The Otter in North West Leicestershire

Met with relatives for lunch at The Otter a venue which is located 30 mile equi distant between our respective homes. We are delighted to report that the experience was all that we hoped for and more. Located alongside the river Soar provided a picturesque backdrop and the view of the river from our table was spectacular. The interior was clean, spacious and modern. Our waitress Sally was an absolute delight, being prompt to welcome us on our arrival, informative regarding the menu and despite being very busy, always presented with a smile and handled our various requests very professionally with appropriate humour which we were delighted with. The food was served promptly, hot on arrival and delicious to boot. We will repeat the experience sometime soon. Car parking spaces being the only negative to report.

Just returned from lunch at the Otter, the food was excellent and Sally the waitress who served us was exceptional, she is one of the best waitresses we have come across for a longtime. Thank you for a really enjoyable lunchtime, will definitely be back.

Lovely interior and having pre-dinner drinks outside by the river in the summer is a real treat. Always a warm welcome, staff are genuinely friendly and efficient. The main reason we like the Otter though is the food. I do not eat meat and I find that most places in the area aren't that imaginative with the fish and veggie options where as at the Otter I have more choice and better options too (eg-Aubergine Gratin, Sea Bass and Fish Cakes with a yummy Hollandaise Sauce), I like the fact that it's not all chips too. The hubby doe's eat meat and is equally as happy with his options. We visit at least once a month so that says a lot :-)

Clean well run spot overlooking the river. Food was as expected baked Camembert then steak. Would recommend, the young lady that served us was lovely and chatted with my daughter about Uni and nothing too much.

Our 2nd visit and again very disappointed. overcooled good almost burnt. We complained but seemed uninterested. Eventually a small amount taken from our bill. Food is overpriced for what it is. We will avoid niw

We had lunch at this lovely pub on the way and on our return from the airport, lovely friendly staff and the food yummy 😋 will definitely visit again

Brought a friend who is staying with us We asked for a table with river view and not disappointed Even though busy. And on a Monday Service was excellent as was food So well done My wife is now keen to return again!

I arrived with three friends. They ordered the two course lunch and I ordered only one course. Their starters arrived followed by my lunch 2 minutes later. I suppose I could have sent it back and said bring it with theirs but I thought that then it would be cold or reheated. Their main courses were delayed for quite a while for some reason and the waitress gave us all a free top of our drink which was considerate. So eventually their food came and I sat with nothing whilst they ate their main courses and then out came the manager and gave them £10 each for having to wait. Well that's great for them but to be honest I would have felt that as a table of four I should have been compensated for eating alone. I know it's only a small thing but I was upset by this. The food was OK but I felt it was overpriced in the first place... so insult to injury I ended up paying for everything and they got a bargain.

Friendly welcome on arrival, our party of five were shown to the table I requested on booking. Waitress was friendly and efficient. Food and drink more than acceptable. Surroundings clean and modern since refurbishment. Toilets immaculate. Couldn’t ask for more. Thanks.

Came here for a family get together to celebrate my nephews birthday. We arrived early, telling the bar member we were meeting the rest of our party shortly. Straight away, we were asked if it was for a birthday and directed to our seats, anticipating our arrival and telling us we would get table service. We were seated in the main entrance room but well away from other diners, perfect for when the louder family members arrived, I thought. If I was drinking I would have wanted a beer when we arrived and would have grumbled about been directed to sit but upon seating the waitress arrived promptly and took our drinks orders, drinks arriving quickly. She was a young lady called Macy, had a warm and friendly manner, but coupled with speed and efficiency and I thought she did an outstanding job throughout the evening. The rest of the party arrived, food and drinks were ordered. Macy was assisted by a second lady when bringing the food, I guessed the manager as she had an air of authority but was equally efficient - there was a clear effort made to bring all the food together as best could be done and I appreciated the efforts. I had the belly pork and was delighted by the 6inch crackling, but the star was the bon bon, overall a great choice. Other party members opted for prawn skewers which looked nice but proved to be a bit of a faff, a couple picked the lamb skewers also and didn't think there was much meat but their bad decision. After mains a few had desserts and coffees and we had brought our own birthday cake which was brought out by the restaurant team, candles burning and singing, the restaurant team singing with great gusto, almost louder than my extended family, which is a real achievement... Nephew sufficiently embarrassed much to everyone else's delight, handshakes and hugs all round closed the evening, overall a great night and many thanks to the Other and their team for a great contribution to our experience, especially Macy.

