The Otter in North West Leicestershire

Atmosphere, service, menu selection, quality and cleanliness were excellent.

The food taste & speed of service (including a very welcome delay between main course & dessert 😋) price & ambience were just faultless - a fabulous Christmas meal.

10/10 Christmas dinner served by Ollie :)

If I’m honest on the whole we love visiting this restaurant/bar when we travel from East Midlands airport however this time we felt a bit disappointed with the food quality and also this time of year running out of things is just crazy when it’s obvious you are going to need/sell it we hope we have a better experience as we usually do next time we visit

My wife and I booked an early evening Friday meal and we're highly delighted. The atmosphere since the refurbishment is delightful and we seemed to hit a sweet spot between afternoon and evening rush so was not overly crowded. We had a lovely waitress called Macy who was very personable. The food was extremely tasty, I had pate and slow cooked pork and my wife had hot camembert with mushrooms followed by lamb skewer. Then we shared a trillionares dessert , all very scrumptious.

the waiter Ollie is very helpful and nice I recommend visiting here

Excellent gastro pub grub and good beer. Let down by car park being too small

The food is always spectacular here! On this occasion I had the buttermilk chicken burger and my dad had the fishcakes with new potatoes and broccoli. We both really enjoyed our meals - absolutely beautiful! The service was brilliant - Sally was really attentive, communicated well with us when taking our order and bringing over our drinks/ food. But most importantly she made us feel very welcome during our visit. So thank you very much Sally! The atmosphere was lovely, I must note that the fire wasn’t on this time but it was still cosy inside the pub. The decor has changed since I last visited and it looks brill, very modern looking and welcoming. Thanks so much! We will be back again :)

Amazon food at good prices! Vanessa and Beth were lovely and served us very fast! Great restaurant!

Amazing dining experience! We had the grain and green salad with chicken and the lamb rump, both so delicious we didn’t even remember to take pictures of the dishes when they arrived! Big portions for sensible prices, quality ingredients and delicious! Vanessa and Beth were very friendly and the food arrived very fast! Will come back to try their deserts very soon!

Lovely food. Served by Mel who was really lovely. The refurbished restaurant looks gorgeous.

Visited The Otter with my family and friends again recently. As before the staff are very friendly and helpful. There’s plenty of food to enjoy and something for even the pickiest of 12yo’s! The portion size was very generous, after main and pudding we were all full!

Food was very good. Highlight was the service provided by Amy as the waiter for my table

Really enjoyed my breakfast, high quality food and friendly staff. Will visit again :)

An excellent, well run establishment.

Lovely food, lovely location and great friendly service from Sally!

Sally was wonderful, exceptional service. Great food, lovely celebration meal

Not the best roast for a vintage Inn. The restaurant was freezing which wasn’t the best start. The squid starter was lovely but the roast was a bit of a let down. The meal was barely warm served on cold plates. Roast potatoes weren’t crunchy and the beef was well done boarding over cooked. Presentation was ok but a luke warm roast in a cold restaurant is not ideal.

Just the best pub dinning experience. Everything quality and everyone happy in their work and happy with their customers. The food and drink is the big draw but this is supported by a fantastic service.

Lovely River side gastro pub near Kegworth. It came recommended by a friend. The lovely internal decor and Log fire makes it a good destination for a lunchtime trip in the winter. With its riverside tables it must be a great place to visit in the summer. two real ales- Doom bar and Timothy Taylor's plus good tasting alcohol free bottled stuff. Sally our waitress was very friendly helpful and entertaining- great service. I would be interested if it would be suitable as a destination for a country walk. Sadly the Soar Navigation tow path is in the opposite bank.

Had lunch today at The Otter with two friends. The food was excellent and the service outstanding from Sally. I've had Sally as a waitress before and she maintains that excellent standard of service at all times. Efficient, helpful and friendly, a credit to the team. 5*+

Nice pub and good basic pub food. Service by Sally was excellent.

