Garlic & Shots

Awesome-o! This place has the best and most unique slices of garlic bread one could possible wish to experience! The tables are ladened with fantasmagorical little candles and the decor is generally eclectic prominently featuring bats, tarantulas and Michelin men! Ha ha...

The main course was 'delicio' with more than enough garlic to knock Wesley Snipes' sunglasses off, and satisfy the most authentic and frenchiest french man. The service was tentative and rather lovely!

I am garliced up, the barman was ace ventura and our waitress was top of the pops!

I'd give it a wholesome 4 out of 5 garlic cloves... If I hadn't just eaten the lot.
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Gavin and Gorj
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, January 27, 2009

I've been going to Garlic n shots on and off for several years, both eating and drinking and think it's one of the few places around with both character and excellent food in a relaxed atmosphere. I can understand that if you don't like garlic or rock/metal, then you won't enjoy as much, but if you do, the place is a gem. Most of the negative reviews seem a reaction to not having been there before, and feeling offended by being sent downstairs if you're not eating. As a regular, I can appreciate that they don't mix drinkers and diners, e.g. keeping loud drunks (me on weekends!) away from straight/ middle-aged families.

I feel compelled to comment on Antony's review from 23/10/08. On every website where garlic n shots is featured he's copied and pasted the exact same review under different names. I can see you're holding a grudge against them, so i guess u had a really bad experience, but the poor service and arrogant attitude u claim u had was surely only a response to ur own obnoxious behaviour! Grow up n get over it dude! I pity the staff that had to put up with u! Long live garlic!!!!!
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Kirsty
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 7
Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Garlic & Shots is worth trying, if only for the garlic ice-cream which was as weird as it sounds but definitely a culinary experience. Despite reading about poor service on a few reviews, we found the service to be excellent. Our waitress was friendly and cheerful and always on hand when needed. The menu is a little pricey but the food was excellent. I would strongly recommend it to any and all garlic lovers.
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SF
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Sunday, November 09, 2008

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 indignant 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.
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Antony
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Thursday, October 23, 2008

Although the concept of a restaurant devoted to garlic is very alluring and the first impressions are very favourable, repeated visits soon pale (no vampire pun intended!). The food is reasonable - the ambience quirky if you like your restaurant served sunny side Goth but the service is really quite appalling. Generally you feel as if you are doing them a favour being there and that if you weren't they wouldn't give a damn. Well, with the credit crunch crunching they may well start to realise that customers, unlike diamonds aren't forever and they might start giving customers a little more attention. Sorry Garlic and Shots - I was prepared to be a loyal customer but there are many places out there that are more deserving of my hard earned cash!
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disgruntled
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 5
Friday, October 10, 2008

Me and my boyfriend absolutely love garlic, I found this restaurant in soho and we made a phone reservation straight away. We read reviews online which were very mixed, it seemed people either loved this place or hated it, we decided to give it a go anyway.

As i walked in I immediately felt overdressed, it looked like a cross of an American biker bar and a gothic pub! We were greeted straight away by a lovely swedish waitress and were given the food menu along with the shots menu.

We ordered a bottle of house white, garlic beer, wasabi and garlic asparagus, garlic bread, garlic lamb chops and garlic meatballs. There was a bowl of fresh parsley on each table for diners to pick at, strange, but nice!

The food was amazing, we heard alot about the garlic bread and it did live up to its expectations! My lamb chops were a generous size in a rich wine garlic sauce, along with potato gratin and asparagus in herbs wrapped in ham. The large meatballs were extremely garlicy with mash, very very nice!

The portions were a good size, we could hardly breath by the end of it!

We thought we would be brave, I was driving so didn't have any garlic shots so we ordered the garlic icecream which came with honey and chocolate coated frozen whole cloves. all our food was absolutely delicious but the garlic icecream was a bit too crazy for us.

The garlic beer was nice and smooth, and the other people in the restaurant were all doing garlic shots so I imagine its quite popular, if not only for novelty!

Garlic and Shots was one of the quietest restaurants on frith street, in Soho but nevertheless, we thought it was brilliant. I can understand why some people wouldn't like it, although in Soho, it has a very gritty gothic feel to it and you would not expect such a high standard of food in a place where there is a giant spider statue on the bar and numerous skull heads!

Something different, and not too bad for £60 total. We would definitely go back and try the rest, service very friendly, food excellent!
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Rebecca Marie
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Friday, October 03, 2008

I went down to the bar in the basement and had a beer with a garlic shot. The service was the worst you can think of. Very unfriendly bargirl serving. The style is kind of heavy metal, not really our kind of place but thats alright.

After half an hour the music went off. There was no one in charge of the music so the bargirl was running up and down the stairs complaining she had problems with her Ipod. Meanwhile no drinks were being served.

The toilets were disgusting. Very small and unbelievably dirty!

As a Swede I feel ashamed of this place (the venue is owned by Swedes) and I hope something gets done to make it better!
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, September 14, 2008

I went here last night with a friend of mine. Having read these very mixed reviews, we had a back up plan but did not have to use it. I eat out a lot. A lot. And this is the best food I have ever had out. The garlic bread is gorgeous, thick slabs of freshly baked bread with turmeric, chilli and garlic. Our mains were brilliant too, the ribs are served on a huge platter with coleslaw, salad and potato skins and the veg noodles with halloumi were so delicious that I didn't stop eating until it hurt. The service was good - polite, conversational and efficient.

The only criticism i'd have is that you get what you pay for so although the food is fabulous, you don't feel like you've found a hole somewhere that you'll visit again and again...Having said that, I would definitely recommend this place and am going back later this week!

Two mains, two drinks, two sides, £55.
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Sophie
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 6
Friday, June 13, 2008

I love this place. It's one of my favourite restaurants in London. Although obviously, you have to love garlic! Literally everything has garlic in it. There's even a garlic beer. It's cosy (in the front part of the restaurant), and good for an alternative date (I saw Amy Winehouse in there once snogging someone in the corner). The music is usually rock, and alot of the staff seem to have at least something pierced. There's also a bar downstairs which attracts people wearing alot of black. So, if you're into that kind of scene, or at least feel comfortable with it, then you'll probably have a great time!
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Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Thursday, May 29, 2008

Went there to try but unfortunately it was disgusting! Staff were extremely rude and do not seem to care about service or attitude just cash! The atmosphere was dismal and the drinks even more so! To be avoided.
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Ellie Griffin
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Sunday, May 11, 2008