THE bright flashing lights and stacking chips of casinos have never really pulled me in.
More accustomed to the two penny falls at the beachside amusements, serious gambling has always kind of scared me.
But walking into the new gaming spot G Casino, encountering the bar and eatery before the gaming hall, is not quite so daunting.
And the restaurant in the open-plan venue allows diners to experience the buzz of the casino without feeling forced to have a flutter.
A pal and I headed for a catch-up dinner in the Exchequer Row dining spot.
We opted for one of the comfy booths which had a good view of the roulette tables and blackjack podiums.
Straight away my dining partner and I chose a suitable bottle of pink wine to gab over. The Zinfadel (£14) was fruity and exceptionally easy to drink.
The extensive menu made choosing very tricky and our endless chatting held up the waiting staff – but they were very patient and brought us olives and bread to pick at.
I finally settled on the coconut battered king prawns (£4.95).
Giant shellfish swathed in a crispy coating with a delicious sweet coconut kick served with a tangy chilli sauce. It was a perfect combo.
My pal swithered too but eventually went for the prawn and crayfish cocktail (£4.75). A generous portion of juicy shellfish doused with a tasty sauce and served with greens.
For the main course I was drawn to the meat-free option, a roast vegetable vol au vent (£7.25).
Piles of tasty flat mushrooms, chargrilled aubergines, peppers and courgettes were served with a creamy tomato and basil sauce and encased in layers of crispy puff pastry. The dish was almost too pretty to eat with a row of bright cherry tomatoes lining the plate – but it was too delicious just to look at!
My friend went for one of the pizzas – the meat feast choice (£6.25) with meatballs and pepperoni – and she was very impressed with the Italian main.
We were both stuffed but my pal was drawn to the refreshing pud – pineapple with champagne sorbet (£3.45).
One of the managers came to apologise as there was no sorbet left. And we were delighted when we got a free glass of bubbly each to say sorry.
A couple of coffees later we were fully caught up on the gossip and satisfied with a lovely meal which set us back less than £43.
Splashing out on gambling ain’t my thing but a meal at G casino is a safe bet any day.