Gilgamesh

We booked a table for 9.30 on Saturday night. On booking I had to give credit card details and was told ot would be £20 a head if we didn't show. Arrived at 9.25, told to wait in the bar and they'd come and get us. Bought 3 mojitos - £34! At 9.40 asked about the table (a task getting anyone to talk to you) they said it would be about 10 minutes, same thing at 9.50, at 10pm it changed to '10 minutes or so'. You couldn't call the staff helpful or apologetic, they seemed to think they were doing you a favour when they spoke to you. Gave up and went to Camden Brasserie just round the corner which was friendly with delicious food - should have gone there in the first place. Don't waste your time with Gilamesh, success has obviously made them think they don't need to bother about service.
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camillas - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Monday, January 18, 2010

We booked a table for 9.30 on Saturday night. On booking I had to give credit card details and was told ot would be £20 a head if we didn't show. Arrived at 9.25, told to wait in the bar and they'd come and get us. Bought 3 mojitos - £34! At 9.40 asked about the table (a task getting anyone to talk to you) they said it would be about 10 minutes, same thing at 9.50, at 10pm it changed to '10 minutes or so'. You couldn't call the staff helpful or apologetic, they seemed to think they were doing you a favour when they spoke to you. Gave up and went to Camden Brasserie just round the corner which was friendly with delicious food - should have gone there in the first place. Don't waste your time with Gilgamesh, success has obviously made them think they don't need to bother about service.
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camillas - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Monday, January 18, 2010

Went here the saturday after new year with friends, amazing decor and lovely space.

Food on menu looked promising, orders arrived swiftly perhaps almost too swiftly as ribs and dim sum were cold.

Food quality was average, I have had much, much better in london at a lower price. The manager was apologetic and understanding but we decided to leave all the same.

If I ever went back I would give the food a wide berth and just have a drink in the bar just so you can see the amazing interior.
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 2
Monday, January 04, 2010

I read the reviews on this site before heading to Gilgamesh, and so went with some trepidation. I was delighted to find that the Foodepedia review was, in my experience, more on the money than the other reviews. This may be because we were there for a 6pm booking prior to an event nearby and we needed to be out within a couple of hours. This is probably a good thing as I gather tables are turned pretty quickly (a pet hate of mine unless diners are reserved space at the bar after dinner). We were spared that but the waiter made it very clear, in a very charming way, that the table would be needed back by 8. The food was excellent. The chilli squid did not disappoint but of the starters the beef salad was a real star, as was the scallop and prawn dim sum which was incredibly good. My main course was a rib-sticking beef penang with coconut rice – very tasty, well spiced and certainly hit the spot with me. Front of house staff could do with a little more warmth but the waiting staff were terrific. Many of the dishes on the menu were surprisingly expensive so we steered clear of those. I’m not convinced of ‘pan-Asian’ as a theme and for me, the interior was a little gimmicky, but overall I really enjoyed the experience.
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Sunday, October 25, 2009

I dined at Gilgamesh last Friday (October 2009). Following a last minute panicked phone call advising me that I had to wear shoes to get in (really?) I was prepared for the worst. And the worst it was.

Trying to charge £40 for the set menu is an exercise in ambition. Even at £25 it was significantly overpriced.

Starters of 2 dim sum balls each and 1 duck pancake barely touched the side. Whilst quite pleasant to eat they were no better than your average china town gaff and significantly worse and more expensive than any proper dim sum restaruant.

But the main is where the meal really fell down. I chose the beef and was served up the smallest strip of steak atop a massive hulk of green mashed potato. Served with boiled rice. That's right - mashed potato, boiled rice, and a few strips of dry steak. Whoever thought that what you really want in an asian style restaurant is green mash should be shot.

Finally to desert - an ill advised chocolate mouse creme brule - with a lemon sorbet which did nothing to complement the mouse.

Then we cleared away so that table could be resold for another party. Add to this the dilemma that no one was allowed in even though the area was empty. The host was stressed out because of it all. He really should have read the reviews first so kind of deserves it!
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Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 2
Monday, October 12, 2009

Ok if like me you often ignore reviews which have scored an establishment lowly for poor service dont ignore this one.

I attended Gligamesh last night at 7pm for a friends birthday drinks. Due to a mix up with the name on the guest list my reservation could not be found and i was told by security that i could not come in for a drink at 7pm on a Friday evening because the bar was " full". Despite explaining that i had travelled over 50 miles for the event the bouncers attitude was come back at 10.30 when there is room.

Now eventually my reservation was found and i was allowed to enter an empty bar area which stayed empty all night even at the fabled 10.30.

Gilgamesh set itself up as a bar/lounge/restaurant which is accesible to all but this kind of arrogant attitude is why many people my age avoid the west end. My advice is either book the restaurant and "enjoy" a mediocre meal at inflated prices or if you like me want to enjoy a drink in nice surroundiings with friends then avoid this place like the plague as its ego is as inflated as the prices.
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Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 0
Saturday, October 03, 2009

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 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 experience went downhill rapidly from there.

We were booked into the smaller of the two restaurants dining areas, the entrance to which was overseen by yet another security guard and a 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 finishes disentangling limbs the man 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 line 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 sticking 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.

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. 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.

The fired Asian green 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 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 be please pay up and leave.

At £63 per head this was possibly one of the worst meals I have ever experienced.
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Julian40_06
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, September 06, 2009

Like many people said, decor is the best thing you could ever expect.

We tried both £35 and £45 menu in a party of 10, I wouldn't say it's bad, but compared to its decor, it's like you were in the heaven one minute before, then you were thrown to hell.

Every dish, from portion to taste, they were trying to remind you, hell, hell, hell...

My personal suggestion, if you want to a decent bar, go there; if you want a decent dinner out, go eleswhere.
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Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 0
Saturday, September 05, 2009

We had the £55 tasting menu - not great value. Starters were good. Mains were average and dessert was not very nice. Food was good to average but too pricy for what it was.

Service was rushed but attentive. They forgot a few of our dishes and we had to remind them to bring them/remove from the bill.
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Jane
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 2
Friday, September 04, 2009

totally overpriced. bad service. personnel are scary. managers are so arrogant. me, my sister and a couple of friends were asked to leave the table so fast, plus they are rush on the drinks.

toilets are dirty smelly and poor. we will never come back i reccomend to pay extra money for professional staff.
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hind
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Sunday, August 23, 2009