Alea Casinos at Clarence Dock

In a building as vast as Alea with its multitude of rooms, bars and restaurants, it’s a small wonder to discover that there is a hell of a lot more to the place than just flashing lights and roulette wheels. Like Vegas – the building’s constant inspiration – there is something here to whet the appetite of anyone looking for an aspect of a hedonistic lifestyle.

We even experience a corking display of cocktail making from their fabulously knowledgeable and patient bar staff, which works alongside a drinks cabinet so vast it could kill a sailor. We recommend that you drink responsibly, though, because there’s enough temptation here to coax out the party animal in all of us. Cool, sleek Cosmopolitans for the girls, to sup while discussing boys and shoes, and the Mafioso Manhattan for the wannabe Sinatra’s flicking chips at the barkeep. Supoib.

But the real fun is diving in and making the cocktails yourself. Alea host an Open Masterclass on the second Friday of every month dedicated to just this sort of thing: you can make two great cocktails and enjoy tapas from The Bird, which is presided over by the UK’s only Michelin starred Indian chef. The food is sensational, but for those who can’t handle their spices, there’s The Fig, too, offering more of a Mediterranean spread and just as classy.

Did we mention the large conference centre upstairs, enough to hold anything from your annual employee sales training sessions to wedding receptions or celebrity talks? Accompanied by its own bar and with the facility to offer nibbles and drinks, there’s a private cinema screen just along the corridor for that extra, exclusive party. The big screen can be utilised for whatever purpose you desire – maybe just to show your favourite films, or maybe a marathon session of Bond titles with a few dry martinis. It’s a cosy room too, with comfortable seats and the sort of atmosphere that you’d love to have in your own front room.

Of course, the main draw is the vast expanse of casino floor, with slot machines, poker tables, roulette, pretty croupiers, funk bands, chandeliers, TV screens, minimum bets, green felt, the works. It’s easily the best venue in Leeds for sampling the racy life of high stakes, snake eyes and putting it all on red – and even if you have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about, there are patient and attentive staff on hand to talk you through what it all means and what you need to do.