A stylish Leicester Mediterranean restaurant with excellent mezze, cocktails, and occasion-friendly hospitality, though mains, pacing, noise, and occasional temperature problems make careful ordering and seating worthwhile.
The Frame delivers strong food quality anchored by consistently praised mezze and seafood, elevated by its exceptional St Martin's Square setting and design. Occasional inconsistencies in main courses and service lapses prevent a higher grade, though warm hospitality and reliable mezze execution keep it solidly in the upper tier for Mediterranean dining.
The Frame is a polished city-centre restaurant tucked into St Martin's Square, with a moody, modern interior, a lively upstairs room, and a patio that comes into its own in warm weather. Reviewers regularly describe the setting as beautiful and the welcome as warm; one recurring impression is that it feels more like a special evening than a casual bite. Busy sessions can be loud, however, and downstairs seating near the entrance has occasionally disappointed diners. The cooking is Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-inspired, built around shareable mezze, grills, bright salads, and cocktails. The corn ribs, muhammara, hummus, whipped feta, calamari, and several seafood dishes attract the most affection, while the mains are less dependable: some diners report beautifully cooked plates, others cold, dry, bland, or under-seasoned food. Portions invite ordering several plates rather than expecting a giant single entrée, and the menu is notably friendly to vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diners. This is creative, polished comfort rather than a strictly traditional regional restaurant. Families can make it work, particularly for celebrations and groups, and the menu includes approachable choices such as fries, mac and cheese, pita, chicken shish, fruit, and familiar salads. Still, there is no dedicated children's menu shown, and the noise, small-plate format, and occasional pacing issues may test younger diners. For children with conservative tastes, choose simpler sides or chicken and consider an earlier, quieter booking.
Area vibe: Busy urban centre with shopping, theatres, and night-time dining and bars.
Safety: Generally safe with good footfall in evenings though standard city-centre vigilance recommended.
What's nearby: Close to St. Martin's Square, Highcross shopping, Curve Theatre and central transport hubs.
Start with the corn ribs, muhammara, hummus, whipped feta, or calamari, then choose a grill if you are still hungry.
Expect a polished but potentially noisy evening where sharing several plates and booking ahead are both sensible.
The Frame feels stylish and celebration-ready, with a patio and lively upstairs room, but peak-time noise can change the experience.