was the really noisy table next to us. Completely understand having a fun evening but not at the cost of the rest of the restaurant. Shouting and making animal noises full volume for over 2 hours was an atmosphere killer. At one point shouting so loud the restaurant went quiet for a moment, not pleasant to sit through while trying to enjoy a meal. We could barely hear each other talk over the screaming. Not the restaurants fault but it would have been nice to have asked them to be more considerate of other diners.

Average at best Staff were not overly attentive and we waited a long time for the bill so we could go. Food was ok but no better than chipshop kebabs and was quite expensive. Most of the food was being taken away or delivered which is probably the best option My wife's moussaka was nothing like any other moussaka I've seen before and it was very tasteless. Not somewhere I will return to there are lots better out there

Food is fantastic and very tasty. Great service. Highly reccomend.

Been using this place for years now ,,, great food every time 😉

We booked for our wedding anniversary. Arrived and surprised to see it empty but they had just opened. Waitress was quick to ask if we wanted drinks and gave us the menus. Bread and dips arrived Andy ave to say the bread was amazing. Ordered our main and wow when it came it was amazing the food was just great. Well worth a visit can’t fault at all food and drink was perfect.

Absolutely fantastic 10/10 Food plenty of it and very tasty 10/10 Service fast and efficient 10/10 Atmosphere good 9/10 My second visit and it was just as great as my first will most definitely go back again and again. I recommend this place to you You won't be Disappointed

The food was an absolute bomb. Ordered delivery to south Leicester and the food was still hot when it arrived. Had a big order and everything was amazing. The garlic shrimp are absolutely tasty and of great quality. Will be definitely coming back for a dine in experience many times.

I would love to have Laras weekly, but it is abit pricey, however the food has always been sensational. I think when your getting a platter for 2-3 people, it should come with more bread, and the bread is always cold, that's the only let down.

Great restaurant - really good value.

What a lovely place with great food and attentive staff,had a really good meal but most of all it was a great experience and a really enjoyable 2 hours,left feeling full and happy.we will be back for sure,prices are competitive and the place was very clean.We had the platter for 2 and it is delicious and plentyful,

Pick up order Order came wrong Bread felt like it was yesterday’s bread Chips were greasy and looked like they had been reheated very expensive for quality of food .

Absolutely fantastic takeaway from Lara restaurant last night. Delicious, quality food. Very helpful and friendly staff. Will definately use again and can highly recommend.

Delicious and fresh food;really like it 👌🏻 and very friendly staff 🌹🌹

Lovely meal as always! The food is amazing and the staff are so lovely and attentive! We’re lucky to have you in the Nook! We’ll be back soon!

Really beautiful food and very nice people working very helpful

Good food, bit different to our normal would go back again

I had a table booked at 7 service was good at the start, waited an hour and 15 minutes for my food. It felt like we was forgotten about and I made amendments to my order which wasn’t fulfilled. Ordered a 2nd round of drinks nobody put the order through after 20 minutes wait I asked another waitress and she made them within another 15 minutes however was half a glassful compared to 1st order. Been a regular customer for a couple of years and sadly it’s gone down hill. Overall food is great however service was shocking.

had a great jumbo plate of great food what a pleasure

First time visit an absolutely loved it. Service really good from the moment we entered. Great choice on the menu. Choose the halloumi for starter which was delicious, and then a mix of chicken, shish and lamb kofte for main. Served with fluffy rice, delicious fresh salad. Really enjoyed the food, and the overall experience. Can’t wait to get back for a return visit.

Great, fresh, hearty food and quick service. Music was a touch loud at the start of the evening but wasn't too distracting. Would recommend if in the area and looking for middle eastern dishes!

Great tasty meal lovely friendly staff, will be returning

First time visiting and loved it. The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and the staff were attentive and friendly. The food was delicious. I had the salmon with small potatoes.

Adam was extremely nice and provided an excellent service. And the food was absolutely delicious 💯

Fantastic place for dine. Really nice food. Very reasonable prices. Recommend to anyone 😊

Nice place,very good food and happy personal!

Excellent service and fantastic food.

An amazing authentic Turkish restaurant, food, atmosphere and service was outstanding. Will definitely be returning very soon

We had an amazing night and the food and staff were first class, we will definitely be returning soon.

Waited 30 mins in restaurant for takeaway food. Restaurant was cold. Pleasant staff but got my order home and it was incorrect and missing items. They didn’t want to help me unless I brought it back. I live 5 miles away. Not a happy customer.

