Hippodrome Casino

London, United Kingdom

4.2

21 reviews

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Telephone:
+44 20 7769 8888
Website:
www.hippodromecasino.com
Address:
Cranbourn Street Leicester Square, London, United Kingdom, WC2H 7JH
Leicester Square
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
110 ftLeicester Square
620 ftSt Martin's Place
620 ftChinatown Dean Street
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Today

Today –
Local time (London) 4:31 PM Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Business hours

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Tuesday –
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Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

This iconic London landmark is once again the city’s foremost entertainment venue. There’s no membership or admission charge, just walk in and you can enjoy three floors of gambling, five bars, a dedicated poker floor, an intimate cabaret theatre and the high energy Heliot restaurant and lounge. Redefining our entertainment landscape, The Hippodrome Casino offers impeccable service, 24 hours a day.

History

Established in 2008.

Originally opened in 1900 by the renowned theatre architect Frank Matcham as a circus variety theatre, the Hippodrome featured a 100,000 gallon tank in which elephants, polar bears and sea lions would swim.

Works in 1909 enlarged the stage and advanced the proscenium arch to suit the theatre for variety rather than circus and, from 1912, revue.

In 1957 the Hippodrome was transformed into the legendary Talk of the Town theatre restaurant by Charles Forte, Bernard Delfont and Robert Nesbitt and featured stars including Shirley Bassey, Stevie Wnder and Judy Garland.

After various different incarnations, including a nightclub under the management of Peter Stringfellow, in 2008 the venue returned to its roots as a circus venue for burlesque cabaret La Clique, which closed in June 2009.

The planning application by The Hippodrome Casino Limited was approved by Westminster City Council in 2006 and a gaming license awarded in late 2008.

Vicinity

Near this location:
1
ft
The Casino at The Empire
5-6 Leicester Square
50
ft
Lola’s Underground Casino
Cranbourn Street Leicester Square
70
ft
Capital Club Discotheque
14 Leicester Square
70
ft
It Human Resources
14 Leicester Place
80
ft
Garfunkels Restaurants
43 Charing Cross Road
80
ft
Pizza Express
43 Charing Cross Road

