Gilgamesh

The award-winning, critically acclaimed Gilgamesh on Chalk Farm Road is quickly approaching its 10th birthday. After nearly a decade at the top of its game and probably becoming more famous than any other restaurant in the north west of London, there must be a temptation to sit back and enjoy the dividends of a reputation hard earned. There’s none of that in evidence here though. Inside the Stables Market in Camden, Gilgamesh continues to make strides in pan-Asian cooking in the capital.

The Stables Market on Chalk Farm Road in Camden is a lot of things. Tourist hotspot. Former horse hospital. Home to Cyberdog. Reformed and gentrified world of punk. The food front, conversely, is fairly lacking. The prime exception, of course, is Gilgamesh. This Camden local is home to one of London’s best and most famous pan-Asian restaurants (famous enough to be part of a Gordon Ramsay-related debacle over a table). The dining room is sumptuous, indulgent even. This disregard for modesty is the strength of the menu which demonstrates enviable skill in the kitchen.

For casual diners in London, Gilgamesh comes as something of a shock to the system. The restaurant is lavish, there’s no two ways about it; proudly so. Diners are invited to choose from a menu of inventive, pan-Asian classics and new dishes while sipping on something from the cocktail menu (or else simply head over to the Champagne Bar). Camden has plenty to be grateful for in Gilgamesh, not least the prestige a restaurant of this calibre lends to the area. Diners are advised that this is a formal restaurant and reservations are encouraged, and often a must for dinner at the weekend.