Called in to the otter on Sunday 7th April we took our mum for snacks and a coffee.My wife has a gallstone so has to be careful what she eats steff the manager on duty could not be more accommodating went out her way to help and provide a option so considerate and professional . Harry who was the member of staff at the bar was so friendly and equally as helpful many thanks for a lovely few hours .

My wife and I had a lovely meal and enjoyed excellent service. The staff are really friendly and made us feel special. A great environment too with a snug fire and several seating areas providing plenty of space but intimate dining. We will definite be back.

I’ve been coming here for ages and I’ve never reviewed. I always pop in if there’s space in the layby nearby the staff are always really friendly and the beer is always really nice

Amazing place lovely food & service I recommend the signature burger. As the pulled beef brisket is insane. Bethan and Steph my servers We’re both friendly professional yet you could tell both enjoy their jobs. Also a fantastic atmosphere and outside looks amazing I bet it gets very busy in the summer when outside is full. Thank you again for a lovely experience we will be back

Brilliant service and lovely food. Staff was friendly and welcoming. Would definitely recommend so anyone who has never been.

Always love this place and never had a bad experience. The food is always good and as a coeliac the choices are excellent. Staff are always very friendly too. Thank you 👍

A small group of 7 seniors visited The Otter for lunch. They were very happy with the venue, food and service. Thank you. We will be arranging further trips in future.

I don’t like to put a poor review because the staff were so lovely and refunded the dish but I really wouldn’t recommend going here and feel it should be shared. The lamb on skewer was very burned, they kindly replaced it with chicken one because they said that was how the lamb would be but unfortunately brought out the wrong chicken skewer which was slightly spiced (my mum doesn’t like spice) besides this the chips weren’t great nor was the coleslaw and it was pricey for what you get, we won’t return

Haven’t been to the Otter in a good few years. We decided to go for my wife’s Birthday. My wife had the lamb which she said was very nice & I had the Chicken Penang & we had a side order of chips. TBF my curry was not the hottest (temperature wise) & the Jasmine Rice was very clumpy, but nice and flavourful non the less. Also my wife’s plate was chipped, which let’s be honest is not good! Am not a moaner but I’m just trying to give an honest view. It won’t put us off as we have always had loverly meals hear in the past & our server was friendly and chatty. It had been refurbished since the last time we went & it was very tastefully done. Gonna try the F&C’s next time, as they looked smashing coming out to other tables.

Four of us had a really great lunch in this pub. The food was brilliant and the service was impressive. In addition, its location on the river bank makes it a super place to have a meal.

Myself and friends popped in after visiting Twycross Zoo, and we were not disappointed!! Sally was an amazing server, attentive and a great laugh! Once she left, we were looked after by a couple of other people, we didn't get their names but they were all amazing! The food was incredible, from presentation, taste, texture to the portion size. We thoroughly loved our visit, and if we lived closer we would definitely visit more often! Thank you very much to everyone that looked after us and made our visit memorable :)

This was the second visit to this wonderful restaurant, last went the end of January which was my birthday and that was brilliant too. Staff are lovely, always a welcome smile which makes such a difference,, food was delicious and everything cooked to perfection, a friend chose the Sunday lunch which was huge and yummy, plenty of turkey and heaps of well cooked vegetables, her partner had the lamb which he said was lovely, hubby had the signature burger which again was delicious and I had Forestiere chicken breast, doesn't look much when it arrives but was so filling, it's one of my favourites and chose this when we came the first time. All in all a wonderful meal served by wonderful happy staff. Can't wait for our next visit👏👏👏👏👏

Stopped here for Sunday lunch. Warm greeting from Ian upon walking in and shown straight to our table. Menus delivered and explained and drinks order taken. Drinks delivered promptly. Our mains arrived quickly and all meat cooked to perfection - big portions and tasted excellent. Fudge brownie pudding was large and finished us off! Cat served us and was charming throughout. Thank you.

Food was ok but well over priced....services wasn't brilliant....overall a bit pretentious n you can get as good a Sunday dinner at loads of other places far more reasonable

We hadn’t been to The Otter since it was refurbished. It was very busy on a Sunday lunchtime. Good choice on the menu lovely roast dinner and a reasonably priced bottle of fleurie. The only negative were the soggy roast potatoes. Desert was the highlight - a white choc mango pavlova that was a delight to look at and to eat.

