When the weather is super hot and extra melty, I really don’t want to be anywhere near the kitchen. I’ve never been a fan of ‘picky bits’ but somehow I’m OK with the picky bits (or mixed platters) being served up in a restaurant.
I have the same relationship with picky bits that I do with tapas. How much do I order? Do we share? What is the cut-off point of being gluttonous?
All overthinking went flying out of the window thanks to scorching temperatures (no one needs to faff in double digit weather). We wound up heading for Dreamz Bar & Restaurant Leicester on Melton Road. The eatery celebrates India’s rich regional diversity showcasing regional cuisines, the main ones being Gujarati, Punjabi and wider South Indian and Indo-Chinese dishes.
I was in town visiting a friend, and haven’t been since the former Indigo site was taken over by the Dreamz team.
We had taken an early afternoon tea at Coombe Abbey (more on that later), done lots of walking in 30°C heat, and left hungry by the time 8pm rolled around (I promise you we’re not greedy gobblers).
The eatery isn’t too far from the city centre, you’re looking around three miles from the central landmark of Leicester Cathedral.
There is parking onsite and after being greeted by warm and friendly staff, we hunkered down in our usual spot.
We started with picky bits Mix Platter which was a generous portion of bhajiya, fried potato fritters, batata vada and more. Crisp, light (seriously, how do they get it so grease-free?) and lovely when dunked into tangy, chunky, creamy raita that came with paneer biryani.
I was expecting the rice dish to be a little more flavoursome (perhaps a little more cumin for fragrant earthy notes and a spritz of lemon would have given it a nice lift). However the rice was cooked to perfection and the paneer remained squidgy soft. (Yes I did the poke test because that’s what I do, I love poking squidgy food, from semi-proofed bread dough to fresh-from-the-fryer puris.)
The star dish has to be Ragda Pattice which I am still thinking about several days after enjoying. Think soft but textured dumplings nestled into a hot curry base, flecks of chilli running through, with a satisfying crunch of sprinkled sev.
I live in Derby and have added Dreamz Leicester to my list of pocket-friendly comfort food treats. My favourite dish of Ragda Pattice came in at just under £6, which is a win-win for me – delivering a fiery punch tempered with cooling yoghurt at a price point that doesn’t break the bank.
The total for two diners including soft drinks of lime water and ginger ale was £33.35. Considering we were stuffed and packed leftovers to take away (the fried picky bits came up lovely in the airfryer the next day too), it was three meals for under £35 which is a decent bargain.
Dreamz Leicester opened in January 2026, a creation of the Desai Brothers whose ‘clear mission is to deliver the best of India’s vegetarian cuisine under one premium, family-friendly roof’. Congratulations on succeeding, I will most certainly be back to work my way through the Dreamz menu.
Location: Dreamz Restaurant & Bar, 432 Melton Road, Leicester LE4 7SN