Really lovely great tasting food

Never disappointed. The food here is delicious.

Beautiful food ...very busy yet staff were very attentive..lovely atmosphere will definitely go back

I regularly go to Lara’s and usually receive good customer service. However, tonight the service was poor and the staff was awfully rude! Tonight I ordered my food and I clearly stated my sea bass to be with rice due to me being allergic to potatoes I repeated myself three times on the phone and the lady repeated it to me. My daughter in law collected the order and when I opened my food I had chips and my sea bass was overcooked. The Turkish bread was burnt and I hadn’t received my salad or sauce. My son and daughter in law also ordered mixed kebabs and they had 5 pieces of skinny meat and hardly any chips. I called the restaurant to see if they could do anything and the ‘manager’ was very rude telling me ‘’there is nothing she could do about it darling’’. She was very rude and proceed to call me a liar and continued to say I didn’t state what I wanted with my sea bass! I returned the food to the restaurant and the staff was very rude again! The man cooking the food told me his staff wasn’t rude and to lower my voice he chucked my money at me and told me to leave his shop. All I wanted was a apology not to be called a liar I will not be returning due to the poor customer service and quality of the food on my last few visits.

Took mum and her friend for dinner on her birthday had a lovely time so friendly

By far the very best Turkish food I’ve ever had!! The quality of the ingredients and the attention to detail were sublime. The room temperature Turkish red wine was the perfect accompaniment to lamb dishes and homemade spinach and feta parcels. Just perfect 🤩

Been here a fair few times over the years and the food is always nice and fresh. Good service keep it up, sure I'll be back again at some point.

From walking in we were made to feel welcome. We didn’t have starters as experience told us after the bowl of freshly baked flat breads and accompanying dips and olives etc we wouldn’t need too. We had the grilled platter for 2/3 people and it was delicious. Perfectly grilled meats all served on a bed of rice and an accompanying plate of salad. Enjoyed every bite. We had ice cold Effes beers which were served with a smile by the very attentive staff. Thank you for a lovely meal. We will definitely return.

Suggested to eat out one night and decided to go to Lara as we missed the food and atmosphere of Cyprus, where we had been on holiday week before! I know it is Turkish restaurant but it has the same vibe! Amazing food, lovely and friendly staff, quick service and an authentic experience overall!

We have been to Lara's several times over the years but hadn't been for some time. My husband and I are pescatarian so enjoyed the calamari we shared to start. I had ordered a vegetarian beyti from the menu, the waitress seemed confused and I reiterated no meat. She then confirmed vegetarian. I was horrified to start eating my beyti and to find I had been given meat. The waiter apologised and brought me another meal, blaming the new waitress. I had to obviously wait while my husband ate his food, somewhat spoiling our enjoyment of the meal. There was no other compensation. Having stopped eating meat over 30 years ago, this was a most unpleasant experience. Not good enough.

This place was an absolute gem of a find when I was in Anstey over the weekend. It is popular. And was really busy for a Sunday evening. This place is a meat-lover's haven. Most of the tables had meat from the grill on them. And everyone seems to be enjoying their food. We definitely enjoyed ours.

I've had a delivery via Uber Eats on a number of occasions from this restaurant, and I can honestly say that the food is excellent. I'm hoping to eat at the restaurant in the near future.

I'll be back again, a group of us went , each of us chose different dishes, everything was spot on, excellent food. Service was excellent, they went the extra mile with my daughter knowing kids are fussy she loved it .

Prawn cocktail was very disappointing salad was not fresh. Chicken wrap and chips were nice.

Great place to eat with friends and family with great service.

First time at this restaurant and must say how fantastic it was, the food was excellent as we're the staff, we were very impressed and will be paying another visit soon.

Hard to fault this place. Service is impeccable. Food is always top standard, restaurant is stunning. Been before, went today, and will be back again! Top joint.

Was ok . Doesn't serve Turkish tea or baklava. Where as some restaurants do as a complimentary. Sooo they should do that.

I did like it, and I highly recommend it. The staff were awesome. I will go again 100%.

Just enjoyed an amazing meal at Lara in Anstey. Beautiful food, great atmosphere and really good friendly staff. Great prices and traditional tastes. Will definitely be returning.