Good experience as nice food great views , beer is on the pricey side though but worth the monies , staff also fantastic thank you sally Steph and callum

First visit back to the Otter after its refurb, we were pleasantly surprised how lovely it looked. Huge special mention to our server Sally who was very helpful and friendly and made our meal a fantastic experience. She made some spot on recommendations and we had a great meal.

Chicken forestier was delicious and overlooking the river very pleasurable experience lovely atmosphere fantastic service

Had an amazing lunch served by rouchelle & steph. Chicken skewer & sticky toffee pudding very good. Will visit again. Highly recommended! Service was very good.

Our first visit and we weren’t disappointed. The Staff were very friendly with varied menu for all tastes. Impressed with Vegan options. Service provided by Rochelle, Jess & Macy was first class. We Will definitely revisit.

The place locked far better on the inside than the external aspect might suggest. Very clean, tables well spaced out, and a superb view across the riven. The staff were exceptionally cheerful & attentive ( the manager would do well to retain these !). The car park was a tad awkward to navigate - there are more spaces than it first appears. The food was well cooked and well presented, although the prices were a tad on the high side. As is often the case I found the dessert options to b unimaginative and overpriced. The drinks menu was comprehensive if you were seeking an alcoholic beverage, but non-alcoholic options were restricted to the standard fizzy offerings.

Had a lovely lunch here on Sunday. Have been before and always enjoyed it. Great location on side of the river, even on a Winter’s day I feel this enhanced the experience. Nice decor, very clean and great friendly service. Loved the food choice and quality. Will definitely be back again soon. Thank you.

We love to call in here for one of their tasty burgers and the extremely warm welcome we always receive from Sally. The Otter has a great atmosphere with a lovely fire going making it feel very cosy. It’s always a nice experience to visit.

We had a lovely meal at the Otter today - a family of 5 and we found something for everyone. The children loved the kids fish and chips and chicken nuggets followed by a chocolate brownie and the adults had beautifully cooked steak ciabatta sandwiches....

Lovely late lunch here! Perfect spot for a get together with friends. Great food and service spot-on. Will be back ❤️

I haven’t been to the Otter in a while now and since my last visit it has had as the kids say now “a glow up” tastefully refurbished keeping its rural and homely feel. It was pretty busy for a lunchtime between Christmas and new year the period when nobody seems to know what day it is! The entire restaurant floor seemed to covered by just the one waitress (Sally) she stood still just about long enough for me to catch her name. This server seems to be there every time we visit and she does stick in your memory as apparently you do with her! Well least that’s how you’re made to feel with her friendly chat and questions of how you are? Nice Christmas? Etc no doubt the one thousandth time she’s asked but genuinely seems interested in your answer. Food was very good as always (Crispy Chicken Burger) although the main reason for anyone to visit in my opinion is the environment and the atmosphere like eating out but with all the home comforts….

Great lunch in a relaxed environment. Food was excellent and the atmosphere was exactly right for our friends catch up.

very friendly staff and a comfortable spacious bar and restaurant area. good choice on the menu from Pizza to a 'proper' lunch. good Timothy Taylor beer which was very well kept, it showed. Very efficient staff too.

Lovely restaurant in great location, and picturesque setting next to the river. Great food and wonderful service from Sally. Relaxed atmosphere and no rush to vacate table after meal. Highly recommended. Thanks to all staff.

Visited Boxing Day: Staff were so attentive, they changed my chair with no fuss as I was struggling after a fall at home. Sally our waitress was very friendly and did everything to please. The food was delicious, hot and was beautifully presented. I had...

Food was amazing and the service from Melanie made our experience even more amazing and fun…second visit and look forward to my third!

Fantastic food and service. Quite possibly the best chips that I have ever had. Melanie served us and was brilliant.

Excellent lunch. Melanie our server was great, attentive, helpful and good fun. All meals were lovely.

Another lovely evening at the Otter, great meal, very good beer & looked after by our favourite waitress, Melanie xxxxx

Amazing food and lovely atmosphere. Nice country pub with amazing service form Melenie. Couldn't ask for better service.

lovely pub, very friendly staff. excellent food service with a smile even though it was extremely busy

Been a while since we have been to the Otter and as we were visiting the area we booked for lunch and certainly not disappointed. The restaurant has been refurbished since our last visit and it great. Mel our waitress was exceptional, friendly, knowledgeable and...

