South Indian vegetarian cuisine. South Indian food. Lunch buffet features papadums, starters with chutneys, several main dishes, and a dessert. Decor is stylishly wood panel around the walls and floor with modern wooden tables, recessed downlights and a sparkling silver chandelier. Park at the Newark Street car park just around the corner. Open Mon-Fri 12:00pm-3:00pm, 6:00pm-11:00pm, Sat 12:00pm-11:00pm, Sun 12:00pm-10:00pm.
Categories: Vegan-friendly, Lacto, Indian, Buffet, Take-out, Catering
16 Reviews
First Review by swarna
Contributions +26
The best curry in Leicester to date (and that is a high order!) - Edit
I could say so many wonderful things about Shivalli. An entirely vegetarian place it is my most favourite curry spot in the city (of which there are over 150 and Shivalli is 13th which is criminal quite frankly!)
The staff are attentive and helpful and know their menus very well, when you tell them you are vegan they almost seem delighted and explain everything you can have and if you are at the lunchtime buffet they will actively cook and bring you out vegan curries if there are limited options out prepared.
The food is just stunning and there are countless vegan choices available including vegan ice cream for dessert. I am never ever disappointed by a meal from Shivalli.
It is also ridiculously good value for money despite the generous portions , particularly at lunchtime where I believe you can get a buffet for £6 per head.
Pros: So many vegan options, The most delicious food, Such value for money
Cons: Decor and location
Contributions +49
Great place for lunch. - Edit
We passed by on our way through Leicester and had an hour before the train. A cozy place with a modest lunchbuffe. All the dishes were marked and the staff was really helpful in pointing out what was vegan. They also served hot breads to the table and brought a tofu dish to our table when we said we were 4 vegans.
Buffé has some lovely different chutneys and a variety of dishes to be consumed with them. Can really recommend.
Contributions +11
Our favourite place to eat in Leicester - Edit
We go there 2 or 3 times a week
Fabulous food, not expensive
Pros: Lots of vegan options, staff willing to help.
Cons: none
Contributions +16
Great vegan curries for a great price - Edit
This restaurant is a great place to eat for any vegans who visit Leicester. Even though it's not fully vegan, they are very vegan-friendly. Their staff are very knowledgeable and can instantly say which items are vegan. They are also happy to veganise certain non-vegan items. We had a specially adapted vegan filled bread with the meal which was lovely. They are clearly used to veganising food on the menu, it was obvious to me that they've done it plenty of times before.
Pros: Great food, Great service, Cheap
Contributions +60
One of my favourite restaurants! - Edit
I've eaten here a few times now, and - despite Leicester having a large range of veggie restaurants - this would definitely be top of my list. We normally have the buffet and whenever I say I'm vegan, I seem to get more food than everyone else as they bring vegans their own version of all the non-vegan dishes on the buffet! I'd recommend arriving hungry as I always end up overeating when I get there!! The food itself is really delicious, and distinctive, too.
Pros: Wide range of dishes, Friendly service, Great vegan options
Contributions +47
Probably the best Indian restaurant I've been to! - Edit
A recent conference I attended held a dinner at Shivalli, and I was extremely pleased! Usually I have to skip conference dinners because of a lack of vegan options, but they were more than abundant at Shivalli. The buffet was expansive to say the least—in fact, I was able to try a good number of Indian dishes that I'd never tried before, simply because they usually aren't vegan at most other places. If I wasn't crunched for time, I probably would have had a second plate to try more. For less than ten quid, you aren't likely to do better.
Pros: Wide array of vegan options, Everything very delicious, Very friendly staff
Cons: None!
Contributions +54
The very best vegan Indian Food - Edit
Delicious inexpensive meals. Lovely staff. What more can i say.
Pros: delicious food, friendly staff, inexpensive
Cons: not near enough to my home in derbyshire
Contributions +102
The Shivalli Experience! - Edit
My recent visit to Shivalli was one of the best, if not the best experience I've had in an Indian restaurant. We went on a weekday evening, when I think the buffet is unavailable, though I've heard good things about that too.
Our waiter was very helpful and attentive. Once we had informed him that 3 out of 4 of our party were vegan he offered to do us a set menu which consisted of a 4 course meal suited to our dietary requirements, which didn't appear to be on the menu, and it was really cheap!
All the food was amazing, really really tasty. In the past I've been disappointed when Indian food wasn't flavourful enough, none of that going on here though. Everything was delicious and also diverse, especially the selection of curries we had as a main. A scoop of vegan ice cream as a final course was a perfect finish, because our stuffed stomachs couldn't handle a bigger dessert!
Throughout the meal we had waiters coming up (though not TOO much), asking if everything was okay and if we needed more food items - as if they hadn't fed us enough anyway!
All in all, if you're in Leicester and you're hungry... like HUNGRY and you love Indian food then Shivalli is where you ought to be.
