Gilgamesh

A reincarnation of the old Camden spot, Gilgamesh’s new Covent Garden location continues its legacy of extravagant dining. There’s a theatricality to the space that starts before you even walk in with a projected logo spinning on the pavement outside. But it’s the walls here that are the unique calling card: carved bronze detailing spans the entire restaurant, mirroring the Assyrian reliefs housed nearby at the British Museum. Lush greenery spills down the walls in an overgrown frenzy, surrounding circular booths and tables each with their own contrasting designs.  

It’s bold and brash, perhaps not for everyone, but there’s a commitment to the ‘Babylonian Palace’ concept that flows throughout the restaurant’s three floors that we appreciate.  

Starters come in the form of small plates and sushi, and we begin our evening with beef tataki. Delicate layers of silky wagyu beef come dotted with foie gras, black caviar, wasabi and raw chilli, ready to be wrapped and eaten in one delicious bite. The Gilgamesh Dragon Roll is a real spectacle when it arrives, but it has too many elements fighting for attention: crab, wasabi, caviar and spring onion to name a few. The addition of wagyu beef on top of the roll largely went unnoticed. 

Gilgamesh is designed to be maximalist and loud, but the simplest dishes are the most satisfying. A miso Chilean sea bass comes wrapped in a banana leaf with a wedge of lime. The fish is skillfully cooked: falling apart atop a crisp pan-fried skin. The miso glaze is buttery and sweet. At £49 it’s not cheap, but alongside some sticky jasmine rice and heavily peppered pak choi, it’s arguably worth the price tag.  
 
Desserts, unfortunately, feel like a bit of an afterthought. A banana and caramel crumble with ice cream and teriyaki sauce intrigued us but was overly sweet, whilst a mango cheesecake lacked tang and vibrancy. 
 
Gilgamesh promises a lot and mostly delivers in its aim of exciting and extravagant dining with several excellent moments throughout.  

Relaunching the former 2007 Camden site, Gilgamesh is a pan-Asian restaurant, cocktail bar and lounge, situated in the heart of Covent Garden. The Mesopotamia-inspired space is named after one of its ancient heroes, Gilgamesh, and his epic adventures. Famed for being a celeb hotspot, this vibrant location aims to recreate its renowned spirit and energy, and offer a one stop destination for drinks, dinner and of course, music and lively activities afterwards. Within Gilgamesh, the Babylonian style décor includes hand carved bronze sculptures and gold and azure accents, with three distinct spaces to suit your occasion; head to the mezzanine level or subterranean space for your meal, stopping by the bar lounge for a pre or post-dinner cocktail.

On the menu, the pan-Asian offerings promise a journey through Japanese, Chinese, and Southeast Asian flavours, with plenty of familiar favourites and unique signature dishes, all best enjoyed sharing style. Begin with tasty nibbles like spicy edamame and sharing plates such as salmon tartar with sisho ponzu, beef tataki with foie gras and black caviar, and Japanese pizza with tuna truffle mizuma. Next, dive into skewers off the robata grill, and baskets of dumplings like siu mai and har gau. If you’d prefer to keep it lighter, there’s sushi, sashimi, nigiri and salads including the famed crispy duck, watermelon and cashew salad. Larger plates feature as well for something more substantial like ox cheek stew, grilled dover sole with basil and ribeye bulgogi with chive mash.

On the drinks side of things, there is an excellent selection of global wines with affordable bottles as well as revered labels from award winning vineyards, and Champagne if you’re celebrating a special occasion. The cocktail list is also not to be missed, offering classic cocktails, sake based concoctions like the Kingu which combines kiwi and midori liqueur with yuzu sake, and signatures like the Aruru which sees Bacardi Blanca flavoured with mint, lime and mango.