Review: Leicester pub O'Neill's is serving a cooked breakfast for £3.95 - so we tried it

It's St Patrick's Day today, which for many people, will mean an excuse to drink a few pints of the black stuff - or perhaps treat yourself to a Black Velvet cocktail if you're feeling fancy.

If you're looking for an alternative Irish food and drink experience (or need a little perking up after a night of celebrations) then an Irish breakfast may well hit the spot.

Here in Leicester, Irish themed pub O'Neill's offers a cooked breakfast for just £3.95. So, we headed down to try it - and find out whether or not it's truly 'craic'ing.... 

Venue

In Loseby Lane, O'Neill's is a traditional looking pub, which is known for its live music and sports screenings.

It underwent a refurbishment in October 2017, and feels bright and spacious inside, with plenty of tables and booths, and quirky features such as the gramophone-style ceiling lights and the signs on the walls - including one reading 'Craic It Up'.

Well, why not?

Food

The breakfast menu (served from 10am until 12pm each day) offers a good selection, with Irish breakfasts available in various sizes - from small at £3.95 to mega at £7.95.

There's also vegetarian versions, plus lighter options including smashed avocado on toast, eggs benedict, creamy porridge, or breakfast baps, starting at £2.75, filled with the likes of bacon and egg, or sausage and egg.

I was there to try out the small Irish breakfast, so that's just what I ordered at the bar. It's worth noting that you can order via the O'Neill's app on your phone. This means that when it's busy you can order food and drink to your table without needing to queue.

As there was only a couple of other occupied tables on the morning of my visit, it didn't really seem necessary, though!

My breakfast soon arrived, and I was pleasantly surprised by the look of it - it was well presented and the portion size was bigger than I was expecting.

The taste? Well, it was pretty good.

The hash brown was nice and crispy, the mushroom and tomato (both fresh, not tinned) still had a bit of bite to them, and the baked beans - Heinz according to the menu - were good.

I enjoyed the fried free-range egg, which was nice and runny when I cut into it, and tasted good piled onto the triangles of white toast (brown toast is also available if preferred).

The Irish pork and leek sausage was a tad overcooked, but the flavour was pleasant, and the grilled bacon tasted decent.

I gave the white pudding a whirl, but that (and its black counterpart) is one part of a fry-up I'm not keen on!

Verdict

It may not be the best quality breakfast I've had (I've tried a lot!) but for less than £4, the O'Neill's Irish breakfast offers good value and provides a welcome treat in the morning.

I thought the service was good from the pub's friendly staff, too.

So, whether or not you're celebrating St Patrick's Day, it's worth visiting O'Neill's and checking out the craic for yourself.

Food hygiene rating: 5/5