From authentic Indian restaurants to traditional country pubs, Leicestershire can serve up a Valentine’s Day meal for every taste and budget.

Whether you are looking to impress your date with Michelin-starred fine dining or raise the romance levels without breaking the bank you will find somewhere special to spend February 14.

Simon Gribbon head of communications at Leicester Shire Promotions said: “Leicestershire offers a broad range of restaurants that reflects the diverse population of the county. There is something for everyone and lot of them have special menus and offers on for Valentine’s Day.”

Renowned for some of the best curry houses in the country, Leicester offers an array of exotic options for Valentine’s Day. The city’s melting pot of cultures means you can also find Italian, French and just about any other type of food imaginable somewhere in the city.

Elsewhere the emphasis is on locally sourced produce with many restaurants making up their Valentine’s menus from the ingredients found on their doorstep.

Simon said: “An increasing number of restaurants are making the most of the county’s fantastic produce and a number are even foraging for ingredients so you know you are getting a real taste of Leicestershire.”

So from spectacular seven course taster menus to three courses for under £20, here is a selection of some of the best places to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Leicestershire.

1. San Carlo, 38-40 Granby Street, Leicester LE1 1DE, 0116 251 9332.

Style: Italian.

Opening Times: 12pm-11pm daily.

Valentine’s Day: Five courses for £46.50 per person.

Try: Halibut in salsa d’aragosta - or halibut in a lobster sauce.

When it comes to transferring passion and romance onto a plate no one does it like the Italians.

And San Carlo, dubbed the best Italian restaurant outside London by a leading food critic, certainly doesn’t disappoint with its fabulous five course Valentine’s menu.

From classic starters like Parma ham with melon to more adventurous mains like halibut in a lobster sauce, this is a meal designed to press all the right buttons.

Throw in a champagne sorbet, indulgent Italian desserts and a laidback yet sophisticated setting and you are guaranteed an evening San Valentino himself would approve of.

2. Cow and Plough, Stoughton Park, Gartree Road, Oadby, LE2 2FB, 0116 272 0852.

Style: Gastro pub

Opening Times: Monday to Friday 12pm-2.30pm and 6pm-10.30pm, Saturday 12pm-10.30pm and Sunday 12pm-5pm.

Valentine’s Day: Champagne cocktail and three course meal £60 for two or £100 for a party of four.

Try: Busky Farm haunch of venison with celeriac puree and port jus.

Housed inside rambling, beautifully renovated farm buildings, the Cow and Plough has established a reputation as one of Leicestershire’s premier gastro pubs.

With its real ales, rustic decor and great food, it is the perfect place for a Valentine’s date with a traditional flavour.

With locally sourced starters like pan-fried wood pigeon and a main course of fillet steak with twice-cooked chips, the pub offers a real taste of Leicestershire.

And with a dessert sharing platter featuring such delectable delights as chocolate brownie and a raspberry tartlet you know you are in for a real treat.

3. Las Iguanas, 3-15 Belvoir Street, Leicester, LE1 6SL, 0116 285 9180.

Style: Latin American.

Opening Times: Monday to Thursday 12pm-11pm, Friday and Saturday12pm-11.30pm and Sunday 12pm-10.30pm.

Valentine’s Day: Three courses and a glass of bubbly £25.

Try: Churrasco Brasilia: Garlic and chipotle chicken breast or rump steak in a paprika and cumin marinade, skewered and flame grilled. Served with salad and cassava fries.

If you are looking to get your Valentine’s evening off to a sizzling start then Las Iguanas is the place for you.

From food you can eat with your hands to exotic cocktails, you are guaranteed an exciting and colourful dining experience.

The three course Valentine’s menu features Las Iguanas favourites like fajitas through to more unusual dishes like crab tostadas and the deliciously indulgent chocolate banoffee mash up.

4. Stapleford Park, Stapleford, Nr. Melton Mowbray, LE14 2EF, 01572 787000.

Style: Modern British.

Opening Times: Lunch: Daily 12pm-2pm. Dinner: Wednesday to Saturday 7pm-9.30pm.

Valentine’s Day: Seven course tasting menu and glass of champagne, £99 per person.

Try: Wild turbot with champagne veloute and caviar.

Fine dining doesn’t get much more decadent than this. Set within 500 acres of landscaped garden this Georgian hotel is offering a sumptuous seven course Valentine’s Day taster menu.

And each dish is designed with romance in mind, from oyster with warm cucumber jelly and rock oyster beignet, through to passion fruit soufflé with coconut sorbet.

Stapleford Park also boasts some of the most luxurious rooms in Leicestershire making this one of the most popular Valentine’s destinations in the county.

5. Kayal, 153 Granby Street, LE1 6FE, Leicester, 0116 255 4667.

Style: South Indian.

Opening Times: Monday to Friday 12pm-3pm and 6pm-11pm. Saturday 112pm-11pm and Sunday 12pm-10pm.

