Lady luck is shining on Leeds's Victoria Gate Casino
Victoria Gate Casino has rapidly established itself as the city's entertainment mecca, and whilst I'm not a gambler by any means, I am prone to the odd flutter here and there.
So, when the guys from Curve Restaurant invited me down for cocktails, fine food (from the restaurant’s brand-new menu) and a spot of gambling, I was game.
We kicked off in the cool confines of the Curve Bar, where I enjoyed a refreshing Bramble cocktail. Mixed with gin, lemon juice and blackberry liqueur, it was the perfect pre-meal palate cleanser. Choosing three courses proved tough, as the new menu mixes tasty British classics with modern European and Asian dishes.
After much debate, I went with the lush chicken satay skewers. This was closely followed by the harissa marinated rump of lamb, served up with crushed potatoes and green beans. Tender, juicy and pink in the middle, Curve really pulled this one off.
Across the table, a vegan guest was singing the praises of the crispy tofu, pak choi and pepper tempura, which looked delicious and shows how far vegan cuisine has come in recent years. For dessert, I went old school with the fluffy Bakewell sponge pudding with custard, which really took me back to my childhood!
After dinner, we left the chilled-out ambience of the restaurant for the livelier casino area. Unlike my companion, who managed to turn his £5 gaming chip into £60 in minutes, my £16 win was modest (but still enough to cover my Uber home). A great evening was had by all and the new menu was a strong recommend from the PG team.