21 reviews of Hippodrome Casino

No registration required
Place rating: 5
London, United Kingdom
I’m actually really, and pleasantly, surprised at my experience here tonight. I’ve never been to the Hippodrome, but have been to many Casinos in London and around the world. Hippodrome definitely do it right.
After arriving at 3am on a Saturday night, the place had a line out the door, which was nice to see. The line moved fast.
The bouncers were friendly and respectful. This is really important to me, as feeling welcome makes me want to return.
The interior is grand, with a large bar on the opening floor. There are many machines and tables. I liked the electronic Roulette machines with live spins. Their «Lola’s Underground Casino» on the floor below is also great — another gambling room with a bar and a dancer.
I didn’t check out the other floors but will most definitely be back to check out their Steakhouse and Poker room. Overall, Hippodrome is a classy, yet casual, fun casino. I will definitely be back!
Place rating: 4
London, United Kingdom
Hippodrome Casino is more than a casino, it has theatre, restaurant, bar, cash machine and lounge. Fine I believe I am typing like a fact sheet of this Casino. but the Available services WOW me! Wifi available! Phone Charger! Complimentary Cloak Room! English newspaper, Chinese newspaper… Super friendly hosts. Yea more facts~~~ lol Anyways, a bit more subjectivity from me, I would say it is a family run business and it feels different than other casinos.
Place rating: 5
Puteaux, France
Friendly staff and good vibe. it’s unconventional to have brunch in a casino and you can have some really good options, clean and crisp cooked such as pancakes, waffles and beef steak for only 7 pounds. my compliments to Mike Haydon, for being such a good host.
Place rating: 5
Pittston, PA
If you need a drink in London after midnight this is the place to go. Beautiful atmosphere! It was so nice we sat in the piano room and drank a bunch of beer and ate like we hadn’t eaten in days. Sliders were amazing!!!
Place rating: 4
London, United Kingdom
Came to the late night caberet in the theatre in the Hippodrome on Saturday night, what a hidden gem! Firstly, the venue is amazing and not as intimidating as I thought a casino would be. Secondly, the caberet theatre is amazingly intimate and friendly. Table service ensures you don’t miss anything and the drinks and snacks were very reasonably priced given location and time of evening! Wine was around £6/​7 a glass and chips only £1.50 — bargain! The show was great, lasted 2 hours and was only £15. I didn’t do any gambling as had to leave after the show, but friends stayed until 4amish and had a great time in the basement bar. Will definitely come here again when having a night out in town. Can’t wait to go to another show there!
Place rating: 4
Toronto, Canada
In the centre of London, we dropped by to take a look. Good ambience and friendly staff on our first time here; the second time we were greeted with stricter staff — avoid the Chinatown facing entrance!
We only played slots since minimum bets go as low as £0.25 and had a fun time coming out positive both trips. Easy to navigate, great facilities. Would come again!
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
Whenever I visit London, I gravitate towards a casino because gambling is legal, there is literally a sports book on every corner, and I’m always thinking about how I can pump up the English economy.
Naturally, I came across this «higher-​end» casino called Hippodrome during my journey thru London. I have felt and wrestled with every human emotion at a casino. The first time I lost a lot of money sports betting was when I was a poor college student in Vegas. I remember very vividly coming back to my hotel room and taking a cold shower crying on the floor because I thought I had lost everything. That specific experience was a solid 5 out of 10 on the crying scale. For those of you who don’t understand the «crying scale,» a 1 is the cry that a baby exhibits from a shot at the doctor’s office and a 10 is the cry that a kid unveils when he finds out daddy is divorcing mommy. This can translate into a 10+ or 10– depending on the specific reason for divorce. Usually the kid doesn’t find out the «real» reason until much later in life when divorce damages have already been incurred. Hippodrome has a really clean and friendly staff that creates a warm and welcoming environment. The restaurant on the 2nd floor is not bad and there is a smoking terrace outside.
Place rating: 5
London, United Kingdom
Good ambiance, good music, lots of young people, nice dancers.
I only played roulette, and there are some tables that minimum bet it’s either £2 or £5.
Cool place for a night out!
Place rating: 4
Campbell, CA
I came to Hippodrome a few months ago to catch some sunday night american football. I looked up places to watch the NFL and everything was steering me to Hippodrome.
I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived. I saw lots of jerseys of different teams and they had at least a dozen tvs and were showing each game. I was really surprised London had a bar with such an American football following.
For food they have all the American bar food staples. Wings, burgers, fries, nachos, ect.
For drinks, they have a full bar and lots of American beers on draft. Which is really silly because American beer is absolute shit and British beer is divine.
Overall, its the place to go for the NFL in London.
Place rating: 5
Ypsilanti Township, MI
A nice place to close out a night on the town in Piccadilly Circus/​Leischester square. This casino and really any other in London is nowhere near the size of a casino in America (part of the reason is the no hotel factor and this one in particular looks like it was build in a old theater).
They have free coat check (no hats), 24⁄7 drinks (nicely priced drinks, and nicely priced beer, for which they probably have 15 – 20 different ones on tap), good food (great garlic Parmesan wings, and a good chicken caesar wrap, although it’s more of a chicken Caesar salad wrap), and nice games (I only stuck to craps, which was a € 3 buy in). Overall a good night and a must do if your in Leischester square for the night.
Place rating: 5
London, United Kingdom
Yes I love it, although we didn’t gamble all night! A helpful security guard showed us to the small theatre as I’d won tickets to a Steve Brookstein concert from a local newspaper. The show was excellent even though I grew out of watching the X-​Factor years ago. It’s like a small, intimate cabaret theatre on the first floor of the casino. We ordered drinks and food and it came pretty quickly to our table. Lovely music and really enjoyed the entertainment. Upstairs on the 3rd floor there is a Miracle on the Road to Damascus with a wonderful smoking area that is the best I’ve seen in the UK since those New Labour tossers brought in the smoking ban and ruined a good night out. It opens onto the sky at the edge and is heated — wonderful. I found The Hippodrome a really good night out and Steve Brookstein and his band were excellent.
Place rating: 4
London, United Kingdom
Hm… well I guess the joke’s on me.
