Review: Heliot Steakhouse, Hippodrome Casino, Leicester Square

If there was one thing I missed as a vegetarian for a month, it was steak. And I mean a good piece of steak, so when I heard about the Heliot Steakhouse I just couldn't resist.

Lovely Argentinian wine was served

What we had:
Starters: 
Smoked salmon with avocado and crab
Tomato mozzarella
Main:
Rump steak
Sirloin steak
hand cut chips
Dessert:
Chocolate pudding with strawberry shake
Lemon creme brulee



The casino wouldn't have been my first choice when choosing steak to be honest, but the best places are always the ones where you would least expect it. We started with cocktails, which were made especially to our personal tastes, RR, my dinner date for the evening, had a lovely little glass of something with cucumber, which was perfect in the warm Sunday evening. Being a Sunday, the place wasn't full but there was enough people around to feel the quiet, unassuming atmosphere with a hint of excitement as a few small groups rubbed their hands and blew a kiss for good luck on the tables below. The Steakhouse has a choice of tables - quieter areas or ones overlooking the whole casino.

My starter of smoked salmon was absolutely divine. It tasted quite fresh, and was a decent size for the first course. I have a bit of an obsession with avocado at the moment and it had just the right amount of seasoning to complement the crab and salmon.

Presentation was very 'pretty'

Next, RR went for the sirloin - well done, and I had the rump - medium cooked. We both agreed that the steak was just right to our liking. My steak was juicy, chewy; I had mine with red wine sauce which was a great combination. The sizes were more than generous, and for that price, I thought it was well worth it. I've been to more 'well-known' steak houses where the meat portions and quality really don't represent the price. How did I know that it was a good quality meat? Because you don't need your plate to be covered when you already start to feel full but want to carry on eating all at the same time.

The rump steak and red wine sauce

For dessert, both waitresses recommended the chocolate pudding, so of course we had one of those, and it was easy to see why it was their favourite. The strawberry milkshake came in a kooky little jar with straw.

RR and her dessert

My dessert, however, was not the best. I think starters and steak is where the Heliot really excels. All in all, the Heliot Steakhouse was a success. I like the fact that it is in a casino and is a place you wouldn't automatically think to go for just a quality meal if you are a local Londoner, but on the right days of the week, this could be a 'right little gem' just to eat. The prices are reasonable for its quality and location, I've seen higher marked prices for steak, but the Heliot is definitely worth your money. You do have to be over 18 to even enter the Hippodrome but that's reasonable. Service and hospitality was friendly and helpful but not too much of a bother to your evening which I like. I'd definitely come here again for a good bit of steak...and possibly for a cocktail or two.

Steak - 4 out 5.

The mozzarella starter