Leicester has become a bit of a sporting paradise in recent years. The famous, 5000/1 Premier League title victory in 2015 was followed up with an FA Cup win in 2021 for Leicester City Football Club. Now in 2022, the Leicester Tigers rugby union team has added to the city’s sporting achievements with a Premiership title.
As well as sporting royalty, Leicester is also home to snack royalty with the city being the birthplace of Walkers Crisps. Of course, everyone knows that a packet of crisps is the perfect accompaniment to a good, old fashioned pint of beer. So, whether you are a fan of kicking a ball or picking it up and chucking it about, this list of the best pubs near the King Power Stadium and Welford Road are just the ticket you need for a good day out.
The Counting House
40 Almond Road, Leicester, LE2 7LH
We start the list with the allocated pub for away football fans, the Counting House. This Greene King pub is just a short walk from the King Power, as well as a short distance from Welford Road, making it an ideal choice no matter which sport you are watching. There is a range of beers and ciders on offer, as well as a choice of food, as you’d expect from any Greene king.
Local Hero
84 Aylestone Road, Leicester, LE2 7LB
Equally well-positioned, and strangely just a one minute walk from the previous pub, is another Greene King establishment – the Local Hero. As with the above, there is a choice of drinks and food, as well as TVs showing live sport. The only catch is that on Leicester City matchdays, the Local Hero is open to home fans only.
The High Cross
103 – 105 High Street, Leicester, LE1 4JB
Another chain pub, this time in the city centre, is The High Cross. This Wetherspoons has every refreshment you’d want from a trip to the pub, whether that’s food, ale, cider, beer, cocktails, or spirits. As with any Spoons, you know what you are in for.
The Corn Exchange
1 Corn Exchange, Leicester, LE1 5GG
The second Spoons pub on the list is The Corn Exchange, another city centre establishment conveniently located for any and all fans. As with the above, there’s a range of food and drink on offer. As you may have guessed, the pub is a converted corn exchange, which makes it one of the more visually impressive pubs on the list.
Passion Blend & Hindbar
49 – 51 London Road, Leicester, LE2 0PD
Known as The Hind, Passion Blend & Hindbar is a top choice for fans travelling into Leicester via train. Located directly opposite Leicester station, this gastro pub offers a range of drinks, as well as food for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. There’s a choice of classic pub grub and international favourites. Best of all, away fans are welcome, so this is certain to be one of the best pre-game atmospheres if that is what you are looking for.
The Kings Head
36 King Street, Leicester, LE1 6RL
A 15-20 minute walk from the King Power is The Kings Head, a traditional pub serving up bar snacks, pub games, and real ale. There are TVs showing both Sky Sports and BT Sport, a log fire, an outdoor seating area, and regular entertainment.
The Ale Wagon
16 – 18 Millstone Lane, Leicester, LE1 5JN
If real ale is what you’re after, then look no further than The Ale Wagon. The family-owned pub dates back to the 1800s and serves up an ever-changing selection of real ales, including locally and internationally brewed ale. Of course, there’s also a range of other drinks on offer, but this is a top choice for the real ale lovers out there.
Blue Boar
27 Rutland Street, Leicester, LE1 1RE
Another popular choice for ale drinkers is the Blue Boar. Leicester’s CAMRA pub of the year for 2018, 2019, and 2020, the Blue Boar is a micropub offering a selection of real ales, fine ciders, fine wine, and bar snacks. Expect this one to get busy on any given matchday.
O’Neill’s Leicester
16 – 20 Loseby Lane, Leicester, LE1 5DR
Moving away from real ale pubs back to chain pubs, the next pub on our list is O’Neill’s. This chain pub offers all the usual benefits of food and a wide range of drinks. The handy city centre location makes it another choice for a few quick pints before the big game.
The Loaded Dog
144 London Road, Leicester, LE2 1ED
The Loaded Dog is primarily a student pub, so expect to find decent food and drink for reasonable prices. It is also popular as a venue to watch live sport due to the massive big screen, 10 flat screen TVs, plus an outdoor TV showing any and all sports on both Sky Sports and BT Sport. Serving food until 10pm, this pub is a great option for either pre- or post-game pints (or both!) and has a wide variety of entertainment, including pool tables, interactive boxing machine, quiz and fruit machines, retro gaming systems and more.
