The Gallery Restaurant, G Casino, Birmingham

This casino serves more than a hand of cards,

, there are decent meals too.

I've never been to Las Vegas but I imagine it's slightly more exciting than the not-so-bright-lights of Birmingham's Broad Street.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a frequent visitor to its many bars, pubs, restaurants and takeaways and I'm not complaining about the choices on offer but I don't think you can compare the two destinations - especially when it comes to casinos.

That's why it was with a mild sense of doubt that I entered the G Casino having been told that The Gallery restaurant inside serves good, competitively-priced food.

Having never been to a casino before either, I was half expecting to emerge with a fully-fledged gambling habit and a battered looking credit card having been sucked in by the slot machines as soon as I entered.

But it turns out that no-one actually chains you to the roulette table the second you step inside. In fact, you're just left alone to get on with whatever you came to do - which in our case, was to eat.

The Gallery is set within the main casino itself and although the dining area is quite clearly defined, the open plan layout means you're looking out over the games area as you eat. Perfect for a spot of people watching. Or poker watching if you're that way inclined.

Our host, Mark, was friendly and welcoming and showed us to a table on the right side of the restaurant to view the whole casino from our seats. It was a Friday night and not especially busy but I imagine these places come alive later rather than earlier. A plate of warm bread served with oil and balsamic vinegar promptly arrived and we were so engrossed in the greasy goodness, that I forgot to look at the menu for the first 10 minutes.

We debated over the wine list for long enough to sound polite before turning to the cocktail menu and feigning surprise that they served them. "Oh well it is a special occasion," my new housemate mused.

"You know with us just moving in together and all. I think it warrants a Mojito."

My arm fully twisted, I plumped for a Long Island Ice Tea. I'm not sure about the etiquette surrounding drinking cocktails with a meal but for the record, I'd recommend it.

As neither I nor my new roomie eats meat, we decided to order two of the vegetarian options from the main menu - vegetable kebabs (£7.95) and a mushroom and spinach parcel (£8.95). But then Mark threw a spanner in the works by suggesting we have a starter - hardly an outrageous suggestion in a restaurant but it hadn't actually crossed my Long Island Ice Tea-soaked mind at that stage.

"Well I want the wild mushroom bruschetta," I confessed.

"But then I'm not having mushrooms for my main as well."

Yes folks, I am that easily thrown.

My mini-crisis lasted only for a few seconds though as I decided instead to order the penne pasta cooked in a tomato, pepper and white wine sauce (£6.50) - despite declaring as I left the house that I was having something we wouldn't normally have at home. We eat pasta and tomato sauce at least three times a week. There is an option to have the pasta with chicken and Mark asked if I wanted a piece of salmon instead given that I don't eat meat. But I've got a thing about fish and pasta, I don't think they should share the same plate. Still it was a nice touch to be offered an option not actually on the menu.

My new roomie ordered the goat's cheese and cherry tomato salad to start (£4.45) and stuck to the original plan of vegetable kebabs.

Both starters were tasty and there was a lot of plate passing to ensure we each tried both dishes. The bruschetta had the edge though as the wild mushrooms really were delicious.

The pasta was well cooked and the sauce was laced with fresh vegetables although I did find the addition of sweet potato a little odd.

The sauce itself was creamy and tasty but having eaten half a loaf of balsamic-vinegar soaked bread and a huge slice of ciabatta (the bruschetta), I was essentially full before I began. The vegetable kebabs, coated in batter and deep fried, were served with Bombay potatoes and a mild tikka dip. The portion was huge but it was so tasty we had a good go at devouring the lot between us.

We were so full by the end of it, that even a carpaccio of fresh pineapple served with champagne sorbet (£3.45) couldn't tempt us to stuff any more in. I wasn't even sure I could swallow by this point.

The meal, including the cocktails and a bottle of mineral water each, came to less than £40 meaning we had plenty of change left to cram in the slot machines.

But rather than risk losing it all we decided to head back on to Broad Street and spend it on more cocktails while we danced off the feeling of fullness.

ADDRESS

The Gallery Restaurant, G Casino, Fiveways Leisure Complex, Broad Street, Birmingham, B15 1AY

Telephone: 0121 631 3535

Website: www.gcasino.co.uk/birmingham

Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday 7pm until 2am, Thursday to Sunday 7pm until 4am