Shirley Yanez / 23 June 2025 / Categories: Restaurants, Product and Brands, Branded Products, Food

Zizzi Italian Restaurant Fosse Park Leicester

Italian food Leicester

What a disappointing experience at Zizzi's in Fosse Park, Leicester! Overcooked pasta and less than stellar wine can really dampen the spirits of someone looking to indulge in a delightful Italian meal, even as a vegan. The pasta, which should have been al dente, or "to the tooth," had seen better days, turning into a mushy, over-boiled mess that could make even the most stoic of pasta enthusiasts weep. I would not normally even consider eating in this type of chain because I am a vegan and understand it has a set menu that caters for families and kids but finding myself in Fosse Park hungry, I made the fatal mistake of going against my instincts. The first thing I noticed when walking through the doors was a terrible smell which should have put me off immediately but instead, I went against my instincts.

The server was good and put us on a quite table by the window, away from the overcrowded main seating area. We ordered off menu because the healthy vegan options were non existent. We politely requested spaghetti arrabiata without the buffalo beef, price £18.95 with the beef. It took ages to arrive and in-between we were presented with cheap over salted snacks that tasted like they were 10 years old. The wine was not the best I have had and the water came without ice or lemon, both requested but never arrived.

When the plates of food finally turned up, it looked so overcooked, soft, mushy, and it had almost lost its shape, sticking together and falling apart. It lacked the firm, slightly resistant texture of perfectly cooked pasta (al dente) with a duller, less vibrant colour. What the hell was it? We tried, oh we tried to eat it but sadly this was not possible. It wasn't spaghetti but some kind of long childlike white flat pasta with a jagged edge and the sauce tasted like it had been sitting for days, just like the poor pasta. When the server asked if all was ok with our food, we politely asked for the bill, removing one of the pasta dishes because for us it genuinely was not possible to get down. He was shocked but agreed and came back with a bill charging us for one dish of pasta, same price as the menu with the beef. We questioned why we had been charged for the beef, when it had been served as veganised without it and he said it was company policy.

The food offering in Leicester is truly beginning to shrink, especially if you are a healthy vegan on a constant quest for a salad, which in reality is like finding a canary diamond. It may have just been a busy Sunday afternoon experience at Zizzi's Fosse Park but almost £50 for one plate of crucified pasta, a small portion of terrible bruschetta, a non alcoholic beer, and a small glass of cheap red wine sees outrageous and unacceptable. Another bad restaurant bites the dust.