In what is set to be my final journey into Manchester, I may have unknowingly saved the best casino for the last. In case you aren’t up to speed, I’m travelling the length and breadth of the United Kingdom in search of the best casinos on our high streets, then presenting honest accounts of my experience playing in them. And once again I’m drawn to this northern city, this time to visit Napoleons Casino.

Napoleons has a chain of casinos across the North that includes spots in Bradford, Leeds, Hull, and Sheffield. The Napoleons Casino Manchester venue certainly looks the part with its suave interior, but does the casino offer enough to outperform its rival Mancunian casinos, or perhaps even challenge the top UK casinos?

In this deep dive of Napoleons Casino Manchester, I’ll be taking you through which games are available, discussing the service, and examining what perks there are to being a Napoleons Casino member. So let’s get started.

Napoleons Casino Manchester is located at 57 Portland Street, right in the heart of the city. The Casino is adjoined by the swanky Hotel Brooklyn and is right beside its Runyon’s Restaurant. This entire complex is barely a few years old, and it certainly looks fresh, standing out among the street’s aged brick mills. Its modern brutalist architecture and abundance of neon signage seem to be a typical choice for the newest UK casino operators.

Heading inside, the casino spans across three levels – though that’s being a bit generous since the middle floor really is just the toilet. The casino runs deep in terms of its dimensions but is possibly the smallest casino I have stepped foot in so far. But can Napoleons make up for in quality what it lacks in scale?

As mentioned earlier, there are 12 dealer tables inside of the casino – a limited but ample selection. You have six roulette tables that offer American Roulette. Two of these tables are synced to the electronic terminals. Now, I don’t want to poo-poo anyone's business, but American Roulette is the worst of the roulette variants for me. And to have six tables purely for this is a level of evil that doesn’t sit well. At least have two American, two European, and two French. 

Moving on, you can enjoy two blackjack tables and one three card poker table. Plus, there are three baccarat tables. Allow me to rewind a little bit. One poker table. Just one! I think I know which direction my review is turning. It started with so much promise and hope, but the full weight of reality is dawning on me.  

Slots and More

On the gaming floor, you will find roughly 40 slot machines. These are provided by Novomatic, who also contribute many titles across the most popular UK slot sites. Some of the slot titles here include great games like Book of Atlantis™, Burning Wild™, and Magic Joker Jackpot™. 

For the electronic roulette, I counted that 16 seats are available. Two of these are also linked to a Roulette Slingshot variant by Cammegh, and two others are linked to the casino’s own live roulette tables. 

Notable Absences 

That’s it, no VIP rooms, no tournaments. No poker but one table that does double up as an extra baccarat (punto banco) table. I did very little research into this casino beforehand, mainly because I wanted my opinions to be fresh and natural. Now, that I have witnessed and experienced it all, I have to say that when it comes to gaming opportunities, this is where Napoleons fell down. 

On the whole, the location is really good. If you want to stay the night in Manchester and make any visit a longer one, then you have the facilities literally onsite. 

Hotel Brooklyn certainly has a high-end if youthful vibe, but you’ve plenty of other great options in the vicinity including the Townhouse Hotel and Clayton Hotel next door.

As soon as you step into Napoleons Casino, it’s like entering a tiny hotel lobby. You have a reception area and, charmingly, a fish tank. The friendly manner of the reception staff was picked up on right away, and I’m pleased to say carried on throughout the rest of the establishment. There was no security at the time I arrived, though I did rock up at 3:00pm, which is not the busiest time for any casino.

When moving beyond the lobby, you do not walk directly into some lavish games room like you would with about every casino on the planet. At Napoleons in Manchester, you enter on what is the top floor, with nothing but two sweeping staircases, one leads to the basement or ground floor where most the games are, the other up a small level to the smoking terrace, where you can find some slots and electronic games. 

When I entered the ground floor, I was amazed to see there were only 12 tables and only two dealers active. Admittedly, the casino was not busy, so I get why they may not need the staff at the time – perhaps more dealers were on their lunch. 

Cash: On the main floor you’ll easily find ATMs and a Cash Desk. 

Bar: On the opposite side of the room to these facilities, you have the main casino bar, which, again, is small but time here in the casino is for playing and not propping up the bar. Though I’m sure management wouldn’t mind you partaking in both activities. But on a serious note, never gamble when drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. 

Food: Next to the bar is the casino’s restaurant. Here you can gorge on stunningly prepared food, which I did try myself when it opened for service at 5:00pm. I kept it simple and had the wagyu beef burger, with a chocolate cake dessert. Anyway, it was all perfectly done, no complaint, and would return for the food alone. The quality of the restaurant crops up often in reviews I’ve seen online, and it really does standard on its own too feet. The games are just a bonus.

The casino does provide players with suitable wheelchair access. There are disabled toilets and there is a lift service to move between floors. I don’t use a wheelchair myself, but I was confident that anyone who does would have full access across this casino.

