Exposed checks out Napoleons Dine-in-Style food offer…
As a Hillsborough resident and former Owlerton Stadium employee (glass collector and pot wash extraordinaire, circa 2001) I’m well acquainted with Owlerton’s Napoleons Casino, having spent a number of evenings (and early mornings) pretending to be a high roller in my youth.
It’s been a while though, so last month a few pals and I took the rare opportunity to enjoy a bit of child-free time for an all too overdue catchup over the Naps Dine-in-style promotion; that’s a drink on arrival, three-course meal and £5 bet* – all covered by a mere £26pp (Sunday – Thursday. It’s just £32pp on Friday and Saturday). That means four (slightly over-the-hill) lads could get suitably wined and dined, with the opportunity for a cheeky flutter at the end, all for what we thought was a very reasonable price.
Owlerton’s Napoleons sits proudly overlooking Penistone Road and is difficult to miss from the roadside, particularly given the recent arrival of next door’s OEC events centre, with its brightly lit, rainbow coloured, LED façade. Being noticed is one thing, but being recognised for quality is another, and before heading down to the casino we’d heard great things about the food and service.
Arriving at the venue we weren’t disappointed and were greeted by friendly staff who directed us to the right of the casino’s main floor and towards the glamorous glass-fronted restaurant. Our waiting on staff seated us overlooking gaming tables, explained the menu and took our drinks order (three pints, and a non-alcoholic beer for me).
While the drinks were being prepared, we got to the serious business of checking out the menus and were surprised to find a satisfyingly eclectic mix of meat, fish, veggie and vegan options, ranging from steaks and sea bass to veggie hotpots and arancini. The current menu runs through May and June and is regularly changed, meaning you’ll always find something new to entice you back for another visit.
As the drinks arrived, we ordered our starters. I opted for the spiced carrot and coriander soup, with the naan swapped out for toasted sourdough to make the dish vegan friendly. The indulgently rich broth, complemented beautifully by the delicate spicing, was a real treat and I slurped down the lot with glee.
The lads differing choices showcased the menus variety, opting in turn for; the Napoleons classic prawn cocktail, Bloody Mary mayonnaise and wholemeal bloomer; Glazed goat’s cheese, roasted beetroot and cherry tomato salad and toasted hazelnut; and the Pressed chicken and chorizo terrine, drunken apple and sultana chutney and toasted sourdough. All the plates were cleared, a good sign, and the highlight seemed to be the prawn cocktail. A rare non-Christmas run out for the classic starter.
The mains we chose were predominantly meat heavy, save for my vegan Lancashire vegetable hotpot, braised red cabbage, pearl barley and baby onion jus (which I could have drank jugs of!). My dinner companions opted for the Roasted pork belly, Yorkshire pudding, fondant potato, cauliflower cheese puree and crackling; a 10oz Ribeye steak; and the 8oz Fillet steak. Both the steaks came complete with triple cooked chips, grilled tomato, flat cap mushroom and onion rings, and were priced at an additional £4 for the ribeye and £7 for the fillet. Treating ourselves though, weren’t we!
Already feeling on the way to being pretty full-up, we moved with slight trepidation onto the desserts. The sweet treats were well-worth loosening that extra notch on the belt buckle for though! The vegan option here was Warm raspberry and frangipane tart, with vanilla ice cream. The tart benefitted from just the right amount of sharpness and the vegan ice cream is up there with the best I’ve ever had. Elsewhere, Steamed lemon sponge, lemon curd, vanilla custard and candied walnuts; Dark chocolate and Malteser cheesecake, with salted caramel sauce; and Mango crème brulee, coconut ice cream, and stem ginger shortbread were all showstopping efforts, with a real emphasis on the presentation. Fit to burst, it was time to settle up and take our stuffed bellies to the casino floor with our tokens…
After a short time on the casino floor, we decided call it a night. Richer in spirits, we left the venue perfectly satisfied, convinced that we’d just enjoyed one of the best-priced meals out in the city. Make sure you check out their latest menu (website below) when you next fancy treating yourself.
