Gilgamesh

Julian40_06

Gilgamesh is definitely not Godlike 6th September 2009

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This is perhaps one of the worst restaurants I have had the misfortune to eat in.

The decor is fantastic, with beautifully carved hardwood paneling throughout the restaurant. Unfortunately the wow factor stopped right there.

The security guards on the front door apparently cannot count from 1 to 9 and kept two members of our party kicking their heels at the front entrance while the person who made the booking was called back downstairs to explain the rudiments of mathematics.

The experience went downhill rapidly from there.

We were booked into the smaller of the two restaurant dining areas, the entrance to which was overseen by yet another security guard and an attractive if vacuous young woman who attached a gold identity band around the wrist of each guest. The two plastic surgeons in our group felt immediately at home. I began to suspect we might need their services before the night was out, to surgically remove our frowns.

We were shown to our table by a gentleman who may or may not have shaved sometime in the last six days, the lighting being dim and somewhat red, it was difficult to tell. The table was ridiculously small for a table of nine people, with approximately 5 1/2 inches per person.

Even before we had finished disentangling limbs, the man with the greasy pony tail and unshaven jaw was back with a fixed menu sheet. £45 per person was the headline at the top of the page, clearly indicating the establishment's priorities. They had tried to make the menu look substantial by double spacing the items on the page, but the list of dishes finished sadly short of the bottom of the page. I didn't bother looking at the wine list. I very much suspect that it would have come with a lien on close family members.

I was by this time becoming a little alarmed and the arctic chill down my back was not just from the over enthusiastic air conditioning which was threatening to give me hypothermia. I was seriously thinking of requesting a parka jacket. By the time the first course arrived I was shivering with enthusiasm.I was really looking forward to leaving. Two of our party immediately bailed out at this point. I heartily wished I had joined them.

The food was, well, edible. One of the other reviewers extolled the virtues of the fried squid. I have to agree that it was the highlight, served in small paper flutes. It was just like being at Southend. Unfortunately I would have to disagree with the reviewer who prized it so highly. While the squid was tender and the batter crispy, it had no pizzazz to set it apart. Sadly for the chef, I had gone to China town the previous Saturday and had eaten fried squid from the hands of a master of the art. This came no where close.

The remaining dishes of the entrees were lacking in any real substance. The duck spring rolls, cut in half and rationed, were lacking in any substantial flavor and the Scallop Sui Mai was sticky and unappetizing. The freezing air conditioning rapidly chilled any warm food on the table, but the shivering was burning calories and this sharpened the appetite, so all was not lost.

Before the last of the first course morsels had been eaten the waitress who had assisted in delivering the first course was back demanding to know whether we had finished, with as much charm as a serial killer.

The main course consisting of Green Chicken Curry Lime Leaves and Thai Basil, Duck & Watermelon Salad, Hoba Miso Chilean Seabass, Stir Fried Asian Greens, Jasmine Rice arrived with unseemly haste. Then again, by this time I had stopped shivering from the cold, which is usually an indication that hypothermia has progressed to the euphoria stage, I needed all the sustenance I could get as quickly as possible.

The Green Chicken Curry had about as much punch as pea soup. The thin sauce was populated by limp vegetables and a few straggly pieces of chicken. I almost requested a straining spoon to assist in the hunt for protein. The Seabass was good. Cooked to perfection, delicately flavored and truly a delight. If I didn't have to fight my fellow guests for a taste of this, it would have been truly enjoyable, however the portion was miserly. It was fortunate that the disposable chopsticks were sharpened at one end providing an adequate weapon. With concentration camp rationing, the hungry inmate needs every break he can get. The Duck and Watermelon was interesting. Watermelon soaked in duck fat is an interesting combination. There were a few obscure brown pieces mixed in with the watermelon, but one had the distinct impression that they were an afterthought and may or may not have been a duck at some point in the distant past.

The fired Asian greens and the rice were quite frankly a joke. The vegetables were limp and tired and the rice was overcooked with the consistency of soggy cardboard.

The waitress returned before long demanding 'have you finished yet?'. The shivering had returned by this time or I might have mentioned a few things about good service.

The final course was Green Tea Brulee with Jasmine & White Peach sorbet which were both excellent if lacking in generosity.

The final insult of the evening was the waitress returning to harass the poor gentleman, our host, who had booked us into the establishment to settle the bill as quickly as possible as they had already sold the table to another party for £350 without any food and the dancing was about to begin so could we please pay up and leave. I would not have been terribly surprised to see Basil Fawlty goose step past the table it this point.

At £63 per head this was possibly one of the worst meals I have ever experienced. The party who took possession of the table following our peremptory eviction, had probably had the misfortune of dining here before, so they were happy enough to stump up the £350 without having to experience the heart rending disappointment of having to smile through three courses of generally ordinary food and a complete absence of hospitality.

If it had not been for the excellent and entertaining company at the table I would seriously have thought about leaving before the first course had been cleared. I have to say I really enjoyed the evening and the enjoyable conversation. It almost made me forget the restaurant.

lesleyI

Depends what you want 16th December 2008

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With this restaurant, I think it depends what you want.

If you want an experience and the food doesn't need to be perfect, then Gilgamesh is perfect. It is as visually stunning as everyone has said. It's huge and vibrant, and the big windows all down one side onto the railway are exciting.

But the food definitely doesn't match up. The dishes read well on the menu, but are only OK in the mouth.

I went with my husband and a bunch of teenagers and opinions were split on sex. The girls loved it. The boys thought it was all style and no substance.

christyas

Top place 18th September 2008

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allway stunning food

LOVEANDKATE

FABULOUS!! 30th August 2008

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We took work clients to Gilgamesh and had high expectations but, the service we received was exceptional. We were given a comfortable booth with view of the kitchen and were attended to by happy, knowledgable staff.