Valentine’s Day: Four-course meal £23.99 per person.

Try: Grilled Kayal salmon with spicy prawns served with rice, vegetables and Kerala-style salsa.

Regarded by many as the UK’s capital of curries, Leicester is renowned for its array of great Indian restaurants.

And if you are looking to spice up your Valentine’s evening then Kayal could be the place for you.

The restaurant specialises in authentic cuisine from the Kerala region of South India and its friendly staff are always on hand to help you work out which dishes will best suit your tastes.

For Valentine’s Day Kayal has created a four course menu featuring some of their finest food, with the sharing starter platters likely to be a particular highlight.

6. La Torre, 48 High Street Coalville, LE67 3EE, 01530 817 744.

Style: Italian.

Opening Times: 12pm-3pm and 6pm-11pm daily.

Valentine’s Day: Three-course meal £35 per person.

Try: Pollo al brie: Chicken breast stuffed with brie, coated in breadcrumbs and served with quickly stir fried fresh tomatoes and basil.

Bringing a little bit of Italy to this corner of Leicestershire, La Torre offers a truly authentic dining experience.

With its friendly service and fantastic fresh flavours you will feel like you have been instantly transported to the streets of Florence or Rome.

Valentine’s dishes include carpaccio of tuna, fillet steak with balsamic sauce and pasta shells with ricotta, basil and sund dried pesto.

7. Cafe Rouge, Highcross, 5 Shires Lane, Leicester, LE1 4SD, 0116 251 8067.

Style: French

Opening Times: Monday to Saturday 9am-11pm, Sunday 9am-10.30pm.

Valentine’s Day: Three-course meal and a glass of Cremant de Bourgogne £25 per person.

Try: Joues de boeuf au vin rouge: beef cheeks braised in red wine with herb mash and French beans.

Located on the lower level of the Highcross shopping centre with the cinema nearby, Cafe Rouge offers a convenient and affordable venue for a Valentine’s date.

Offering three courses and a glass of sparkling wine for £25, the restaurant is serving up a choice of classic French dishes. From duck and chicken liver pate to fillet of sea bass and luxurious chocolate fondant this is food with more than a hint of je ne sais quoi.

8. Hambleton Hall, Oakham Rutland, Oakham, LE15 58T, 01572 756 991.

Style: Modern British

Opening Times: 12pm-1.30pm and 7pm-9.30pm daily.

Valentine’s Day: Three-course set meal £55 per person.

Try: Loin of Fallow venison flavoured with beetroot and cocoa.

If you are looking to treat the special someone in your life to a Valentine’s Day to remember then look no further than Hambleton Hall.

This beautiful lakeside country hotel oozes romance and its fabulous Michelin-starred food only adds to the atmosphere.

Starting with crab bisque with ginger, coriander and crab tortellini the three course Valentine’s menu takes you on a scintillating sensory journey. This is followed by an exciting main course of beetroot and cocoa flavoured venison. The heat is then turned up another notch with a dessert of hot passion fruit soufflé with passion fruit and banana sorbet. And if you want to really wow your Valentine why not make a weekend of it and book into one of Hambleton Hall’s stunning rooms?

9. Firenze, 9 Station Street, Kibworth Beauchamp, LE8 0LN, 0116 2796260.

Style: Italian.

Opening Times: Tuesday to Saturday 12pm-2pm and 7pm to 10pm.

Valentine’s Day: Five courses for £55 or four courses for £50.

Try: Roast pheasant with creamed cabbage and truffle, lentils, vegetables and grapes.

With its combination of flickering candles, fragrant roses and luxurious ingredients Firenze is pulling out all the stops for Valentine’s Day.

One of the most exciting and innovative Italian restaurants anywhere in the UK, this is a place guaranteed to impress your date.

You will be greeted with canapés and a prosecco cocktail before settling down to a truly memorable Valentine’s meal. From red wine risotto to fillet steak served for two there are a range of classic dishes on offer. And with a tasting plate of desserts and a selection of Italian cheeses to finish, Firenze promises to set the mood for a magical Valentine’s evening.

10. Reynard’s Restaurant, Stoneycroft Hotel, 5 - 7 Elmfield Avenue, Stoneygate, Leicester, LE2 1RB, 0116 270 7605.

Style: Italian.

Opening Times: Daily from 12pm.

Valentine’s Day: Three course meal £19.95.

Try: Slow cooked lamb shank with mash potato and a red wine and rosemary sauce.

With its elegant dining area and varied menu, Reynard’s Restaurant at the Stoneycroft Hotel offers something for everyone.

Its Valentine’s menu –one of the best value around- has a wide range of dishes inspired by both Europe and Asia. For fans of traditional British food there are established favourites like prawn cocktail and lamb shank. And for those who prefer their supper with a bit more spice there is chicken tangri kebab or the traditional Indian lentil dish of dhall makhani. The desserts continue the fusion theme with options including fruits of the forest pavlova and carrot halwa.