The pub was lovely the food we all had was amazing the only complaint i had was we had to ask for the cream that came with the cheesecake but it was lovely 😍

Had a lovely meal, veggie roast dinner was delicious, and great service from Amy! Thank you!

Lovely classic feel very clean with a real open fire lovely night eating our meals next to the fire well recommended

We have a lovely meal at The Otter. Our server Ollie was friendly and attentive and the food was nice.

Great atmosphere, food, drinks, and the best service ever from Sally, our fun and friendly knowledgeable server. Definitely worth visiting!

had a lovely lunch served by the very patient amy. the staff were accommodating of the celiac in our party and the camembert in particular was delicious.

Thanks Sally had a wonderful evening, all thanks to your lovely service

A splendid riverside location not far from J24 M1 which offers a great dining experience

The staff are lovely, and the food is OK.

Great place for a quick bite + some drinks

The service from sally was exceptional, great food great service would definitely recommend.

Sally was great. Slick service.

We extremely enjoyed our lunch time visit to The Otter. The atmosphere was so cosy for the autumnal day. The food was really tasty. The staff served us with a smile. Sally in particular was friendly, approachable and gave us great customer service.x

Great food & Service from Sally

Nice visit at lunch time. Food was nice, log fire was lovely and the staff were great. Particularly Sally! Well visit again!

Loved this place .favourite of mine .we were passing n said we book in .we live 40 mins away but arranging to go back before Christmas. It's a must if anyone never been before

I had lunch today and was impressed. My compliments to the chef for the gorgeous pork belly I had. The service was outstanding across the board. Can’t say enough lovely things about the Otter. I highly recommend a visit it you are in the area.

Good food frendley staff first class AA discount to be had

Very personable staff. Eating alone with a crossword for company. Nice buzz. Will definitely return in spring to sit by the water.

The menu was varied. But a couple of dishes were not available. The food was hot when received. Everyone enjoyed their food.

Really nice pub, was a chance find.

The food was amazing nice friendly staff

Chicken Parmagiana and gluten free fish and chips were brilliant 👏

Service and atmosphere were exemplary. The food looked fancy but was really lacking in some areas. Garlic mushrooms on top of a nice piece of bread made it soggy and gross. Very easy fix. The feta salad had only two bits of feta that weren't much bigger than a grain of rice, for the price this is a real con. The halloumi skewer was very good, however. The others I was with were much more disappointed in their mains than I. I guess it was just a busy service so corners were cut on the food and at the pass, but the price stayed the same. If it was quieter I'd probably give a second chance on the food.

Perfect pub for a family meal, food was fantastic with beautiful presentation and even better taste. Staff were great very friendly and welcoming. The location has great views in an idyllic setting. Will definitely go again

I only went to book a meal, it looks a lovely friendly place, good choice of food on the menu, a really nice atmosphere, am looking forward to going for a meal ,

Very venue to enjoy a Sunday Lunch

1st time visitors and we enjoyed Sunday meal. I had lamb and all was flavourful. Park was tight as all was taken so waited for someone to leave, which means must be popular

Very professional high-quality food beautiful views would highly recommend 10 out of 10 for the staff it’s not how you get in the doo doo it’s how you get out thanks guys see you soon

Excellent food quality served really quickly

Lovely food and drinks options were plentiful! The service was fantastic too, all staff were very friendly. Lovely atmosphere and a great setting, lovely decor with such a welcoming feel. We will definitely be returning!

We were greeted by a smileng,friendly staff member. Although a little early our table was ready and we were quickly shown to our seats. Drinks and food was promptly served and everything was fresh and extremely tasty.

Food very good and very tasty. U had the morrican spiced chicken skewer and my friend had the fillet steak...both delicious. We're going to book a Christmas meal there. Service good and nothing was too much trouble.

Surprisingly nice and modern inside, we enjoyed a very tasty meal from a decent menu. Staff were really friendly and contributed a nice atmosphere inside.

Lovely place. We had dinner, food was great. Would like to go again in the day as it is right next to the river but too dark to see properly. Well worth another visit.