Can the casino redeem itself in any manner? Player bonuses, perhaps? 

Now when it comes to promotions, I saw nothing advertised during my time there, although in fairness I may have forgotten to check. But what I can admit is that once I got home, I then went on their website to see what benefits players had. 

Now that I know what they offer to players, I was able to tee up this section of the review with a question that made it look like I knew all along what promotions they had. And with that, this is just some of what was going down at the Napoleons Manchester Casino:

• Birthday Offer – Eat for Free! Have a part of four or more and the birthday guests eat for free. 
• Blue Light and NHS Card offers including 10% dining discounts.
• Dine in Style Package.
• 3Bs Offer – this means burger, beer, and bets.
• Bucket of Beer Offer. 
• Wine Pre-order Offer. Pre-order 4 bottles, get the 5^th free.

There’s a theme here, and that’s that they’re designed to fill your belly and not your wallet. There are no casino game perks with Napoleons membership. Nevertheless, if this appeals to you, you first need to register to become a Napoleons member, and this can be done online from their website. Or in person at the front desk of the casino, if you prefer.

Napoleons don't have their own online gambling site however, and that's where the player perks usually are. That's not to say land based gaming doesn't have its advantages, and truth be told it's not all about the bonuses.  For one, all land based venues are fast withdrawal casinos by default. You cash out your winnings at the venue - there's no waiting days for a transaction to go through. 

I arrived at Napoleons Casino at 3:00pm, with the mindset that I would stay for four or five hours and see how the business picks up as the afternoon turned into evening. In the end, I left after three. The casino was quiet and frankly, if people did turn up, it wasn’t going to sway my decision or judgment of the venue. 

Because the place was surviving with a slow pulse on my arrival, it would have made it easier for the cleaners to do their job. The place was immaculate, the games were in very good condition, and you’d think that the place was brand-new – so credit to the cleaners and staff. I do also think that the relatively small size of the venue also helps this place to be spotless.

Top Notch for Food and Drink

One touch I really loved is that free hot and cold (non-alcoholic) refreshments are provided at tables across the room. These seemed to be restocked reasonably regularly and always had something I’d like to pick up. It’s just one of those small touches that makes your custom feel appreciated. 

The food at the restaurant was good and if I was ever in Manchester again, I would sit down for another meal here even if it’s not my first-choice location for games. 

Limited Game Options

There’s just something about this casino that I cannot put my finger on. Small can be mighty, but there is very little here when it comes to gaming and the diversity of games. I appreciate one can only fit so many gaming tables in a compact room, but decisions like having six tables dedicated to American roulette when the offering could have been diversified – that’s frustrating.  I also saw some of my favourite titles across the gaming machines, but I certainly didn't spot anything groundbreaking or any brand new slots - it all seemed a little safe. The location is great, but there is a casino with much more available within a mile or two.

⭐ Standout Moment 

Probably the moment I walked in. There’s no denying the place has its aesthetics nailed down, and it does come with a luxe vibe. The first impressions were solid. 

At this stage of my journey, I wonder when I’ll come across another Napoleons to review. I’d be interested to see if they’re all the same or if the Manchester Napoleons is a disappointing one-off. I shouldn’t be overly negative, but I did come to this casino with high hopes. When you Google Napoleons Casino Manchester, you see it does get rated highly by visitors. 

Sadly, Napoleons Casino in Manchester just isn’t the best casino in the city. It would be great if it was tailored for more players. One poker table isn’t good enough, and having six American roulette tables is just crazy. Also, whilst Novomatic are a solid slot developer, they’re far from being the best or most innovative. 

It’s always a shame when I leave a casino after such a fleeting visit. It can get a touch anxiety inducing when a casino is quiet, and I have nothing to do because there are no games going on. It’s like walking into a shop to buy that special item you’re after, to then find out that one item is out of stock. Then there’s that awkward walk out the shop, past fellow shoppers, the till workers, and security, whilst mentally and physically projecting to the world that I am a law-abiding citizen and not a shoplifter. It was practically the same feeling on my exit.

All in all, Napoleons looks and tastes the part. It has the goods in terms of games, but nowhere near enough of them to compete with Manchester’s bigger and bolder casinos.

With its super central location, Napoleons is very easy to reach. Getting here can be done via bus or car. It’s a few minutes’ walk from Piccadilly Gardens where many local bus services terminate, and even closer to Chorlton Street bus station where National Express services call. There are many multi-storey car parks in the immediate vicinity too, though they’re far from cheap. 

If you’re local or staying elsewhere within Manchester, you could also use the city’s Metrolink tram network. The nearest stops to Napoleons are St Peter’s Square or Piccadilly Gardens, both being a five-minute walk in either direction. As for national rail services, both Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly are within ten minutes of the casino on foot. 

• Manchester235 Casino
• Grosvenor Didsbury Casino
• Admiral Slots Manchester