Pros: Delicious, authentic Indian food, Super customer service, Great value for money
Contributions +58
Love It! - Edit
Buffet heaven. My partner and I often go for the buffet in the daytime. A good price, food is fresh and tasty and although there are some staple dishes there's often 1 or 2 new dishes to try. Staff very friendly.
Pros: Great Food, Great Value
Contributions +23
Great dinner. - Edit
Just been for dinner here. Had the buffet and I loved all but one curry I tried. My dining companions found it too spicy, I would say it was medium spice. If you want mild maybe stick to the menu. The buffet was well labelled with which dishes were vegan but the menu you would have to ask.
When the waiter found out I was vegan because I checked about a pancake thing he brought some extra entre for me! Great attentive staff and reasonably priced.
Pros: Lots of vegan options., Friendly staff.
Cons: Walls were quite scuff marked.
Contributions +506
Friendly and helpful and tasty! - Edit
It's a ages since I spent time in Leicester and so my knowledge of the local Indian restaurants has waned. But I remember there being always lots of vegetarian options which could be vegan as long as you could persuade the waiter you really didn't want any butter ghee tainted food! Shivalli has a sticker on the front door proudly declaring "we cater for Vegans" it was easy from then on in. Even with my current crazy macrobiotic variation on veganism the helpful Chef/manager (?) made me a special dish and adapted (made mild) others. The fresh juice was suspiciously sweet but the food was great. Two of us ate well without alcohol and the bill came to £37 (only the papadoms seemed a tad expensive). My Dad eats anything and loves to frequent this place, I'll be happy to go again.
Pros: Good food, all vegetarian., Helpful and willing to please vegans , My Dad paid the bill but it wasn't much.
Cons: Popadoms overpriced., Temperature a bit cold inside!
Contributions +22
Very good udipi place - Edit
Brilliant food, caring service, very good value for money. Must visit this place.
Pros: brilliant food, brilliant food, brilliant food
Cons: no parking
Contributions +24
Friendly, family run business with delicious food - Edit
I can't recommend this place enough, especially the weekend buffet. The staff are always friendly and totally understand the concept of veganism! If there aren't many vegan starters on the buffet or the dessert isn't vegan they will always make one specially for you and so it works out at amazing value. The food is really unusual and beautifully cooked. I just wish everywhere could be like this. They have a really good reputation in leicester, even amongst non-vegetarians. The only slight downside is that the food can be very hot and they don't seem able to tone the heat down on request. We visited there with my parents-in-law who aren't used to spicy food and I think they found some dishes a little too hot. It's not a problem for me though as I love spicy food!
Pros: Excellent service, Quality food, Good value
Cons: Spicy food
Contributions +47
Best in Leicester - Edit
Leicester has quite a few vegetarian curry houses to choose from, mostly on the north-east side of town (Belgrave Rd area). This one is in the west, slap bang on the ring road, but don't let that put you off. It's great. Huge south Indian menu with a ton of vegan options, quite a few dishes I hadn't come across before. Excellent service at this family-run restaurant. Definitely going back next time I'm in Leicester.
Pros: All good
Contributions +91
Lovely food, excellent value - Edit
I work opposite Shivalli and go to their lunchtime buffet often during the week. The buffet is fantastic value with starter, main and dessert, all you want to eat for £4.95! The choices generally include a good amount of vegan options. I ask the waiters to let me know what's vegan and if they think there's not enough choice they always say "I'll get you something else". I also particularly like that they include a salad in the buffet so I can kid myself I'm eating healthily before I start on the fried lentil doughnuts or other lovely fried starters!
They also do the buffet on Sundays although it is slightly more expensive, and although this always includes a masala dosa brought to the table, does not generally have the mixed salad option.
If I'm feeling hungry or greedy in the evening, the thali options are always massive and delicious! They start with poppadoms and chutney, then there's a starter (probably some lentil dougnuts and/or samosas and/or bhel poori and/or battered aubergine slices... there are other choices I'm missing out), followed by a main which is about 6 small pots of different curries, soup, and perhaps salad, plus well flavoured rice, some kind of bread option, possibly a masala dosa as well. If you can fit pudding in after that I take my hat off to you!
For those less greedy than myself, I particularly recommend the onion rava dosa, and the aubergine curry, if you're just after a small meal.
Pros: great value, good service, tasty food
Cons: occasionally cold near door
Contributions +11
Good service,tasty food,and better value - Edit
I been to shivalli with my friends, when i enter inside feel good atmosphere and staff welcoming in good smile and take us near the table, giving good service and explaining about the variety of dishes choice to make us to decide, food came with in few minutes with a freshness of flavour and tasty delicious food at high standard,especially set menu are offering all sort of shivalli food with starter,main course and dessert,the price is reasonable and value for money. I highly recommend to everyone.
Pros: healthy cuisine, attractive food, kindly staff
Cons: prefer if they open in birmingham
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