The Lighthouse

Just off the A6 south of Leicester and painted in coastal teal and white, The Lighthouse is unusual in its decision to specialise in seafood, right in the heart of the English countryside. Yet fresh fish is shipped in overnight from Cornwall and transformed with finesse into delicious dishes worth stopping for.

The restaurant is the brainchild of Sarah and Lino Poli, who separated it from their sister Italian restaurant - Boboli - and settled in what used to be Kibworth’s violin maker’s house; how many villages can claim to have a violin maker?!

Inside is cosy and familiar, service is second-to-none and the food is widely fêted for its global influence: Thai fish soup, spaghetti with lobster bisque, cheese soufflé with smoked haddock. And of course they do a mean fish and chips with batter made from local Langton Brewery beer. Vegetarians and meat eaters need not feel left out either: there are plenty of plant and meat based choices, and options of nibbles and mains mean there’s something for every appetite.