I was so prepared, minutes before entering on my first time Friday, to poke fun at a free entry, 24-​hour casino smack dab in the middle of touristy Leicester Square.
My friend and I explored the gargantuan 4-​floor complex just to visit, and couldn’t find anything to really complain about. It’s an absolutely gorgeous, up-​to-​date venue– helpful staff, well-​spaced, great DJ-​fronted music (I went at 1am on a Friday), a nice vibe and ambiance for what it was, an open-​air terrace and plenty of non-​gambling options to enjoy yourself if slots and blackjack aren’t your thing. I wouldn’t mind coming back at all for a drink– and that’s the largest tip… when all the bars around Central shut at 3am or much earlier, this is the spot to keep your party going. It’s no strings attached free entry and the alcohol flows all night (and day) long.
This place really surprised me. Check it out if you ever find yourself in Leicester Square!
Place rating: 5
Tampa Bay, FL
Wonderful experience here.
My very first casino visit in life, and it was not intimidating at all.
I came for dinner and to see Laura Mvula perform in the theatre.
Best gnocchi I have ever had in life, and the service was attentive.
Seating for the musical event was intimate, and comfortable at the same time.
I was really pleased with how helpful and proactive the attendants were the entire night. Everything ran really smoothly.
And the bathroom wallpaper is gorgeous.
Place rating: 4
London, United Kingdom
I was very pleasantly surprised by how nice and… calm (I guess?) the Hippodrome was. The last time I stepped foot in a casino was in Vegas over two years ago. I’m not a serious gambler but enjoy watching the occasional game of poker or blackjack. From the first floor balcony, you can look down on the main floor and do some fun people-​watching. The main
The drinks are also surprisingly reasonable for its central location and how ritzy everything is. £4-​ish beers and £5−7 glasses of wine. I just wish there was a viewing platform for the poker deck on the fourth floor.
Place rating: 4
London, United Kingdom
Well, now the Hippodrome is all glitzy and glamourous! Ain’t it!
3 floors and buzzing with energy. And they’ve tapped into the speakeasy trend (down in the basement they have black and white film projections in the hallway. Scantily clad dancers with a 1920s style influence on their minimal clothing.
So, this place is quite a mix. Good fun and good times going on but it can also be very intense. This is for serious gamblers. The minimum play rates are higher than other casinos I’ve previously been to.
Non-​alcoholic drinks are free. There is waitress service but it is painfully slow! Drinks prices are fairly reasonable though.
Place rating: 3
Berkeley, CA
A little slice of Las Vegas plunked into the middle of Leicester Square!
Open late for drinks, and we were treated to a sequence of dancing ladies in skimpy outfits before we filed into their cabaret space. Cowgirl routine, oh yes.
Great show and it has a sort of lumpy scrappy charm.
Place rating: 3
Arlington, VA
A nice atmosphere, upscale casino. Several top quality bars and a couple restaurants. Staff is courteous. Cocktails are very reasonably priced – ten pounds for a double Hendrick’s G&T. Free wi-​fi!
However, my favorite part is the two-​level upstairs open air smoking terrace. A comfortable place to have a cigar. They also have shishas. They don’t clean up the tables and ashtrays very often. Lots of tables piled up with empty bottles and glasses.
Unfortunately, the terrace is completely walled off so there is no view from the top of the building. (It seems like a missed opportunity but they probably don’t want to encourage people to smoke instead of gamble.)
The steakhouse, Heliots, was excellent. Good wine list. Nice bread service with baguettes and rolls made with grains and raisins. The chopped salad was fresh with red onions, green beans, and avocado. The USDA Prime filet was tender and cooked exactly as ordered. Best steak I have had in London. Service was prompt, attentive, courteous.
The cheese plate was stellar at 7 pounds!
Place rating: 4
Seattle, WA
We went to the Hippodrome for the 2014 Sochi Men’s Gold Medal Final of Ice Hockey.
I usually avoid going out in Leicester Square like the plague, but I was actually quite impressed with the Hippodrome.
Granted, it was on a Sunday daytime (so it was probably an unusually chilled out atmosphere), but I really liked the spacious set up, big screen, hot wings, and reasonably priced drinks.
Can I recommend the Hippodrome for gambling? I have absolutely no idea. But for sporting events, it’s a winner.
Place rating: 3
Paris
L’Hippodrome Casino est ouvert 24h sur 24h, 7 jours sur 7 (sauf peut être le jour de Noël car tout est fermé à Noêl à Londres).
Contrairement à beaucoup de casino, vous n’aurez pas besoin de vous mettre sur votre 31 pour rentrer. Vous pouvez venir en short kaki ou avec des sandales chaussettes si cela vous plait.
C’est le type de casino qui essaie de plaire à tout le monde, vous aurez accès aussi à des restaurants à des bars, à des écrans géants où vous pouvez regarder le NFL ou la premier ligue LIVE si vous le souhaitez.
ON AIME
— Les happy hour roulette qui vous donne le £1 ROULETTE!
— Le «Hippodrome Friends Loyalty», une sorte de carte de fidélité qui vous donne des points si vous mangez, buvez et jouez ici. Très pratique pour les addicts… pardon les joueurs réguliers
— Les tournois de Poker
— 24⁄7: si vous habitez en banlieue et que d’attendre le bus sous la pluie à la sortie de boîte de nuit, né vous enchante pas, venez prendre un café ici !
ON Y VA AVEC QUI?
— Son pote russe flambeur
— Sa pote célibataire qui veut mettre la main sur un flambeur
— Ses potes filles ou fils à papa qui ont beaucoup d’argent à mettre par la fenêtre
Place rating: 4
London, United Kingdom
I visited the Heliot steakhouse recently as they had an introductory offer, 3 courses, a bellini and a side, all for £20 plus a £10 betting chip!
Sounded like a no brainer on the face of it. As it turned out it was indeed a no brainer. The service was excellent, the food from a short set menu was superb and the atmosphere felt quite classy for a casino! Could be that the atmosphere changes as the night progresses but at around 8−11pm it was great. Add to that the superb smoking terrace upstairs and it was a great night out. By the way even if you hate smoking make your way up the winding staircases just to have a gander at the terraces.
I would highly recommend a visit even at ‘normal’ prices!
Place rating: 4
London, United Kingdom
Back in the day, I used to go to the Hippodrome club as a teenager to dance to ridiculous music with my mates and get drunk on 3 drinks.
A LOT has changed since then (it now takes me 2 drinks) and Hippodrome is now a casino! SAY WHAAAAT?!!
A friend of mine wanted to waste, I mean, gamble some money. He told me his strategy was based on getting free alochol, when you’re at the tables. Like Vegas, right? No. You dont get free anything. And definitely not at the levels we were spending.
Having said that, we had a good time, the dealers were fun and chatty, even the security people had a laugh it seemed, and I especially liked that there was no ‘entrance policy’ rubbish so we just walked in and out.
Three tiers is cool, with higher minimum bets on respective floors.
I’d go back.