Everything you ask
Questions guests ask, answered in full
Fifteen answers in three groups: your first visit, the tables upstairs, and the dining room and the building around them.
Before the questions
How these answers were collected
Every question here has been put to me or to Chloe Gardner at the door, by telephone or in the booking form. We have kept the order in which people tend to ask them: first the practical points, then the tables, then the questions about the building and the kitchen.
If your question is not here, please ask. The staff are happy to answer by telephone during opening hours, and a good question has a way of becoming the next entry on this page.
First visit
Arriving for the first time
What should I wear?
Whatever you would wear to a good restaurant on a cold night. A jumper, a shirt with a collar or a neat jacket is ideal. Walking boots are welcome at the door, and coats may be left on the stand.
Do I have to book?
Booking is wise on Fridays and Saturdays and helpful on other nights. Walk-in guests are seated when a table is free, and the host will tell you honestly how long that is likely to be.
Is the hall suitable for someone dining alone?
Very much so. The window tables and the end of the long table are favoured by solo diners, and the host will happily find you a book or a newspaper. Nobody is made to feel conspicuous.
How do I find the entrance?
The door is on Parke Street, a few minutes' walk from the railway station, a few doors along from the bookshop. A brass plate by the door gives the name, and a lamp is lit above it after dusk.
Is there step-free access?
The dining room on the ground floor has a level entrance. The casino room is up a staircase, and there is no lift at present, so guests who cannot manage stairs are warmly invited to dine downstairs.
The tables
Cards, wheels and chips
Can a beginner play?
Yes. Roulette and blackjack are easy to learn, and the croupier will deal slowly and explain as you go. Wednesday evenings include a free blackjack lesson for exactly this purpose.
What happens to the chips at the end?
They are counted back to the croupier and returned to the rack. Chips have no cash value, cannot be bought or exchanged, and are not taken from the room under any circumstances.
Are there any machines or electronic games?
No. There are no pokies, no gaming machines and no screens of any kind in the casino room. Every game is dealt by hand, on cloth, by a croupier.
Can I play the same game online later?
No. The hall has no online games, no app and no remote play. The tables exist only on the first floor of the building, for people who are present.
Is anyone expected to keep playing?
Not at all. A guest may sit for one hand or for the whole evening, and may leave at any point. The croupier will not remark on it, and neither will anyone else in the room.
The building
Dinner, children and the building itself
Are children allowed in the building?
Children are welcome in the dining room at any hour. The casino room and its staircase are for guests aged 18 and over only. Parents who wish to play are encouraged to book a sitter.
Do you cater for allergies?
We do our best. Please tell the host when you book. The kitchen keeps a list of ingredients for every dish, and Clayton Richards will speak to you himself if a question is complicated.
Can I hire the hall for a private evening?
The hall does not run private hire. The long table in the dining room may be booked for groups of up to eight, and larger groups can often be seated across two adjoining tables.
What is the hall's history?
It was once a drapery on Parke Street. The page called How we began tells the story in full, and the pressed-metal ceiling in the dining room is the best reminder of the building's earlier life.
How do I make a complaint or a suggestion?
Tell the host or the floor manager on the night, or write to the booking address. Every message is read by me, and I reply to each one personally within two working days.