My night started with this fantastic cocktail

KUTU
Chilli, Mint And Pink Grapefruit Shaken Together with A Large Shot of Bombay Sapphire Gin.

It gets better....

I then spent the rest of the night making my way through a variety of mouth watering dishes and excellent wines.

i couldnt fault Gilamesh. The carved wood decor is beautiful, food is superb and service is of a very high standard.

You are made to feel special when drinking or dining here and I would highly recommend it for taking clients out, special occasions and romantic treats.

We happily sat in there for 3-4 hours and was a splendid evening.

sparklepants

Memorable decor... 28th August 2008

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...I'm just not sure that the food was as good?? Maybe as the surroundings are so very lavish and extraordinary (wooden carved bar, fantastic lighting, even the toilets are glamourous!) one would expect everything else to meet the same standard? I'm not sure! The waiter was very poor, he didn’t seem to know what he was talking about with regards to the menu. This is not to say the food wasn’t good, it was- I just expected more. The cocktails, however, were very good indeed! I had a really lovely evening but I wouldn't go out of my way to re-visit.

ladi

Perfect night 16th April 2008

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A very impressive outfit, visually delightful and intriguing, with an eccentric carved wood and lush fabrics in a super large space.

The service was friendly, polite and discreet. I personally like service that is a little more personalised and attentive, but that's hard to get in such a big place.

We had the set menu, one vegetarian, one normal. The starters were fabulous, partly just because of the variety and fun. The dishes ranged from fair to great, and were overall impressive and tasty. The vegetarian main, an aubergine 'salad' was great, and the duck noodles was fine, and was one of the few dishes not finished.

The green tea creme brulee was amazing! I couldn't stop raving about it and wanted it to go on forever (but am glad it didn't otherwise I'd now be a balloon).

It is certainly on the pricey side, and would be somewhere reserved for special occasions.

johnspier

Gilgamesh 23rd January 2008

3 found this helpful

Leaving the 'hustle and bustle' of Camden behind using the Gilgamesh escalator, arriving in Gilgamesh is an amazing experience. The entire place is fitted out, top to toe in what looks like hand crafted wooden and copper panels on the walls and ceiling with lush seating areas lit in a low light, the overall effect is of a wondrous Asian Middle Eastern hybrid exclusivity. The staff are smartly dressed in understated black and the place is screaming fashionable taste.

The cocktail menu is as individual as Gilgamesh is. Nothing of the usual here, with some very tempting ideas unfortunately the couple of (maybe too adventurous) cocktails that we had, failed to produce anything that I would want to try again, the flavours were muddled and there was no theme for the taste.
Moving through from the lounge area to the restaurant, the awe inspiring themes and decoration continue to amaze, the menu is Asian fusion, which I found at odds from who Gilgamesh was (In Mesopotamian mythology he was a demigod), still the menu has some wonderful examples of Asian cuisine, be it Sushi, Dim Sum, Thai or the Gilgamesh main courses.
We ordered a few Dim Sum as starters, which when they arrived were delicious (one arrived while we were eating our main, it was still good but the taste didn’t really work alongside the main course).
The main course beef and lamb were excellent cuts of very fine meat, beautifully cooked, nice and rare and melt in the mouth stuff, and the side order of stir fried Asian greens was the perfect accompaniment.
The dessert was an interesting affair, a selection of Japanese ‘tea cakes’ - delicate little things with a subtle flavour, these were a little too nice and deliacte and I felt that they didn’t work after the spice of the main course, not enough substance to stand out so a little disappointing.
All in all a good meal and at the price of £50 per head somewhere that is best left as a treat.
Although I can think of other places that do far better cocktails and Dim Sum combinations (Ping Pong), and dare I say better food for a more reasonable price, you can’t beat the glamour and opulence of Gilgamesh for a truly memorable night out.

gaelle

I love Gilgamesh!!! 29th October 2007

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I had the opportunity to go to Gilgamesh with my friends and that was an exceptional experience!!! I assume that I have been amazed by the décor which is just unbelievable!!!The food was delicious and the drinks...mmm the drinks! I will definitely go back there!!!

SAS

The WOW factor!! 22nd October 2007

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Gilgamesh is more than a restaurant it is a total experience...from the moment I walked into this place for the first time a year or so ago I fell in love with it..whenever I have friends visiting me in London I always take them to Gilgamesh as it really has the WOW factor..its totally awesome.

The interior decor is incredible..it even has a retracting ceiling!! The food is out of this world!! THe Head Chef Ian Pengelley does what he does best..his signature dishes such as Duck and Watermelon Salad and Rock Shrimp Tempura have been my favourites since his days launching E&O but his cooking just gets better and better!!

I was lucky enough to experience one of his masterclasses which was given to me as a birthday present...it was fab! We were treated like real rookey chefs with our own whites, we learnt all about the food and got to cook 3 dishes..then we learnt about wine matching and enjoyed several glasses too!! A fantastic day and worth every penny!!

Gilgamesh brings something fresh and innovative to London...I really think everyone should try it at least once...Its FANTASTIC!!!!!!

IJohnW

Novelty Asian Restaurant 12th October 2007

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When Entering Gilgamesh, the only thoughts that enter your head are those of disbelief. From the bustling streets of Camden Town, you are taken up to the first floor by escalators into a cavernous hall, bedecked in ornate wood panelling, covered in Asian patterns and carvings. It is incredibly elaborate and you feel as if you have just stepped into a movie set. The whole building is incredible, with the toilets so luxurious it has to be seen to be believed. But once you have recovered from the look of the place, the food just does not meet the high standard the venue leads you to expect, and to be honest, some of the furnishings and even cutlery and glasses didn't seem very clean. A great novelty dinner or lunch but that's all.