Arrived late but as always super food and service

Absolutely gorgeous! Honestly one of the best meals I've had in a while- Thoroughly enjoyed it - everything was delicious and full of flavour! Thank you to all the lovely staff, we will be back again soon!😋💕 x

Our first visit at lunchtime yesterday (30.4.23). Staff friendly, food extremely tasty and portion size was better than expected. Definitely on our list to visit again. What a treat

Amazing food service atmosphere

This place is always wonderful. The food is so fresh and tasty. Simple meals and done so well

First time here and we love it. Will be back soon !! Very tasteful, saksuka is to try :)

Fantastic food and great service a+++++++++++

Food was average, the mixed grill was just that, some of it was great, some of it was like rubber, service was great though

Amazing food and generous portions. And ultimately great value for money.

Ordered a take away and payed a little bit extra for the delivery . The food was delicious ! Worth every single penny .

Although having to wait for the meal,we had some dips with Turkish bread, which was really nice. The service by the waitress was really good and the presentation of the food was excellent. Regarding the atmosphere due to valentines Day, the decor was nicely done .

It is the first time I have had Turkish food in leicester and I was blown away by how excellent it was. I was missing Turkey and this took me right back. Great food, great service. I will be coming again.

Great food and prices. Always great food when I go here.

Visited Lara on a Saturday evening having prebooked a week in advance. Arrived to find no table ready and we're asked to wait whilst one was prepared for us. We were given a table directly in front of the kitchen entrance and directly by the door. As it was a busy restaurant, the door was constantly opened and we were very cold. Every 5 minutes an uber or deliveroo driver arrived and stood right at the side of us waiting to collect their orders. We placed our order and after 30 minutes our starters arrived,and were very nice. A futher 45 minutes later our mains arrived and we were very disappointed 😞 my husband ordered the mix grill which at £20 was not cheap. He could not eat a majority of the meat as it was so tough and fatty. Staff were lovely and polite and were rushed off their feet doing the best they could. To sum up, table was bad, food mediocre, service slow (Arrived 7.30 and finish main at 9.30) staff and decor very pleasant. Would probably try again on a week night to see if any better.

Just returned from our evening meal, wow what a place!! Amazing hot and fresh food, wonderful staff just exceptional quality and value for money.

Really nice food and a good party atmosphere👍

I don’t usually write reviews but feel compelled to after the experience of tonight. We put in an order which said it would be ready at 6pm, I finally walked out of the restaurant at 6:30pm with my food after sitting there for half an hour. Once I got home we had to reheat all the food. Not once did the staff apologise for the ridiculous delay. Utterly disappointing.

Everything was as usual great food and friendly staff.

First order and loved it! Huge portions and amazing food, lovely delivery man too. Look forward to ordering again!

This place is my go to Turkish, always fresh food, clean restaurant with good service

Pre lockdown the staff and music provided the Turkish experience, now there is a distinct lack of Turkish ambiance. Previous visits the food was of a high standard. This visit was very different. The ambiance was as any other restaurant with British pop music playing, British staff who could not answer questions about the Turkish food. The food too was of a less than expected standard, possibly a British chef and not an authentic Turkish chef. There was a remarkable difference in the food standard. Locals too have aired their disappointment.

Very impressed. Decorative ambience. Polite and flexible staff, made food later than anybody else outside the city centre and, did it with a warm welcome. Comprehensive menu, tasty and quite healthy food.

I can never be disappointed of the quality and service at Lara's. Friendly staff and the atmosphere is brilliant. Food price has gone up but that is to be expected with inflation and interest rates. To those who are complaining of increase in price. Show me one business where the price has increased and portion has increased and the they haven't passed on the increase to their customers!!! You just have to look at some times you buy from supermarkets and you will notice increase in price , decrease in size but they make the packaging seem big to deceive those who are not observant. All business are facing the same economic challenges. We as people are facing gas price increases, that doesn't mean we can leave our heaters on 24/7 because the price has gone up, so we should be able to use more. We are all facing challenges beyond our control. Gas companies are passing the increase in cost to us, obviously businesses will pass on price increases to customers, it's LOGIC, it doesn't mean we have to like it. The portion sizes at Lara hasn't changed from before. If Lara didn't increase price and reduced the portion, so customers didn't take the price increase, people will still complain!!!!

Amazing service and fantastic food, we will be back soon.

Frist time here last night food was beautiful staff great place lovely and clean . Cantbwait to go back thank you all for a lovely night x

Complained on opening our takeaway and was told the owner is away and doesn’t know when he is back the owner needs to come back of his holidays and sort the staff and quality issues out ,wrong food given out the quality and presentation very poor used to be my regular but won’t be going back Don’t mind paying if the quality and food is nice .

