Queens
We have brought the flavours of Italy to the University of Leicester!
Our Italian inspired outlet offers a menu that is a celebration of Italy’s rich culinary heritage, from wood fired pizzas made with hand-stretched dough topped with in-house tomato sauce and fresh ingredients, made-to-order pasta dishes crafted with the finest elements and prepared with passion. Gluten free penne pasta is available for all pasta dishes.
Queens is in the previously known Queen’s Hall Foyer, where we have kept some of the original brickwork and iconic archways. With a standout feature, our prominent copper fitted wood fired pizza oven can deliver freshly made hand stretched pizzas in a matter of minutes. Queens is a fitting name for this outlet as historically, the Queen’s Hall was opened by Queen Elizabeth II and the borough of Queens in the United States of America is known for its Italian heritage and Italian style pizzas.
Opening times
- Term time: Monday to Friday, 11.00am to 5.00pm
- Out of term: Monday to Friday, 11.00am to 4.00pm
Dietary information
This outlet provides halal, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free hot options. Items are labelled or highlighted on menus. If you are unsure, please ask a member of staff in the outlet.
Menu
Pizza
Hot and spicy (vegan)
Hand stretched pizza dough, topped with fresh tomato sauce, vegan chicken pieces, melted vegan mozzarella cheese, peppers and finished with Sriracha sauce.
BBQ chicken (Halal)
Hand stretched pizza dough, topped with fresh tomato sauce, barbeque chicken, melted mozzarella cheese and barbecue sauce.
Margherita (vegetarian)
Hand stretched pizza dough, topped with fresh tomato sauce, fresh basil leaves and mozzarella cheese. Vegan cheese available.
Pepperoni
Hand stretched pizza dough, topped with fresh tomato sauce, pepperoni slices and mozzarella cheese.
Pasta
Tomato and pesto pasta (vegan)
Fresh penne pasta tossed in a fresh tomato and pesto sauce. Vegan cheese available upon request.
Chicken arrabbiata
Fresh penne pasta tossed in a classic Italian arrabbiata sauce of tomatoes, red chilli peppers and garlic with marinated sliced chicken.
Drinks
Barista-made coffee
Serving an Italian roasted multi-regional coffee, that offers a slightly stronger taste.
- Cappuccino
- Latte
- Flat white
- Mocha
- Americano
- Espresso
- Hot chocolate
Cans and bottled drinks
A 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.