“A grand old theatre building that now deals cards until the small hours.”
The Hippodrome occupies a landmark Victorian entertainment building on the corner of Cranbourn Street and Charing Cross Road. It was built for spectacle, and the casino has leaned into that.
It works well for a longer evening because there is more than gaming under the roof: restaurants and bars let you start with a proper dinner and drift onto the floor.
Gaming tables, a slots area and several places to eat and drink. The building’s old theatre bones give the room a sense of occasion that most modern casinos lack.
Covent Garden, Soho and Leicester Square all have hotels within a short walk, and night buses and cabs run close by. As ever, book ahead rather than hoping for a room at 3am.
Photo ID is required and dress is smart casual. It keeps late, not always 24-hour, hours, so check the closing time and whether any areas shut earlier than the main floor.