Very nice food and good menu and very friendly and helpful team

Excellent place for a meal. Good service, staff very attentive and lovely surroundings. Will return. Thank you 😊

Dropped in for a drink and a snack.

Lovely pub with a great range of food. Server could not have been friendlier.

Very nice food. Looks like the decor has been updated too since last visit.

Visited for dinner whilst staying nearby for a race at Donington Park. Excellent meal and service.

Delicious food and excellent service.

What a great first impression ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ fish and chips were amazing as was the view of the river. Staff are lovely 👍

A very decent Meal here tonight. Chicken and mushroom pie and fish/chips. The Viognier at£26 was good too. Staff very helpful and welcoming. Nice decor and right in the river - shame weather was crap. Would def return.

Amazing food and atmosphere. Perfect place to spend a sunny evening after work

Used it many times, always excellent and beyond.

We have been there quite a few times. Never had any problems with service or the food. Staff are helpful and polite. Recommend it.

In search of a kids and dog friendly pub which would serve food on a Sunday evening, we were recommended to check out "The Otter" on the August Bank Holiday weekend in 2024. It was a great recommendation. Right at the door, we felt welcome with our dog with a variety of dog treats and we swiftly got a table for me, two kids and the dog at the Windows with view on the river. It was a great spot, great atmosphere with very friendly staff. To top it all, the food was also great and way above the average pub food. The kids enjoyed their kids menu which had the perfect portion size for a 9 year old. We had a great time and would love to come back. Our dog relaxed very quickly...and gave the bar staff a bit of a hard time getting out.... but nobody complained.

I love this place, been a few times and never been disappointed, the food is fantastic the service is brilliant and I love the feel of the place as its relaxed.

Just decided to pop in - via the river en route to another location, but Ollie the bar man made us so welcome we decided to eat there this evening not only was the food amazing but Ollie made us feel so welcome and relaxed, I’m sure we stayed longer and spent more - Thank you Ollie our bellies are full Of delicious food and service - couldn’t of asked for more, hope to see you again on our way back down river xx 10/10 xxx

Nice food, pleasant staff, nice location on the river. Slightly tricky car park with confusing signage. Part of the Vintage Inn chain.

Ok pub grub. Staff were friendly. Good choice on the menu. Good service.

I don't normally write a review however as lovely as the staff and the place and location is the sunday dinner left a lot to be desired.. the roast potatoes were as if they were 2 days old and yellow inside, the meat and yorkshire pudding were cold … very disappointed

Breakfast was fantastic. And the server was even better. (I think it was Sally 🤔)

Lovely food and good service. Able to have lunch and not be rushed from table. Nice location with good views.

Service was lovely and our waitress was very attentive. Unfortunately 2 of our Sunday lunches had to be returned to be heated as arrived 'cool', they were microwaved and came back lovely and warm. Unfortunately our main feedback is we were very rushed, and after our main course did ask for a short break as we felt rushed to order puds and get gone. We thought we would get 1.75 to 2 hours for the meal but felt we were being pushed through to leave in an hour and a quarter with staff keep standing at the end of our table and looking at their watches. We did not notice this same behaviour with all tables/guests.

Food was pricy but it was worth it. Appart from the chips, both skinny and fat chips, which let down the food. Both tasted like they were left over from prior day and had been heated in the microwave.

Fantastic meal, fantastic service. Will be visiting again 👍👍

Lovely restaurant and bar on the canal. Great choice of food in the week and a amazing Sunday Lunch too. The staff are really friendly and welcoming.

First time trying The Otter tonight for a family meal and we were not disappointed! The staff and atmosphere were very welcoming. Definitely recommend booking as it was very busy and even overheard staff saying the restaurant was fully booked (it was a sunny Sunday evening). We were quickly shown to our table and the service was quick and friendly, special mention goes out to Ollie who was our sever- quick, friendly, and efficient service and honestly felt like we were being served by a friend! There was a great selection of food and drink both of very high quality. Definitely would recommend this place and WILL be returning there in the near future!

