Gamba — Restaurant in Scotland

I'll start by saying that the service was overall very good and the food was excellent. I visited for my partner's birthday, she had the fish soup and the cod special (a Thai curry with rice) which she really enjoyed and gave 10/10 to. I had the crabmeat curry to start which was delicious. Though the monkfish with scallops steamed in paper for my main wasn't quite to my taste - the dish actually had more scallops over monkfish than the menu suggested, and the soy sauce (or similar) that the dish was served in was very salty. Nevertheless, the meal itself we liked overall.

However, we booked a table for 20:45 after looking through the website and spotted there was a 'Saturday menu' available - three courses and a glass of wine for £38. This looked like a great deal, but when we arrived we were told that only the A La Carte menu was available. It's only after we left the restaurant and googled 'Gamba Saturday menu' that we could see a webpage saying that it is only available until 18:00. The 'menus' page of the site and the downloadable saturday menu itself don't have any times written on them, so we were a little disappointed when we arrived and found this wasn't being offered. It would be better if the website was updated to more clearly show what times certain menus are available.

We also had a bit of trouble with a couple who were sat behind us. One of them was talking loudly with their phone on speaker mode, causing a bit of a disturbance for us and other tables nearby. I mentioned this to one of the staff members who understood and immediately went over to the table to let them know that they couldn't speak on the phone in the restaurant. Another staff member (the manager presumably) saw this happening and also went over to the table to ask if everything was okay. The couple complained that they had been told to stop speaking on the phone and the manager said 'who said that? No no, you can use your phone'. The customer then went back onto her phonecall, albeit not on loudspeaker this time, and I was preparing to raise this with the staff again. Before I could, a staff member then came over to the couple's table with drinks and set them down, to which the lady loudly said 'i didn't order these', and the staff member explained that they were on the house. It seems very strange that the restaurant allows customers to use their phones on loud-speaker in the restaurant, and then offers them free drinks when another table complains. If this could be explained then I'd greatly...

We’ve been coming to Gamba for years and always considered it one of our favourite restaurants in Glasgow. We live in London and, as always, make a point to include Gamba in our plans. Sadly, our most recent visit on 2nd August was a real disappointment.

When we arrived, we were told our table wasn’t ready and were ushered to the bar for a drink — only to find it too cramped to even stand comfortably. We ended up waiting over 30 minutes past our booking time for our table, with only one person serving at the bar. It took 15 minutes to get drinks, which we had to chase, and we ended up sending them back twice due to mistakes.

Once seated, things didn’t improve. We had to ask repeatedly for our order to be taken, and while the staff kept apologising, it felt like damage control rather than genuine service. Several servers seemed to be standing around with little direction, and we overheard multiple tables complaining. Staff were going around offering to take money off bills, but the atmosphere felt chaotic and poorly managed.

Our wine wasn’t opened or poured properly, and dirty plates and glasses remained on our table until we asked for them to be cleared.

This is especially disappointing because Gamba used to have impeccable service - attentive, and highly professional servers who made the experience feel special. That standard seems to have completely slipped.

We understand the restaurant has recently changed hands, and while we know every place can have an off night, this felt like more than that. We left genuinely concerned for Gamba’s future if this is the direction things are heading.

The food was still good — but the experience around it was shambolic. We hope this was a one-off, but sadly, it’s made us think twice...

From the moment I stepped into Gamba, I knew I was in for something special, and this Glasgow gem absolutely exceeded every expectation. My recent visit was an unmitigated delight, a true celebration of fresh, vibrant seafood and culinary artistry. To start, I opted for the picked herring, and what a revelation it was! The fish was impeccably fresh, with a delicate cure that enhanced its natural sweetness without overpowering it. It was a bright, clean, and utterly refreshing beginning to the meal, perfectly whetting the appetite for what was to come. For my main course, I chose the seabass, and it was simply sublime. The fillet was cooked to absolute perfection – flaky, tender, and bursting with flavour, with a beautifully crisp skin that added a delightful textural contrast. Each mouthful was a testament to the quality of the ingredients and the skill of the kitchen. It was elegantly presented and truly a showstopper. And then came the grand finale: the lemon posset. Oh my goodness, what a dream! It was a symphony of creamy, tangy, and sweet, with that perfect zesty kick that cleansed the palate and left a lingering, joyful sensation. It was the ideal conclusion to an already faultless meal. Beyond the exquisite food, the atmosphere at Gamba is wonderfully inviting – sophisticated yet comfortable, with attentive and genuinely friendly staff who clearly have a passion for what they do. Every detail, from the warm welcome to the seamless service, contributed to an exceptional dining experience. If you're looking for an unforgettable seafood experience in Glasgow, look no further than Gamba. It's a culinary triumph that I cannot recommend highly enough. I'm already dreaming of...