We had been invited to spend the evening checking out one of the Arena's Hospitality Packages, which included a meal in the restaurant and premium seats to see Boyzone on their final tour.  As I am more used to woofing down a quick meal at home and sitting in the cheapest concert seats I can buy these days, I was really looking forward to reliving my pre-children, corporate hospitality lifestyle for one evening.

We were warmly greeted by the Team on Spotlight duty and quickly escorted to our table.  The stylish venue is light, bright and airy and oozes sophistication, immediately putting us in a VIP mood.  There is no hanging around here - after all, we have a show to see – and the service is efficient but not rushed.  With gin and tonics in hand and having already pre-ordered from the set menu, we were able to relax and take in the atmosphere.

We were eating from the evening’s set menu and had chosen the Wild Mushroom and White Wine Soup, with crème fraiche and pinched with a hint of chive.  My friend had the Beetroot Gravadlax (beetroot and dill marinated salmon fillet, roasted beet and micro herb).  Both arrived in a timely manner and were served at the right temperatures respectively.  Our starters were tasty and the ingredients were well combined and worked well.   

Our mains quickly followed (arriving impressively under silver domes) and our Pan Fried Rumps of English Lamb, served with boulangerie potatoes, baby carrots, buttered cabbage, redcurrant and rosemary sauce were absolutely delicious.  The portions are a good size and the lamb was perfectly cooked.  Absolutely no complaints about the food or service so far. With plenty of staff on hand, Spotlight is quite obviously going the extra mile to provide a high-quality dining experience - and it’s working.

With a tiny amount of room left for dessert I tried to consume the whole of my Wild Berry Cheesecake, which was rich, creamy and, unfortunately, just too big for me to finish (but I'm not complaining about the portion!).  My friend had the Belgian Chocolate Tart with Madagascan vanilla cream, honeycomb and macerated berries, which was also delicious and proved to be the ideal finish to an excellent meal.

Our package would normally include Premium Seats for the concert but, this evening, we were treated to our very own box.  A short stroll across the bridge takes you to the Executive Boxes, with their own bar and waiter service.  From here you get, comfy seats, an excellent view of the stage and a lovely chap who popped in very regularly to take our drinks orders.   These boxes are right at the top of the Arena, so might not be ideal if you have vertigo but they are a great treat, especially if there is a group of you.

So, would I pay the extra for the Hospitality Package?  Absolutely.  The tickets probably don’t cost as much as you might think, so it’s definitely worth taking a look when you’re booking for your next show.  The whole experience makes for a very special evening and the restaurant and food are excellent. 

You can find out more about The Spotlight Restaurant and Bar, including information about private hire and upcoming shows on the Motorpoint Arena website.