Napoleon`s Restaurant

A multi-million-pound refurbishment has raised the stakes at this Sheffield favourite.

Forget putting your shirt on red or black… at Napoleon’s they’ve gone for gold. The latest £1.5million revamp at this landmark casino and restaurant sees a new look for the restaurant that had me smiling before I’d sampled my first forkful.
No doubt you have already spotted the bold gold design on the outside that demands attention as you head along Ecclesall Road. It’s bright, brash and not necessarily an accurate indication of the more subtle pleasures waiting beyond the velvet rope.
The dining area is now at street level in the former bar (a window seat allows you to people watch) and the colour scheme, lots of burnished gold with a touch of chocolate brown, is consistent throughout and creates a super sophisticated and understated look. We particularly liked the leather floor tiles.
There is a separate entrance to the restaurant, so casino membership is not a requirement, and the menu covers the basics well and offers very good value at three courses for £17, rising to £21 at weekends.
Spacious enough for large groups, intimate enough to ensure a table for two doesn’t get lost in the vastness, this is an impressive restaurant in its own right even if you don’t intend to step downstairs for a flutter.
There is nothing fancy about the menu but the food is well-cooked, gutsy and presentation is very stylish – right down to the bespoke plates with the discreet letter N on the rim.
Starters of a big chunky fishcake with sweet pea puree (it needed a squeeze of lemon) and beautifully smoked chicken and duck salad were tasty.
Main courses include guinea fowl, fish and shellfish but the steaks were hard to resist and my ribeye with peppercorn sauce, accompanied by perfect thick hand-cut chips which were nattily presented in a mini deep-fat fryer went very well with a large glass of the house Syrah.
Speciality of the house was a beef Wellington with mushroom fricassee and Madeira jus. From the crispness of the pastry to the tenderness of the fillet steak encased within this was pretty special and well worth the £8 supplement.
The dessert menu includes the tempting suggestion of a sharing platter – choose two and ‘a little extra’ is added. The addition to our watermelon jelly and fruit shot fondue was a selection of miniature French Kilner jars containing fresh soft fruits with some chocolate sauce for dipping. It looked good and was a fun way to end the meal.
But it wasn’t quite the end of the evening. Feeling lucky, I decided to risk a fiver at the roulette wheel and emerged ten minutes later and £20 richer. (Golden rule: quit when you’re ahead). I can’t guarantee you my luck, but a visit to Napoleons Restaurant is as safe a bet as you’ll find in Sheffield.

Napoleons Restaurant
844 Ecclesall Road
Sheffield S11 8TD
Tel: 0114 266 1115
www.napoleons-casinos.co.uk