Heliot at The Hippodrome

Hidden gem in the middle of the craziness of Leicester Square. Steaks are amazing and drinks are too!

One of the best steaks in town, attentive service and sometimes even entertainment provided.

For this event, we have gathered to sample Heliot's new American brunch menu. On to the food... country fried steak £7.00 – this was something completely new to me. It is essentially breaded fried steak. There were many who were unsure of this dish but I did like it because it was well cooked, fried properly with the crunch and not too oily. The steak was so well done that it could be any red meat, hence many felt like it was a waste of a good cut. It was not tough but just nice. I didn't like the sausage gravy though. chilli fried egg, and bacon bioche roll £7.00 – the favourite of the group. It was simple but appealing. Even the burnt brioche bun was forgivable. eggs benedict £7.00 – a very rich hollandaise sauce, generous amount of smoked salmon but the muffin was a little soggy. side of sausages, bacon and hash browns – the sausages and hash browns were surprisingly good but the bacon was not great. It was meant to be a side dish, but I'd much rather just have this with toast and butter. pancake stack £7.00 – we purposefully left this dish towards the end because firstly it was a sweet dish so it felt more appropriate to end it like a dessert brunch. Secondly, it was my diner's favourite brunch dish and she wanted to save it till the last and end it with a sweet note. But by then it was cold (that was probably our fault for leaving it till the end) and a very soggy bread. It was not as enticing as it looks and was quite a carb loaded dish with sugar. While I felt it was ok, my diner did not approve at all. We enjoyed the event but being in a group of 60, food came out a little slow. I am not sure that Heliot Steak House is going to be my choice of a brunch venue, although very strategically located by Leicester Square tube station. I tend to associate brunch with having more natural daylight, being in tune with the weather and a view of people strolling up and down the high street. I've heard some superb reviews – from discerning fellow foodies - about their steaks at Heliot Steak House, and hopefully I will be back soon to try them. GPS Coordinate: 51.511407 N,-0.1308347 E +44(0)207 769 8844 http://www.hippodromecasino.com/restaurant-bars-lounges/

Beef carpachio was excellent. Struggled to finish the small fillet steak. Mustard mash wonderful. Service was good. Later in evening saw the Boom & Bang show which was highly entertaining. Glad I was in the Circle and not in the stalls.