Attenborough Café
Discover Attenborough Café within the eclectic Attenborough Arts Centre, where creativity meets a culture that fosters passion, teamwork and quality food and drink.
Our café is more than just a place to grab a bite – it's an experience that complements the artistic spirit of the Centre.
Enjoy expertly crafted barista coffee, made with the finest Craft coffee beans, perfect for savouring as you take in the expressive surroundings. Our menu features a selection of tasty sandwiches, paninis, soups, jacket potatoes and salads, prepared with high quality ingredients, alongside an array of confectionery, crisps, cakes and muffins.
Whether you’re visiting the gallery, attending a performance, or simply seeking a cosy spot to relax on your lunch break, Attenborough Café offers a warm and inviting atmosphere where art and flavour blend seamlessly.
Opening times
- Term time: Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 4.00pm; Saturday, 10.00am to 3.00pm
- Out of term: Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 4.00pm
Dietary information
This outlet provides halal, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free hot and cold options. Items are labelled or highlighted on menus. If you are unsure, please ask a member of staff in the outlet.
Menu
Soup, salad and snacks
Soup of the day
Flavour range
- Carrot and coriander
- Seasonal vegetable
- Cauliflower
- Tomato and basil
- Minted pea and potato
- Butternut squash and sweet potato
- Leek and potato
- Broccoli
Add a white or brown bread roll for dipping!
Visit to see today's flavour in outlet.
Salads
Enjoy pre-packed premium salads from Tiffin for a healthier option to your day. These include gluten free options.
Sweets, crisps and more
A selection of retail confectionary is available along with various flavours of crisps, cakes and muffins.
All menu items are subject to availability.
Sandwiches
In the fridge
A selection of takeaway sandwiches are available, including Halal, gluten free, vegan and vegetarian fillings.
Paninis
Hot, toasted baguettes with melted cheese and a variety of fillings to choose from. Meat and vegetarian options available.
Jacket potatoes
Fill up with these hot and cold fillings on your fluffy jacket potato.
- Butter (gluten free)
- Baked beans (vegan) (gluten free)
- Grated cheese (vegetarian) (gluten free)
- Tuna mayonnaise (gluten free)
- Handmade coleslaw (vegetarian) (gluten free)
Drinks
Craft Coffee House
Our barista-made coffees are designed with you in mind. We ensure quality and consistency through a direct trade with Fairtrade Colombian coffee farmers who grow the coffee beans and our Sheffield supplier who sources and roasts them.
Soya and oat milk available.
- Cappucino
- Latte
- Chai Latte
- Flat White
- Mocha
- Americano
- Espresso
- Hot chocolate
Twinings teas
- English breakfast
- Decaf English breakfast
- Green
- Earl Grey
- Lemon and ginger
- Cranberry and raspberry
Cans and bottled drinks
A wide selection of cold drinks are offered, including 330ml cans and 500ml bottles of water.
A greener alternative
In our bid to reduce single-use plastics, we have switched almost all our cold drinks to aluminium cans. We work with the University of Leicester Waste Management team and the Students' Union to provide key recycling points across campus and align with reputable and sustainably conscious suppliers.
Allergen information
The health, safety, and wellbeing of our customers is our top priority — and that begins with transparency around the food we serve. We understand how important it is for individuals with food allergies or dietary requirements to make informed choices with confidence. That’s why we’re committed to providing clear, accessible, and accurate allergen information across our food and drink outlets.
To support this, each outlet has allergen information on all in-house made products and our staff are trained to provide up-to-date allergen information when asked. We also use a dedicated online platform called Ten Kites for our outlets (Astrovan, Queens, Soul and The Square Cafe) which allows customers to view detailed allergen information for every item on our menus.
Each outlet features a QR code displayed clearly near the service area or tills. By scanning this code with a smartphone, customers are instantly taken to a digital menu showing allergens such as nuts, gluten, dairy, and more, specific to the outlet they’re visiting. If you have any questions or require further assistance, our trained team members are always on hand to help.
Our Food Production Kitchen handle multiple allergens and there is always a risk of cross-contamination. This is a live system so dishes allergens and preferences will automatically update without notice, where ingredients change. Note that we cannot guarantee dishes will be free from unlisted allergens due to the risk of cross-contamination by other customers in service areas.