Restaurant preparing to open in former cafe by GCR

A NEW Indian restaurant and cocktail bar is to open in the county soon.

Twenty1 is being launched alongside the Great Central Railway, at the Greenacres site to the north of Leicester.

According to bosses, customers can look forward to authentic Indian food, with a range of curries, along with chef’s specials, such as masala lobster. Prash Barber, one of the two directors, told the Mercury: “We want to serve all the dishes people love from a good Indian restaurant, but we want to add dishes, such as masala lobster and meat thali, that other Indian restaurants don’t serve.”

Prash has a background in the automotive industry and law enforcement, having spent 10 years as a special constable for Leicestershire Police. He said opening a restaurant was the realisation of an ambition for both him and his fellow director, Neil Sidhpara. “Both my business partner and I have always wanted to open a restaurant, as we appreciate fine drinks and cuisine and we wanted to create our own,” said Prash. “The moment we saw this venue, we both knew it was the right one for us.”

The restaurant is opening in what was the Met Cafe. Its chef has previously worked for the Indian celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor at his restaurant in Dubai, and at the Taj Lands End hotel in Mumbai.

Twenty1 will be given a “modern vintage” look, said Prash and will offer a range of drinks from wines and beers to cocktails, including some using dry ice and other elements to add a bit of theatre to the experience.

Twenty1 is due to open next month.