drusilla s.
Yelp
I'm a foodie from San Francisco, and I chose Gamba based on its high Yelp rating. Given the prices, I don't feel it merits such a high rating. I dined at three other restaurants in Glasgow during this trip, all at lower price points, and all three were better than Gamba. Details below.
Gamba's entryway is down a flight of stairs below street level, which is kinda romantic and creates an aura of conspiratorial expectation. The dining rooms are understated-modern and beautifully lit. An arty vintage-zoology-style mural spans a back wall. Gamba has the trappings of a good date-night place. However, we came early on Sunday night, and though I didn't expect a crowd, the restaurant was almost empty. The diners who showed up while we were eating were the over-60 set. Not quite a morgue, but wasn't lively by any means.
I don't remember what the amuse bouche was; some sort of fish puree in a tiny crust. My bouche was not amusé. They did serve it very quickly.
Quite a bit later came a pretty basket of breads in a variety of shapes and textures. The sliced brown buckwheat bread was at least a day old; possibly two. I don't know what the norm is in Glasgow, but in San Francisco it's not unusual to be served bread that's warm from the oven in fine restaurants. We were starving and ate our stale bread anyway. No one ever came by to offer a second helping. Fine, we didn't want it, but it is customary to offer....
Raw Cumbrae rock oysters were my appetizer, and they were very fresh and good.
For my main course, I ordered the special: seared turbot atop a risotto of crab, saffron, and peas. The turbot was fresh and nicely cooked but over-salted. The risotto was a woebegone grayish lump that got me wondering if they had a My Little Pony Glue Factory out back. The peas were that unappetizing-olive-drab color you get with peas from a can, and completely flavorless. I couldn't taste the saffron either. I saw some bits of red indicating crab, but since everything was overcooked into a near-textureless porridge the crab just gave the dish a generalized fishy flavor. Do. Not. Order.
The rocket salad, served as a side dish to the main, was simple but fresh and was dressed with a perfectly balanced balsamic. It was topped with wide, translucent-thin slices of Parmesan that'd been broiled so that there were golden brown bands on it - a visually and texturally pleasing touch.
I'm not a wine freak, but the wine list looked good and prices seemed reasonable. There were lots of international choices; more than one usually sees in the US. I had a glass of Mas Oliveras Cabernet Sauvignon Rosado from Cataluña. The flavor was juicy, mellow, and pleasant and the serving was generous.
Dessert was *almost* Gamba's redemption: a fabulous, five-star crème Brûlée with Christmas pudding at the bottom. The cream was rich and fresh and not over-sweetened, the raisins were plump and juicy with brandy, the hard-sugar top was perfect, and all the flavors melded together into a gorgeous holiday-themed dessert.
Service was good and all servers were well-dressed and extremely polite. All courses arrived in a reasonable amount of time, though the bread was a bit slow. All the orders were correct. At £60 per person and a less-than-50% full restaurant, I'd hope for a little more attention.
If you love-love-love seafood, it might be worth coming to Gamba for simple fresh roasted fish and dessert. Steer very clear of any complex dishes. Or, just come here for dessert and coffee.