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
Breakfast
Large breakfast (gluten free available)
2 fried eggs, 2 butchers sausages, 2 smoked bacon, 2 hash browns, baked beans and tomato.
Small breakfast (gluten free available)
1 fried egg, 1 butchers sausage, 1 smoked bacon, 1 hash brown, baked beans and tomato.
Smashed avocado and poached egg (vegetarian, gluten free available)
2 poached eggs, guacamole, toast and a salad garnish.
Smoked salmon and scrambled egg (gluten free available)
Scrambled eggs on toast with smoked salmon and a salad garnish.
French toast (vegetarian, gluten free available)
Two pieces of French toast served with sweet whipped cream and fresh berries. Finished with a dusted of sugar
Mega bruschetta (vegetarian)
Toasted bread with sliced cherry tomatoes, red onion and feta cheese, coated with pesto and a balsamic glaze.
American-style pancakes
Fluffy pancakes with your choice of topping.
- Fruit and chocolate sauce (vegetarian)
- Bacon and maple syrup
Golden syrup porridge (vegetarian)
Sweet porridge with your choice of topping.
- Berries and jam (vegetarian)
- Peanut butter and banana (vegetarian)
Sandwiches
Toasted sandwiches (gluten free available)
All served with crisps and a side salad.
- Cheese and onion (vegetarian)
- Ham and cheese
- Tuna melt
- Vegan cheese and pickle (vegan)
- Grilled cheese and chilli jam (vegetarian)
- Grilled caprese (vegetarian)
Fresh baguettes
All served with crisps and a side salad.
- Bacon, lettuce and tomato
- Chicken salad and garlic mayonnaise
- Southern fried chicken, bacon and chilli mayonnaise
- Tuna mayonnaise
- Tomato, mozzarella and pesto (vegetarian)
- Falafel, hummus and grilled peppers (vegan)
Soup, salad and snacks
Soup of the day
Visit to see today's flavour in outlet. Add a bread roll for dipping!
Salads
Enjoy a variety of freshly made salads for a healthier option.
- Chicken, bacon Caesar salad
- Tomato, mozzarella and pesto dressing (vegetarian)
- Tuna mayonnaise (gluten free)
- Falafel and grilled pepper (vegan, gluten free)
Sweets, crisps and more
A selection of retail confectionary is available along with various flavours of crisps and cakes.
All menu items are subject to availability.
Jacket potatoes
Fill up with these hot and cold fillings on your fluffy jacket potato.
- Baked beans (vegan) (gluten free)
- Grated cheese and coleslaw (vegetarian) (gluten free)
- Tuna mayonnaise (gluten free)
- Chilli con carne (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.