Garlic & Shots

suberb

good place bad service 17th February 2009

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Great place. Great food.
Horrible customer service.
If you are looking for a place to have a beer and shots, it's perfect.
If you want a restaurant the food is amazing but the crew is rude.
If you want tapas, nibbles, salads, appetizers, FORGET it. You cannot even sit if you doesn't look live having a proper meal. They do good efforts to make you feel uncomfortable.

bron99

Lots of charm 17th December 2008

1 found this helpful

Went here for the very first time last night and just loved it. Popped in briefly for a vodka shot before dinner and it was like being in West Berlin before the Wall came down. Dark, gothy and steeped in the wondrous smell of cooked garlic - a must do.

Niamheen at 17/12/08

Nice description! It is fun in there. And those garlic shots! :-)

bron99 at 17/12/08

We did licorice shots - let me recommend them!

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elytra

Let down 23rd October 2008

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Excellent food let down by poor service indeed. Arrogant waiting staff, more willing to talk amongst themselves than serve you after seating, unwilling to accommodate to any of our requests and an indigent response when asked to take the two additional items of food we never ordered and the -optional- service charge that was wholly undeserved off the bill, stating that it's part of the meal and if we did not like it we should not come back.

The only tip I would leave is to avoid this restaurant and pick somewhere else in Soho instead.

thamshere at 23/10/08

The service at G&S definitely comes with a non-optional side of arrogance, but I've never known it to be bad. Everyone's always been helpful even if they do seem look down their nose at you a little at the same time.

That being said, I must admit I don't like actually dining there very much. For me it's always just bloodshots, beer & garlic bread :)

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CristinaA

Skulls & blood shots... 10th October 2008

2 found this helpful

Firstly thank you to some newly acquainted friends who introduced me to this place.

Goth metal Swedish style.

I sing a Swedish lullaby, I learnt years ago, to win over the owner to give a quick interview and brief history of Garlic and Shots bar/ restaurant. Independently owned and started by the Olsson brothers in Stockholm over 16 years ago, they bought the concept over to London in 1992 when they secured their place amongst the old Soho scene. It always has been and always will be alternative, but don’t be scared to step in everyone’s welcome.

The hearty food is guaranteed to be laced with garlic, so don’t go crying and complaining that there’s too much garlic in your dinner, you’ve been warned. I’ll be going back to try the garlic ice cream. Make sure you book a table.

Serving 101 shots of all different varieties, I was deceived by the charming bar maids chant ‘Honey & Spice and all things nice’, as I happily knocked back their signature spicy blood shot with a beer chaser (trust me the chaser is essential). If you’re lucky you and your crew will nab the candle lit alcove, a very private extension of the underground bar with a bare wooden table balancing on a coffin!

All puns aside this place is a dying breed, it has a history they’re very proud of, and clearly stood the test of time.

Niamheen at 10/10/08

I do love this place. It's enormous fun! And the bloodshots and garlic vodka. Mmmmmm.

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faery81

Garlic and Shots 11th September 2008

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Garlic and Shots is a fantastic themed bar and restaurant with quirky decoration. We went there last Halloween and it definitely didn’t disappoint. The food was fantastic: they have the best garlic bread in London, plus some pretty good steak. The garlic nachos were also amazing – everything on the menu is covered in garlic so don’t go here for a first date or anything like that! They have over 100 shots on the menu and some of them are very… interesting. The atmosphere is loud, laid back and friendly. Definitely a good place to go if you feel like trying something different.

Polkadot

Love this place! 4th September 2008

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Have been coming here for eight years now and it never fails to disappoint. The place is split into two - an upstairs restaurant (including outdoors area with heaters) serving a variety of interesting and unusual dishes (all laden with garlic - even the ice cream!) and a louder, downstairs bar for drinking only. The vibe is loud, chaotic but extremely friendly and attracts a wide range of people for tourists to businessmen to alternative rockers and goths. The 100 shot menu is a must-try!

thamshere

Best garlic bread in town 4th August 2008

5 found this helpful

This has got to be my favourite bar in Soho. Garlic & Shots really has got a lot going for it. It's got one of the few outdoor areas in Soho, giving you a breath of fresh air on a summer evening. They've remained steadfastly unpretentious and still have vodka and beer as pretty much their only drinks. The garlic bread is simply the best I've ever had. Nearly half a loaf of thick, crusty bread lathered in garlic butter and chilli. It's just superb. The other food is respectable, though not fantastic. I'm happy to eat there, but am generally happier just getting the garlic bread.

Avoid the garlic ice-cream and garlic coffee. Unless you're very drunk.

Speaking of which, this is a superb place to get steaming. The bloodshots have to be downed to be believed. The atmosphere in the garden out back is always condusive to having a superb night out. You'll often find big parties out there (I think there has been at least one on every time I've been) but people are friendly and inclusive. You have to be when you're all squished up so close.

Decor-wise the place could do with a bit of work, particularly in the rear courtyard. Still, the slightly ratty style fits in nicely with the laid back, friendly atmosphere.

During the cooler months the basement bar is the place to be, though it's generally a little loud for my taste.

Go, but don't expect a refined dining experience! This is solid food, solid drinks and a solidly good time.

claire_w

Garlic and Shots - late night in soho 26th November 2007

2 found this helpful

Ever find yourself out late in Soho as the pubs are all closing...you don't want to go on to a ponsey bar with expensive cocktails, but you do fancy 'another drink or two'...

If this sounds familiar then Garlic and Shots might be for you. on the plus side it's open til 0100/0200 most evenings and has an outside bit with heaters and benches. The down side (depending on your outlook) is that it's primarily a rock/goth bar with lots of metal...Beggars can't be choosers though huh :)

In all honesty - G&S is a really great bar for that inevitable 'one for the road'

gilka

18th July 2007

2 found this helpful

liked it... yes great vodkas...
I remember some hard rock music from one floor- had to go to another level and then it was fine :)

flashboy

4th April 2007

4 found this helpful

Great, fairly unique place that's got character to spare. Upstairs, a relaxed, fairly bohemian Swedish bar/restaurant, with good beer, a huge range of shots, and tasty tasty food that all contains large amounts of garlic. Downstairs, a goth metal cavern with a staggering range of vodka. Also, at the rear, what initially looks to be a back room turns out not to have a roof, and as such is more technically a garden.

With a great atmosphere, incredibly friendly staff (for the best effect, it helps to have a Swedish speaker in your group, but it's hardly essential) and a fun crowd, it stands out in an increasingly homogeneous Soho. Not for everyone, but people after somewhere a little different will warm to its charms.