AT the suggestion of eating in a casino, what springs to mind? I think of soggy crisps and chewy ham and cheese sandwiches. Not anymore. Casinos have had to up their game.

Enter Jean Christophe Novelli. The multi Michelin-starred TV chef, has been drafted in by Stanley Casinos to add some je ne sais quoi to their menus. The smoking ban and the nation's insatiable appetite for fine dining has meant casino bosses have had to change their eating habits if they want to first get the punters in and then persuade them to stay.

Jean Christophe is tall and tanned, softly spoken with intense smouldering brown eyes. His French accent trips off the tongue like chocolate. I hate him.

110 restaurant in the Circus Casino on Portland Street looks the business. There's an open plan kitchen practically in the round so watching the drama at the hotplate shouldn't be too much of a strain.

Tasteful décor with low lighting creates a completely separate ambience to the hurly burly of chips flying all over the place.

Novelli has an academy for chefs in Hertfordshire where he lives. And the lads sweating over the saucepans here will get the Jean Christophe education, too.

"I don't want to impose my recipes on people, I want them to enjoy it." he says.

"I think in general, society has moved on and with over 30 years experience as a chef I know this to be the case. If you wish a sandwich you can have one but you can also have a very well refined three course menu with a lovely touch and the good thing is you don't have to spend a fortune."

So what did Jean-Christophe bring in his lunchbox? Pea soup with cappuccino, foie gras and black pudding, steak fillet towers, squid salads…and only one dessert, caramelised baked banana tatin. Unusual for a man who once won Egon Ronay's dessert of the year.

If you fancy a meal here it will set you back £25 for three courses, not too pricey.

"What is very important is not trying to impress or pressure the customer," he insists. "What we want is to try and please people that come to the casino. Therefore it's a combination of enjoying yourself, tasting new dishes and feeding yourself properly."

Novelli knows how to play the media game and plays it well. He's appeared on celebrity versions of The X Factor, The Apprentice and The Games and even been on Family Fortunes. It's safe to say he likes telly, whether he's cooking on it or not.

But has all this TV exposure had an adverse effect on his culinary creativity?

Although slightly worried he may wrap a steel ladle around my bonce, I ask: "Do you think there may be chefs that will think that you are dumbing down your art and food?"

"I'm not interested in what people think," he replies tersely.

"I'm interested only in what I do and I believe in it. We're only talking about cooking."

Changing the subject, I ask him if he's still got 21 Doberman Pinschers, to which he replies "I only have 11 now," followed by a quip about ten roast dinners. Well, he is French.

Serious would be apt to sum up Jean-Christophe. More than once, he fixed me with that intense stare and it's evident that he believes very passionately in everything he does.

But as each one of his answers started to sound samey, with Stanley Casinos name-dropped every time, I started to count the number of plugs he attempted to crowbar in for his new employer. I got bored with the game when I reached double figures. If you've any loose wiring in your house, invite Jean-Christophe round - he's the perfect plugger.

Mon Dieu, I'm starting to sound bitter. Unlike his puddings, which taste like ambrosia from the gods.

As for the new setting for his gastronomic endeavours, Jean-Christophe, says: "I'm not a gambler, I do not play the games because I do not understand them.

"But the thing that struck me the most is that you don't have to come to the casino to spend money or play games. I think there is more to enjoy, such as socialising and having a nice drink."

He is, however, fascinated with the whole energy of the gaming experience. Jean-Christophe's good taste extends to his favourite comedy, which I learned was Only Fools And Horses. He's got all the episodes on tape, so when I sampled one of his delicious dishes I proclaimed: "fromage frais, Rodney, fromage frais" to which he burst into a rare fit of laughter.

Interview over, we headed into the kitchen where he showed me how to make this caramelised banana thingy.

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