Leicester Stag Do

Not every best man’s first thought is a Leicester stag do, and that’s part of the appeal. It’s compact, easy to reach from most of England, and nowhere near as crowded with stag groups as the bigger cities. You can get round a lot of bars without a single taxi, which leaves more of the kitty for rounds.

This is also the city that found a king under a car park. If they can find Richard III, they can find your stag on Sunday morning.

It suits a mid-sized group that wants a proper night out without the faff of a big city. Everything is close, the locals are friendly, and the curry alone is worth the trip. I’d pick it for a stag who likes his food as much as his beer.

Most of the night happens in a small patch of the city centre around Granby Street and the Cultural Quarter. With two universities in the city, there’s a big student crowd keeping the bars busy, and the clubs are used to groups. De Montfort Hall puts on big gigs and comedy if you fancy a sit-down start before the real business begins.

Food is where Leicester really shows off. Belgrave Road, known as the Golden Mile, is famous for its Indian restaurants and sweet shops, and it’s the place to settle who in the group can genuinely handle a hot curry. My money is never on the stag. He’ll order the hottest thing on the menu, sweat through his shirt and claim it was mild.

The King Richard III Visitor Centre and the National Space Centre are proper days out if your group includes a history buff, or a lad who still owns a telescope. Neither involves running, which the hungover will appreciate.

For something louder, the countryside around the city is good for paintball, clay pigeon shooting and quad biking. Clay shooting is easy to pick up and gives you a proper leaderboard, which is useful for deciding who buys the first round. Sport-wise, Leicester Tigers play rugby at Welford Road and Leicester City play at the King Power Stadium, so check fixtures before you pick a weekend. A home game fills the pubs and the hotels.

Leicester is on the main line out of London St Pancras, and the M1 runs right past the city, so it’s an easy one for drivers too. East Midlands Airport is the nearest for anyone flying in. Once you’re there, the centre is small enough to walk end to end, and that includes the walk back to the hotel at the end of the night.

• Bring ID. With so many students in town, doormen ask for it a lot.
• Book the curry. Big groups on a Saturday night need a table reserved, especially on the Golden Mile.
• Drinking in public. Police in UK city centres can usually stop you drinking in the street, so keep it in the bars.
• Bring a few challenges. A compact night out suits a list of stag do dares for the groom to work through.
• Want a bigger city? Nottingham and Birmingham are both close if you want to compare a Leicester stag weekend with the neighbours.

Leicester’s night out lives in a small patch of the city centre, so that’s where I’d put the beds. Aim for somewhere near Granby Street, the middle of it all, with the Cultural Quarter and its student bars close by. The centre is small enough to walk end to end, and that includes the stagger back to the hotel at the end of the night. No taxis, no queues, more of the kitty left for rounds.

Staying central also means De Montfort Hall and the Golden Mile on Belgrave Road are easy to reach for the sit-down start and the big curry.

My practical tip: check the fixtures before you book. Leicester Tigers play at Welford Road and Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, and a home game fills the pubs and the hotels. Either avoid those weekends or lock the rooms in early and make the match part of the plan.

Friday Get in by train on the main line, drive up the M1, or fly into East Midlands Airport. I’d ease into it with a show at De Montfort Hall, which does big gigs and comedy, so the lads get a sit-down start before the real business. Then a few rounds around Granby Street to warm up for Saturday.

Saturday Daytime is for causing pain. Head out into the countryside for paintballing or quad biking, and make sure the stag ends up covered in something. Back in town, the big event is the curry on the Golden Mile. Book it, because big groups on a Saturday night need a table reserved. Order the stag the hottest thing on the menu and watch him claim it’s mild. After that it’s the Cultural Quarter and Granby Street until the doors close. Bring ID, because doormen in a student city ask for it a lot, and keep the drinking in the bars rather than the street.

Sunday Slow and indoors. I’d take the survivors to the King Richard III Visitor Centre to see where they found a king under a car park, or the National Space Centre for the lad who owns a telescope. Both are indoors and quiet, which is about all a hungover group can manage.