OMG team lunch. This time at Galleria Restaurant which is closer to Bayswater than Paddington itself – but more or less walking distance. As long as you like walking and it isn’t pissing down with rain.
The restaurant itself was pleasant – not quite as pleasant as having a week off commuting thanks to the RMT and their strikes, but I guess we cannot wish for too much.
Pleasant, except for the blurry rugs on the wall, which confused me into thinking I was drunk. But otherwise it’s a pastel-ish place with proper furniture and plenty of light.
There was, of course, far too much on the menu.
I’ve come to realise that quite often when you stray into less traditional cuisine – oh I should mention that Galleria Restaurant is Persian, that you tend to find the more interesting dishes in the starters, and this proved the case at Galleria Restaurant.
The mains sound interesting when read in Persian, Jujej Mahksous, for example, which in English is just a skewer of minced lamb and a skewer of chicken. Would I learn anything by just ordering that?
The first dish I had was the Mirza Ghasemi, which fine, I didn’t love but it was interesting. Very creamy in texture, but also smokey – well, more burnt than smokey to taste.
I couldn’t really taste the tomato which was supposedly in there, the garlic and especially the egg I could.
As I said, I didn’t love it, it was too burnt-tasting for my tastes.
The bread was kind of a cross between flatbread and naan – and perhaps a bit more floury than either. Useful for the Mirza Ghasemi, but I didn’t actually need it.
Despite loving aubergine, the lamb kotlet impressed more.
The texture was delightfully fried, the lamb mince came across punchily, but I’d guess there was at least some onion and egg in there too, and a little spice – say paprika, ish.
Overall Galleria Restaurant is a pretty decent place. Is it the best place for Persian food in London? Probably not, but it’s the only place I’ve been to, so I have nothing to compare it to.
Service was effective if not effusively so, the food came to £20.00, plus service charge.
Rating of 7.10.
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