At Hippodrome Casino, the stakes might be high for those who choose to gamble. But for those visiting this famous Leicester Square venue and looking for a safer bet, consider trying the highly rated steaks at the casino’s own Heliot restaurant.
Throughout May 2022 (and for this month!), Heliot Steak House at the Hippodrome Casino is offering a limited-edition World’s Best Steak menu created by Executive Chef Ioannis Grammenos. The menu showcases steak from some of the top winners of 2021;s World Steak Challenge.
World Steak Challenge is the “world’s first event to give steak producers and suppliers a much-needed platform to showcase product quality, breed credentials and processing standards on an international stage” and “enables entrants to test their steaks against global competitors, delivering a recognised stamp of quality and setting the benchmark for global steak production.”
Chef Grammenos has been a judge for a number of year’s and was the 2021 chair of the judging panel. Sometime back, for a few years in a row, I was a judge WSC. Those years when I was invited to judge were among the most memorably delicious opportunities when my writing career was at its busiest. Seeing that the event continues post-Covid and that it seems to be building momentum impressed me.
So when the invitation came my way to visit Heliot and try the menu, I was keen. The opportunity was for All Consumed, a podcast I cohost with Neil Davey. Our visit was for an upcoming episode of the show that won’t go live before the limited-run for the menu ends. So I thought I should at least write a quick notice about it on this blog.
The menu features three cuts: an Aberdeen Angus sirloin fillet from Northern Ireland (£52 for 350g); an Austrian rib eye steak (£55 for 350g); and an Argentine Angus beef rib eye (£55 for 350g). I had taste of the sirloin and the Austrian rib eye (and yes I meant to write Austrian not Australian). I heartily recommend both, with a tip to the sirloin for its rich flavour and a nod to the rib eye for its melt-in-your-mouth texture.
Starters for the menu include include Irish sirloin tataki with grilled asparagus, aged Parmesan and Greek olive oil; Austrian rib eye steak tartare with bone marrow, marjoram and caperberries (which was fabulous), and an Argentinian rib eye Korean style with Greek yogurt, cucumber, and mint. Your expected sauces, sides and a good assortment of desserts are available too. A bottle of Argento Altamira Malbec Uco Valley from Argentina paired well with the menu.
The World’s Best Steak Menu is available until the end of May 2022. Even without the special menu, Heliot is a smart choice for enjoying a great steak in London. Chef Grammenos’ association with WSC isn’t for nothing. The man knows a great cut of beef when he comes across it! The restaurant’s regular menu specialises in dry aged USDA steaks, with nine different cuts cooked to order.
Heliot Steak House is located inside the Hippodrome Casino, Cranbourn Street, Leicester Square, WC2H 7JH.
Find out more at hippodromecasino.com.
For more about World Steak Challenge, go to worldsteakchallenge.com.