We were in the area and booked a table online on the way home from a day out and what a find this was! The staff were very attentive. Handed my 2 children colouring sheets without needing to be requested. We had starters and main courses and the children had pudding. All the food was delicious but my slow roasted pork belly was divine! Highly recommend for couples and families.

Great pub with nice atmosphere. Service was quick friendly and the food was tasty and well presented. We were welcomed and made to feel welcome. The belly pork was cooked to perfection......

Never written a review before for anywhere but felt the need to say something about this one. We decided to have a little drive out for a Sunday lunch in the sunshine. The setting is absolutely beautiful, we sat outside by the canal. However, the food left a lot to be desired. I would’ve been happy to pay around £12-15 for these meals but there is a huge gulf between the quality and price. I hope the food improves because it’s such a nice location.

First time visiting here, all I can say is, wow. The service provided by our server, Olly, was top notch. The food was fantastic. There was no pressure for us to finish and leave, a lovely relaxing evening. We will be back and probably take the dogs with us next time. Thanks to the team at The Otter 👍👍

Rather underwhelmed by the food. The halloumi kebab was good, but there wasn't much humous and bread. They also forgot to add the tatsiki. Slow service but pleasant staff. Not worth the cost though.

The service was brilliant, we were looked after by Macy, but the food I had was mediocre. I had the fishcakes which were ok, but the potatoes were dry and flavourless, and one had some sort of paper on.

Beer garden looking out over the river was the perfect spot for a family feed after a long drive. Based on the reviews we picked this place at random and could not have been happier. Lovely service and the food was stunning. Some of the best pub food we've had in the UK. We got a great cross section of the menu, crab cake, soup of the day, lamb kebab, prawn kebab, calamari and chicken and bacon salad. All of it so tasty! And for plane nerds, it's directly under the approach path for easy Midlands Airport. Should have got some food photos 🤦🏼‍♂️

A wonderful country pub with great food and fantastic staff.

Super friendly staff, great food, amazing views and lots of car and boat parking spots. Highly recommend!

Lovely place for a drink and/or a meal. Welcoming staff and great decor. I will visit again.

The first time we came here I loved the Green and Grains salad with the pineapple and ginger dressing with chicken. I raved about it to my friends and wished I had the recipe for the dressing. However, I had it again and unfortunately the chicken was so dry I couldn't eat it. The staff were very understanding and replaced it. Disappointingly when the second came out over 20 minutes later everyone else had finished their meal. When the salad arrived, the chicken was freshly cooked but the salad was awful. It tasted bitter, there wasn't enough dressing on it and there was little butternut squash and it was mostly iceberg lettuce with very little else compared with the first one. I'm not the sort of person to leave food but I couldn't eat it. My partner had the calamari, which was over salted and dry. My mother-in-law's pork belly was dry...potentionally from being let under the heat lamp for too long. For starters the chicken liver pate was tasty but not enough bread for the amount of pate. It was more busy that usual so the poor quality was probably because of the extra time pressures. The staff were very friendly and helpful and offered a refund/dessert. The views of the river are beautiful here. The music is enjoyable and not too intrusive.

Popped in for Sunday lunch, first time off visiting, i was very impressed with the service received. Very relaxed atmosphere. Definitely would go again. There's is outside seating by the Riverside. Free car parking.

Very welcoming and friendly staff, excellent food quality, we really enjoyed our visit

Fabulous service from Beth and the team

Amazing Location, delicious food Will definitely visit again

Everything was exceptional. The staff were welcoming and friendly. The food was sumptuous and the service was also excellent. Will definitely be returning…

Lovely meal with friends at The Otter, menu pleasantly a bit different to usual pub menu, food very good, staff friendly. Good atmosphere, clean pub, and the candles/oil lamps were lit around the pub when we arrived...much appreciated, at most pubs you are greeted by a dead nightlight. We shall return.

Average food, service was quick .