Great food, great service. Worth a visit, soon become your local.

Fantastic food, and great service. Will definitely recommend.

Take away or dine in. It's great :)

Great food, wine & atmosphere. Prices good. Staff friendly, helpful and attentive.

Amazing ,place lovely friendly staff and food was very tasty ,we had the jumbo platter which was huge ,we didn’t get to eat it all so they gladly boxed it for us to take home ,will deffo be returning .😋

Very nice meal tasty service was good will definitely go back again soon.

Ive been visiting Lara since they first opened as not only is it very convenient I love the food. Contrary to what has been written by others Im not convinced that the prices have gone up by 40 % and I still think for what you pay its still good value for money. Met up with some friends last night at Lara and we all had a fantastic time. One of my friends actually left some of her food because with the rice and salad it was too much. It was busy but the young man who served us looked after us well and as all of the food is cooked to order on the grill, i think you have to accept that there will be some delays when the restaurant is busy. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the restaurant and we have all planned to meet up there again as we had such a nice time. Thanks for looking after us and we will be back !

Very nice restaurant with loads of great food options. Great vegetarian options as well!

My son took me for a Treet ..I can truly say my son and I had a fantastic time fantastic lamb chops wonderful Bread n dips .10/10 head n shoulders above some Turkish restaurants recommend hole heartedly Thankyou Adam

well the + side is the food is still amazing now the - side shocked for the 3rd time how small the portions are yet again sorry laras is it the war ? are we on rations ? £25.60 for two what i can only say were kids sized meals you have just lost someone who spends £100 a mth with you and my family so more like £250 a mth. wakey wakey before your business dies i can see by all the other reviews everyone is thinking the same. we have been loyal customers since the opening night NOT NO MORE!

Lovely food, quick service, professional staff. We will definitely go again

Food is nice but it has got increasingly more expensive over time. £24 for two chicken shish now - these comprise 7 cubes of chicken, some rice, some bread and some sauce. Also there seems to be no difference in price if you dine in or take away.

It's a gem of a restaurant situated in Anstey . Our first visit but definitely not our last . The portion sizes are big so bring a hungry appetite the food is delicious hot and very tasty . The service is excellent and the staff are friendly. The prices are very good value. A lovely Mother's day treat .

Friendly service and brilliant food

First time here and really enjoyed the food lots of choice excellent friendly service and good value for money we will definitely be going here again and would highly recommend for anyone looking for a tasty meal out

Beautiful tasting food in a relaxed atmosphere Reasonably priced too Can't go wrong with Laras

Very disappointed, had a takeaway. The prices have gone up by 40 % and the food portions are smaller. The rice was cold. My meal used to be £7.49 now £10.49 I wouldn't pay £4 for it. Think it may of changed hands but I definitely wont be using them again.

Went here this evening for a meal. Lovely. Definitely recommend and will return again soon.

We had a take away and it was absolutely amazing I would highly recommend trying it. Next time it will be a sit down meal definitely. The staff were great too very friendly. Thanks for a great meal.

Shared a mixed platter with my 3 daughters and there was more than enough for us all. The staff were friendly and attentive, the food was very tasty and well cooked, the salad was nice and fresh and everywhere nice and clean. Small niggle was the small tables which made it difficult to get everything on the table and was very cosy! Good value.

Outstanding food and very good value for money. Great service and nice surroundings. Will certainly go again, would highly recommend

We’re so disappointed with Lara’s tonight !! We have been here a few times before and couldn’t fault it, always be lovely but tonight it was terrible, firstly we were seated next to the toilet, with the door opening and closing every 5 minutes, and it was really drafty. Then the service, it was really busy, but we waited ages to be served and for drinks to come, we got served our starters but was missing bread for the cold mezze and I had to go and ask for it myself, the halloumi was missing from the hot mezze also. We asked for a second drink from 2 different people and after waiting half hour for drinks and over one hour and twenty minutes for our main we’d had enough paid for what we’d had and left feeling gutted as it was a special occasion and it spoiled the evening.

Really great food and great staff. We had a table for 7 last night for our daughters birthday, made to feel really welcome. Recommended.

Very nice food and great service. The food and drinks were reasonabled priced, and the restaurant lay out was good. I look forward to coming again. Recommended. Thank you.