The thing that strikes you first about Gilgamesh Restaurant Bar
and Lounge in Camden's Stables Market, is the décor. I can quite
honestly say I'd never seen anything like it; the walls are covered
in ornate carvings in (what I'm told is) the ancient Babylonian
style and there's a hand-crafted Lapis stone bar, both the
handiwork of an Indian design team of 10,000.
A lot of effort has gone into making the space look amazing;
every chair has a carved back and there are large palm trees
decorated with fairy lights. Apparently the 40 foot high ceiling
has a fully retractable roof, which gives the room an al fresco
feel when completely retracted. It's all very striking, yet somehow
the restaurant manages to have an intimate feel despite this
opulence and scale.
The food, since you asked, is pan-Asian. We tried a variety of
dishes, including a delicious Black Rice Nigiri of Tempura Warm
Chilean Sea Bass, one of Head Chef Ian Pengelley's specialty black
rice dishes. I would recommend trying this if you are able to visit
Gilgamesh; it tastes great as well as looking really good. In fact
all the dishes were beautifully presented - we got admiring looks
when our mixed sashimi arrived balanced over a bowl of dry ice that
sent plumes of vapour across the table. A really nice touch, and
like the unusual look of the black rice, it reminds you that
something a bit different can make a big impact.
Other dishes we would highly recommend are the Prawn and Banana
Spring Roll (who knew prawn and banana would go so well together?)
and the Duck and Watermelon Salad with Cashew Nuts and Sweet Fish
Sauce, another really lovely combination of flavours.The sushi and
sashimi are very good - a plate of sushi rolls filled with prawn
and avocado arrived with slices of strawberry and a dab of
mayonaise on top, again a surprising combination but one that
really worked.
Gilgamesh isn't cheap exactly, but the food is lovely and with
the beautifully-decorated interior it would make a great place to
take a date you're looking to impress or to celebrate a special
occasion. There's also a £10 lunch menu, which includes light
alternatives such as Salmon Sashimi, Steamed Dim Sum and Miso Soup.
Do take a look at their website for more info, and if you find
yourself in the Camden market neighbourhood any time soon, pop
in.
Where to find them:
The Stables, Camden Market, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8AH
+44 207 428 4922
gilgameshbar.com
