On first impression, LEICESTER is a resolutely modern city, but further inspection reveals traces of its medieval and Roman past, situated immediately to the west of the downtown shopping area, near the River Soar. The Romans, choosing this site in the middle of the territory of the rebellious Coritani, developed Leicester's precursor, Ratae Coritanorum, as a fortified town on the Fosse Way, the military road running from Lincoln to Cirencester, and Emperor Hadrian kitted it out with huge public buildings. Subsequently, in the eighth century, the Danes colonized the town and later still its medieval castle became the base of the earls of Leicester. Since the late seventeenth century, Leicester has been a centre of the hosiery trade and it was this industry that attracted hundreds of Asian immigrants to settle here in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, about one third of Leicester's population is Asian and the city elected the country's first Asian MP, Keith Vaz, in 1987. Leicester's Hindus put on a massive and internationally famous Diwali , Festival of Light, in October or November, while the city's sizeable Afro-Caribbean community celebrates its culture in a whirl of colour and music on the first weekend in August. The latter is the country's second biggest street festival after the Notting Hill Carnival. People come from miles around to eat in the Indian restaurants on the Belgrave Road - though the opening of lots of Balti places in the Highfields area has provided some intense competition. The most famous of the Belgrave Road restaurants is Bobby's , no. 154-156 (tel 0116/266 0106). Run by Gujaratis, this moderately priced place is strictly vegetarian and uses no garlic or onions; if you're here on a weekend, try their delicious house speciality, undhyu , or the multi-flavoured Bobby's Special Chaat . Excellent alternatives include the Thali , at no. 49 (tel 0116/266 5888), which specializes in set thali meals, where several different dishes, breads and pickles are served together on large steel plates, and the Chaat House (tel 0116/266 0513), south of Bobby's on the same side of the road at no. 108. The latter does wonderful masala dosas and other south Indian snacks - legendary cricket captain Kapil Dev and his Indian team ate here when they were on tour. In the city centre, and diversifying from the Asian restaurants, there's an outlet of that ultra-reliable chain Pizza Express on King Street (tel 0116/254 4144), plus the top-notch Opera House , 10 Guildhall Lane (tel 0116/223 6666), in lovely old premises and with an imaginative, wide-ranging menu. As for pubs , the Rainbow & Dove , on Charles Street, attracts real-ale enthusiasts, the Charlotte , on Oxford Street, features bands most nights and the Magazine , Newarke Street, is a favourite student haunt. Amongst a deluge of new city-centre café-bars, one of the trendier, clubbier spots is Tabasco Jaz on Albion Street. The performing arts come up trumps in Leicester at the excellent Phoenix Arts Centre, Newarke Street (tel 0116/255 4854, ), which features a first-rate mix of comedy, music, theatre and dance, whilst doubling up as an independent cinema. The city's main concert hall is De Montfort Hall, on Granville Road (tel 0116/233 3111, ) - adjoining Victoria Park at the end of New Walk. Europe > England > East Midlands > Leicestershire and Rutland > Leicester
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