Amazing trio of a Sunday dinner, all cooked to perfection and service from Sally was 5* nothing was to much to ask for. Lively settings. Warm and clean restaurant. Thank you

restaurant all trimmed up , mulled cider delicious food definitely recommend also the service was fabulous

We have been here many times, as a wheelchair user they are always very accommodating. The service and food excellent and the views over the canal are lovely. Melanie generally serves us and is always wonderful. Fantastic venue.

Gorgeous, relaxed place with a proper fire and a genuine warm welcome. Fabulous service and delicious food. What a find! Definitely recommend.

Fab service Melanie in particular was a real star - looked after us a treat - defo worth a visit - and thanks Melanie.! Lovely food & wine in a great pub setting.

Nice pub good food and Melanie was really attentive and helpful will be returning soon would recommend it to everyone

Been here several times. This was our golden wedding anniversary. Service by Melanie was excellent and very friendly. We'll definitely be back

Pleasant surroundings, polite and attentive staff and nice food, although I thought that the drinks were a bit pricey. This would have been a five star review but when we visited there were more than a few menu dishes that were ‘off’ due to being...

My daughter and I had lunch here as I was flying from East Midlands back to Ireland. The reviews on Trip Advisor were so good we couldn’t wait to get there. We were not disappointed! We sat in comfortable chairs near the fire. Sally was...

Top class visit to The Otter. Server Mel was absolutely fantastic and recommended some really nice dishes. The pork belly was cooked to perfection, brilliant dish that could not be faulted. I’d have it daily if I could. Coupled with the spot on Mac &...

Just on the spot visit hadn’t booked but the gentleman found us a table anyway. Friendly staff couldn’t do enough. We saw signature burger and decided to give it a try. I have to say was the nicest burger we have ever had! Macy was...

Absolutely wonderful. Food, staff, atmosphere. Top notch. We will definitely come again! Melanie out waitress was fabulous.

Loving the refurbishment, the environment is warm and welcoming, with cozy nooks and log burning fires; the epitome of a country pub. With staff who are friendly and helpful. The menu is filled with classics which sound delicious but the hot beef brisket sandwich is...

Good food, Excellent service from Melanie Good prices. will definitely go again next time we are that way.

Lovely place very welcoming and cosy inside. Excellent location especially in the summer months. Food was excellent and great value for money, staff were friendly helpful and attentive. Would highly recommend a visit, we will definitely be returning.

The food and service were excellent, despite being very busy. We were waited on by Melanie who was very nice and really looked after us well. The four of us had different dishes, they arrived together, were really well presented, beautifully cooked. Highly recommend this...

We haven't been to the Otter since before it's makeover, so we thought we'd give it a try. We weren't disappointed. The place has a warmer feel to it, somehow. The food was excellent and reasonably priced. We were served by Melanie, who is everything...

Myself and the family went out Saturday evening. Have a lovely table of eight in the bar with a dog, 2 duck parfait, starters followed by predominantly steaks, all cooked perfectly! Our waitress Jenna was lovely attentive and nothing was too much trouble Thankyou

My wife and I had a lovely meal in nice surroundings. Excellent service from our waitress Melanie! Will definitely be going back again.

was driving past when I spotted the Otter, so I stopped in for a coffee and realise they were serving brunch so had a beef brisket hash, which was beautiful, diced crispy potatoes and food beef brisket with a poached egg was delicious sat outside...

Superb service from Melanie, really friendly and helpful with good sense of humour. Would definitely recommend

We visited the Otter last night we have been many times before but sadly the extremely cold and miserable woman at the desk made us turn round and walk out ! We could not see anyone so walked round and saw this woman I think...

Melanie the waitress was absolutely lovely and really looked after us. Lunch while the girls where at ragdale. Food was fantastic with great selection. Wine recommendation by Melanie was fabulous. 5stars well deserved.

Our charming waitress Melanie took great care of us. Evidently she enjoys a glass of wine when she finishes a shift.

Really nice meal - our server melanie was knowledgeable, very attentive and provided great service. We will be back soon I hope.

Went for lunch with my husband - not the first time we’ve been. As usual the food was spot on - as was the yummy Baileys Latte 😊 Macy, our waitress, was great - professional, attentive and chatty. There is a welcoming friendly atmosphere. By...

