Lunch at the Grosvenor Casino, Newcastle

Sometimes the greatest food discoveries are places that you never really thought about visiting.  At the weekend I was invited for lunch at the restaurant at the Grosvenor Casino in Newcastle.  Lunch in the Casino? Yep, I was intrigued too!

I'd actually never stepped foot in a Casino before, with my only knowledge being completely based on films.  I will admit I expected to see ladies in ball gowns and men betting their mortgage and car at the  Roulette table.  I've clearly seen far too many movies!  The reality was a happy crowd of very normal people enjoying a few games before the football kicked off at St James Park.  Not a gangsta or a glittery stiletto in sight!

The Casino Restaurant has recently launched its "On the Grill" menu offering diners succulent dry-aged steaks, rack of ribs and chargrilled burgers. 

The Starter Menu offers something for everyone with plenty of fish dishes alongside chicken, mushroom and bread and olives for those with a smaller appetite.  It was the Soup of the Day that caught my eye and when I discovered it was Butternut Squash I immediately put in my order.

My soup arrived piping hot in a massive bowl and came with a huge plate of crusty bread and butter.  I pretended for all of 2 seconds that I'd never be able to eat so much bread, but obviously this is me so it was all wolfed down very quickly.  The soup was deliciously thick and creamy, and a very reasonable £3.95.

The Main Course Menu was pretty big and involved some careful decision making.  I was quite tempted by the fully loaded hot dog and the Chinese-style sea bass sounded heavenly but in the end I decided to order from the Grill menu and went for the Premium Surf and Turf.



Wow was I happy when my plate showed up.   Every inch was covered in delicious food - an 8oz rump steak served with six king prawns in garlic butter alongside skin on fries, red onion slaw, beer battered onion rings, grilled tomato and chargrilled mushrooms, all that for only £14.95.

I probably should have worn my extra stretchy trousers for this one!

I'd asked for my steak medium rare and it was cooked to perfection with a beautiful pink and juicy centre.  The fries weren't really what I expected from "Skin On" fries, they were more like normal fries but still absolutely delicious so no complaints from me.  I was a little upset that I couldn't manage to quite finish everything, but I needed to leave room for the most important course!

There was one dish on the Dessert Menu that stood out for me, the Chocolate and Salted Caramel  Tart.

The tart was served with a gorgeous thick chocolate sauce and vanilla ice-cream and was a very indulgent treat (please no one remind me I'm supposed to be on a January health kick!) 

I was so impressed with the quality and price of the menu at the Grosvenor Casino Restaurant, I can't think of many places where you can get a delicious desert for only £3.95! It's a definite recommendation if you want somewhere that does great food at a very reasonable price.

After a little rest I just about managed to roll myself out of the restaurant and on to the Casino floor for a little Roulette and Black Jack tuition.  Having never played before I loved learning how the games work and it definitely left me more confident to come into the Casino for a little go myself.

Grosvenor offer great experience packages if you're a little unsure like I was and it would be a great night out for a birthday, hen party or stag do.  For £30.00 per person you can get a "Full House" experience including a drink at the bar, three course meal, £10 worth of games and a gaming tuition.

Something tells me next time Simon mentions a Date Night I'll be steering him in the direction of the Grosvenor Casino (just don't tell him I'm now a complete pro at Black Jack!).