London is packed with impressive dining options and stand-out eateries, but often, the best spots are hidden away, and the Heliot Steak House, tucked inside the iconic Hippodrome Casino in bustling Leicester Square, is a prime example.
Leicester Square isn’t exactly off the beaten track – in fact, it’s about as central as you can get. But if you haven’t been inside the casino then you might not know that this legendary West End restaurant and late-night bar is there – because it’s easily one of Zone One’s best-kept secrets.
It’s one you’ll want to discover in the new year, too if not before, because for meat eaters it’s nothing short of a bucket list must. Serving up the finest quality cuts of meat and an extensive list of more than 120 first class wines from across the globe, you can be sure of being in for a treat, and with tables overlooking the impressive Grand Casino and the glitzy stage, it doesn’t get much more happening than this.
The restaurant’s lavish and opulent interiors offer a taste of the bright lights of Vegas and its high-end casinos, but combined with the utmost in 1930s glamour. From the moment you arrive, everything feels very luxurious, but despite the show-stopping setting, the best is yet to come.
The restaurant specialises in award-winning steaks, all of which are humane certified and free from GMOs and antibiotics, as well as a range of cuts from around the globe including Australia, Argentina, Japan and Great Britain.
All cuts of the highest quality beef are aged for a minimum of four to six weeks to allow for full tenderness and flavour, before being trimmed, seasoned and cooked to your personal liking.
The restaurant is headed up by general manager and head of wine, Salvatore Russo, and executive chef and renowned meatologist, Ioannis Grammenos, and together, they steer the ship so well.
Grammenos has dreamt up a mouth-watering à la carte menu that is changed three to four times a year to keep things fresh and interesting, so while some of the best-selling dishes have a constant presence, there’s always something new and tempting to try, so you’ll never get bored, no matter how many times you’ve been.
Grammenos doesn’t just serve up any cuts of meat; this much we know – but the fact that he travels regularly to personally source and approve them from various farms around the world speaks volumes about the degree of passion he has for his food.
A mouth-watering menu
So, what exactly can you expect to indulge in should you manage to secure yourself a table? Be warned, this is going to make you seriously hungry.
And in case you were wondering, the restaurant doesn’t just do meat, either. Allow us to demonstrate.
To start, you can choose from a range of dishes, with highlights including the famed grilled octopus with grilled new potatoes, fava beans and Greek olive oil; ‘Grandma’s Meatballs’ with tomato sauce, marjoram and feta; trio of sliders containing USDA beef with truffle sauce, Pure South venison with umami sauce and Lumina lamb with raita sauce and the American prawn cocktail with horseradish sauce, lime and pickled radish.
Then, it’s onto the main event, when you can choose from a variety of classic Madame Claire steaks including USDA prime beef, which is wet-aged for 28 days, and can be enjoyed in a range of cuts including fillet, sirloin and rib-eye.
Also on offer are a range of steaks from around the world to indulge in including an Argentinian ribeye, a Hereford fillet and an Irish Wexford tomahawk – or, you can indulge in one of the venue’s delicious Wagyu steaks on the menu, such as Japanese Wagyu sirloin, which was crowned gold winner in the renowned 2024 World Steak Challenge, or the Westholme Australian Wagyu fillet, which received gold in the 2023 World Steak Challenge.
As well as individual cuts, the restaurant’s menu also features a wildly popular tasting board, featuring three different steaks, making it the perfect choice for those wanting to share and sample a range of meats and cuts.
So yes, there is a lot of meat – after all, it’s what Heliot Steak House does best. But if you’re a pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan, then you’ll be pleased to know that Grammenos and his team invest just as much attention into creating alternative dishes that are just as delicious and cater to a wide range of dietary requirements and preferences – as well as if you’re simply in the mood to try something a little different.
Other dishes on offer include the free-range Lumina lamb fillet with asparagus, aubergine puree and red wine sauce. Roast baby chicken with sweet potato mash and a creamy sauce, ginger salmon with pak choi, spring onions and coriander, stone bass with Champagne sauce, leeks and chive oil and vegan moussaka, accompanied by aubergine, courgette and sweet potatoes.
If that hasn’t got you positively salivating, then the dessert menu certainly will. The red velvet cake with mascarpone and winter berries, crispy filo pastry with pistachio and honey syrup is simply divine – or if you fancy something really gluttonous, the decadent triple chocolate mousse with raspberry and pistachio ice cream is a no brainer.
The impressive drinks list
Of course you’ll want something to wash it all down with, and the restaurant doesn’t just deliver but goes above and beyond on that score. Created by wine extraordinaire and Italian sommelier Russo, the comprehensive wine list, which has been featured amongst the 40 best wine lists in the UK, has been meticulously curated to ensure that there’s a perfect pairing ready and waiting to elevate each and every dish on the menu.
As you’d expect from a steakhouse, the choice of red wines isn’t in short supply. But this isn’t just any steak house, and Heliot’s list comprises more than 60 different bottles sourced from across the globe (and if you and your dining companion can’t agree on what you fancy, then ten of those are available by the glass).
If you opt to deviate from the obvious choice of meat for mains, then there are also 25 white wines and two rosés, along with sweet, fortified and sparkling wines – and for when you’re particularly in the mood to indulge then of course, Champagne.
Add to that an extensive range of spirits, beers, ciders and soft drinks and a cleverly creative cocktail list including the signature spiced rum-based Helicolada and the gin-based Take Me Down, and it’s got all bases covered and more.
Bucket list dining
It might be a well-kept secret, but Heliot Steak House has made quite the name for itself since opening its doors back in 2012. In fact, just this year it was crowned Best Casino Restaurant Of The Year at the European Casino Awards 2024, as well as scooping the accolade for Best Steak House in London in the Bookatable awards in 2015, 2017 and 2018, and the Best Casino Restaurant an impressive three times in 2018, 2019 and 2020 at the British Casino Awards.
Oh, and as if that wasn’t enough, it was also awarded the title of Best Steakhouse 2018 in the Lux Magazine Bar and Restaurant Awards.
If that little lot doesn’t convince you then we don’t know what will, and we implore you to add this incredible eatery to your bucket list now – or better yet, book yourself a table immediately. If you’re looking for a really stand-out dining experience in the heart of London then this is the place to be – and with the chance to take in some prime entertainment and place a few wagers on your favourite casino games in the gaming hall afterwards, all you need for a memorable night is in one place.
New Year’s Eve
If you can’t wait until 2025 to try out Heliot Steak House then you’re in luck, because the restaurant is putting on quite the event on New Years Eve. From 5pm-2am, the lavish Leicester Square restaurant will transform into a disco haven, with guests invited to get dressed up to the nines and enjoy a special screening of London’s fireworks whilst indulging in the finest of food and drinks.
And to top it off, alongside the popular a la carte menu there’s a lavish line-up of specials in store, too – including luxurious lobster and caviar – as well as entertainment in the form of live music from singer Beverly Stone and a New York-esque balloon drop as the clock strikes midnight.
There will be a glass of Champagne waiting for you on arrival and the chance to win bottle of Dom Perignon on the night, too. Sounds like the perfect New Year’s Eve to us.
Factbox
Address: Hippodrome Casino, Cranbourn St, Leicester Square, London WC2H 7JH
Phone: 020 7769 8844
Website: hippodromecasino.com/restaurant-bars-lounges/
All imagery unless stated otherwise credit Ioannis Grammenos/Heliot Steak House
