Leicester Mercury

Restaurant out to make fine dining affordable

- By BECKY JONES rebeccajon­es@leicesterm­ercury.co.uk @JournoBeck­y

FINE dining that will not break the bank is the goal of a new restaurant.

The venue, +263, has launched in the Highcross Street premises formerly occupied by Indian restaurant Lilu.

Chef Keith Sadomba said his eclectic menus are inspired by multicultu­ral Leicester, with Asian, French, Japanese and English influences.

He said: “I want to offer a fine dining experience that’s accessible to everyone.

“At the moment, the prices are too much so that when people look at fine dining restaurant­s, they think ‘okay, I don’t want to go there,’ and they end up going to the chains.

“We’re offering two concepts. Every Thursday, we have a blind taster menu, which is £27 for five courses, then Friday and Saturday, we’re offering an eight-course taster menu priced at £36.

As part of the experience, the dishes will be served and explained by the chefs.

“Our menu is vegetable-driven. We offer meat as a supplement, but the focus is on a plant-based menu,” Keith said.

“With vegetables, there’s a lot you

EIGHT-COURSE TASTER MENUS ON OFFER AT A NEW CITY VENUE

can do. We use different processes, so you can get barbecued vegetables, fermented vegetables.

“There’s lots of flavours on each plate.”

Keith began his career 10 years ago, learning his craft in Michelin starred restaurant­s in London, before moving to Leicester and becoming head chef at The White Peacock.

He was there for three years, during which time the restaurant twice won the Best Fine Dining award at the Leicesters­hire Tourism and Hospitalit­y Awards.

He said +263 – named for the country dialling code of his native Zimbabwe – would allow him to further explore his own style of cooking.

There is a zero waste policy, so for example, on the eight-course taster menu, the snacks will be made from the scraps left from the vegetables.

+263 is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 5.30pm until 9.30pm.

 ?? CHRIS GORDON ?? CONCEPT: Keith Sadomba in +263
CHRIS GORDON CONCEPT: Keith Sadomba in +263

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