We visited again for lunch today but with friends this time. We all thoroughly enjoyed the food and drink from a menu with lots of choice. It's a well appointed and comfortable pub/restaurant and we were very well looked after by Melanie who was friendly,...

Despite the humid weather, my partner and I fancied a roast dinner but due to the temperature and not wanting to put the oven on, we decided to eat out. I must say we wish we hadn't. We both ordered roast dinners, the turkey tasted...

Nice pub in nice setting with very good quality food, good selection of drinks, and fast, friendly service. Recommended.

Lovely pub we were staying at an airport hotel but got the bus to Kegworth. The setting is very nice with a riverside terrace Inside very nicely furnished. Staff very friendly. Meals were very nice. Will definitely be back when flying from East Midlands

We were visiting friends on their narrow boat nearby so decided to call in to the Otter to have an evening meal on our way back home. It was very busy but we were given a very warm welcome and a table was available. The...

Absolutely beautiful, lovely restaurant and setting, food was fantastic, Melanie our waitress and server was helpful,polite, friendly and funny, she was really lovely,an all round fantastic place

Lovely pub ,food is really nice and served quickly. The waitress Melanie is really pleasant and was very helpful especially with the reward app,she is very friendly without being over the top. Will definitely return.

Visited many times- good menu selection and food delicious! Had the skewers- yummy!! Served by Melanie- excellent service, friendly and professional. Will definitely return.

Good job I booked in advance as it got very busy not long after we arrived. It only has a smallish, tight car park. The location however is perfect by the side of the River Soar. The decor is pleasant and the staff very friendly...

Lovely food, no long waits and great service. Pleasant atmosphere too. All of the food was great. thankyou Melanie;)

Had a terrible meal, my husband’s came out really poor quality and tasteless, sauce like water; managed to get it changed to a burger, but he then spent the rest of the evening on the toilet which lead to no sleep and terrible stomach pains!...

Had booked a table for dinner and upon arrival we were greeted in a very friendly way and taken to our reserved table. The environment is great and the food was superb. we all had a shared platter to start with which we really enjoyed...

What a wonderful place, beautifully decorated and has a wonderful atmosphere. Staff were amazing so helpful and friendly, the menu had a great selection and our server Melanie wss wonderful, we felt well looked after and she made sure our glasses were never empty and...

Excellent service by Melanie very attentive and personable, helpful, good recommendations on the fries. Amazing food. Great lunch

Great setting, smart, tasteful interior and extremely friendly, enthusiastic and attentive staff. The food was absolutely fantastic - very tasty, perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. We visited for my Dad's 85th Birthday, I mentioned this to the staff on arrival and they presented him a...

Not been here for years as we live some distance away. The welcome and food was excellent. Special thanks to Cat who served us.

Lovely food for family meal that included two young children. Melanie, our server, was excellent and accommodated all our special requests for the youngsters. Will definitely use this venue again.

Melanie is an absolutely fabulous waitress! Makes the meal a perfect dining experience. Very attentive and well mannered and extremely friendly

Lovely family meal, Melanie looked after us brilliantly! Calamari was soft and well cooked, scallops were also fantastic.

First time at the otter, and it was lovely, beautiful place, great decor inside, we were served by Melanie. who was soooo nice and very helpful with our menu. the food is fantastic quality.!!!!

Lovely meal and excellent service with Melanie who was very polite and attention. Meal was delivered in good time, well presented and warm

Hadn’t been to The Otter for a while but have to say that the new decor inside and outside has made it even better. Spoke to Beth who found us a table and was amazing Would recommend

Met up with friends here. Was looked after expertly by Melanie who couldn't do enough to make our visit enjoyable. The food was good too. Fully recommend.

Really nice atmosphere. Décor is lovely. Food was spot on. Service was really good, Melanie really looked after us, professional but friendly and very attentive but not over the top! thanks for a great experience.

Food was delicious and very well presented. Smart interior with good atmosphere and views of the river. Our waitress Melanie, was friendly, polite and very attentive. She made some excellent food recommendations and did a brilliant job looking after her customers.

Great Tuesday night dinner - served by the lovely Melanie :-), good food, especially desserts & enjoyed our rosé. Will be back!

The whole experience tonight was absolutely fantastic we were made very welcome from walking through the door.our waitress was exceptional and she made us all feel very welcome with a huge smile. The food was excellent throughout starters mains and sweets, we will definitely return...