La Gamba in Lambeth

This place fulfils the job of feeding you before a South Bank performance. It is convenient, large and has outside seating overlooking the Thames. Supposedly a tapas restaurant it also serves other dishes such as hamburgers. Unlike Spain the tapas are designed as a whole meal rather than a snack accompanying drinks. Here lies the problem as the set menu at around £30 is very prominent. It contains crab, potatoes, cheese toast and other items but the quality is that of an average Spanish bar. In other words it fills you up but is not memorable. It would be best to order a couple of dishes from the a la carte menu and save a heap of money. The staff are pleasant but service is average. I will not return but I can see the attraction for those with tickets for a performance next door.

As the title states nice location on the Southbank where you can either have what looked like excellent food our like us have a drink and watch the people go by

We came here to lunch with my family on a bank holiday Friday, we were served by the lovely Inna. She was very knowledgeable and helped guide us to pick our order. The mussels were to die for and just every thing that came to our table was sumptuous. Thank you Inna! 😊

A éviter service de qualité médiocre plats sans goût et mal cuisiner, amabilité du responsable laisser au vestiaire. Éviter la sangria qui ressemble plus à un jus d’orange diluer à l’eau qu’à une vrai sangria . Les portions sont minuscules même pour un bar à tapas !

Leider wurde uns in 75 Minuten nur ein Tapas gereicht, trotz mehrer Bestellungen. Nach dreimaligem Nachfragen kam dann nach 75 Minuten das Zweite Tapas. Danach haben wir bezahlt und sind hungrig aus dem Lokal gegangen. Mitarbeiter leider auch sehr unfreundliche und total überfordert.

Nice addition to the Southbank, lovely decor, good variety of food. They were very attentive when we mention a member of our group had an onion allergy and checked with the kitchen exactly what she could and couldn't eat. Maria served us and was really lovely, great member of the La Gamba team.

Good location. Good decor and the toilets are great. Wait outside then placed on bar which do for solos.ok as could see outside but could have been elsewhere. I ordered a fish dish and was a bit anxious about sickness which am not usually and they said fresh, cook at home never ill. long wait for it but enjoyed it- 6 hours later I think I have food poisoning as 🤮. Must let them know. service made to wait but other people helped. It was busy. Drinks look good mocktails & cocktails. No photos as didn’t have phone.

Nice space, very friendly service but I didn’t think the food was that great. Over seasoned and not as hot as it could be when it came to the table.

Good food. Good choice of tapas and main courses. Good service. Good value. Spotlessly clean. Excellent for South Bank. Will certainly return.

Miguel y Juan han sido muy atentos y se han preocupado mucho durante nuestra cena, además estaba todo muy bueno, por lo que es un sitio recomendable. Para repetir, se siente la magia de España con el ambiente del local

La experiencia ha sido maravillosa!la comida exquisita(tapas y platos españoles al 100%). El servicio de Juan y Miguel(camareros que nos atendieron)impecable, muy amables y atentos en todo momento. Todo de 10, para repetir. Lo recomiendo.

Fabulous tapas, lovely friendly staff, especially Miguel who recommended lots of dishes all of which were delicious.

As a Spanish I normally avoid to go to Spanish restaurants abroad, but some clients wanted to try and it was really reaaally nice food. Also staff were very kind. Location is excellent, nice spot in the city.

We had a great time here. The pre-theatre menu was pretty much what we would have ordered anyway and was nigh-on faultless. 3 types of croquettes, padrones, outstanding chicken skewers, huge prawns in garlic and (could have done with a bit more) chili, patatas bravas, tasty roasted aubergines. Service was charming, efficient and with a smile..Even with a pricey provencal rose, under £80. Perfect.

Food was fragmented .. to the point i had to complain . Tim was really apologetic and appollgised as it was a new menu .... But that didnt fix the problem . Appreciate his honesty ... but still disappointed with the whole experience. Location is lovely .... The good was ok but not enough to go back .....

Great tapas. The set lunch menu offered great value for money. Lovely surroundings, great food and efficient service. Can highly recommend.

Visited on Wednesday 14th June 2023 and went for the Spanish Tapas set menu which was pretty good value but a little confusing as to what you would be getting as a total number of dishes v what were options, i.e. either/or not and. Well presented but the attentive staff in a wonderful setting.

Went here and it was really good. Quite quiet when we arrived but it got really busy but service excellent and speed of meals coming out was good too. Had five Tapas between us and all were really good, Mussels where so so good and the largest dish by far. Guess the only minor negative observation is that the tables are quite small for the fact that you may have a fair few dishes on the go at the same time, that said, the food was outstanding.

Had to send two dishes back. Pork because it was raw - not just a bit pink but full on transparent raw (on menu it said cooked medium). Mussels because they couldn’t be prized from shell - the flesh adhered to both sides of shell in a way I’ve never encountered with fresh mussels cooked properly. I suspect some dodgy short cut to the cooking process. Some other dishes were OK. Whilst they substituted dishes we returned there was little sense of concern. And it wasn’t cheap.

Stumbled in off of the riverwalk. Disappointed with the quality of food and service. We seriously didn't even make it through half of the meal. Ordered the crab tapas and they were crab flavored, no meat whatsoever. Don't waste you dining dollar on this over priced attempt to get your money. Service was average as we had about 3-4 different people trying to serve us, We gave half of our meal to the group sitting next to us.

Visited for bruch 11 ish. No brunch menu. The mixed charcuterie dharing platter average The toasted bread and butter took half a hour and was dry tasteless hard poor bread poor toast. The diet coke was nice!

We were looking forward to a Spanish experience before the theatre. The manager was attentive and friendly. We were disappointed as soon as the food was served. The service was bad with hardly any description of the courses as they were plonked on the table. We decided to complain when the iberico pork was served, was insubstantial, cold and overpriced. The only dish we enjoyed was the king prawn

Miquel is great! Dinner was lovely en the staff very helpfull. Good cappuccino also made by Miquel.

Amazing Experience.Happy to see authentic spanish food in London. Food it was amazing,full of authentic Spanish flavour and good quality too. Service really professional and attentive.All of them and in particular Marianela that was super professional,allways checking that all was good for us and friendly. Chef Juan Amazing design of the Christmas menu. Defenetely wuao us!! It was our first experience there and certainly not the last one. Well done to all team!Bravo.

Very poor. We were 3 people initially and the food didn't arrive all at the same time despite it not being busy, and one dish was cold - this is the standard I expect from a railway cafeteria, not a central London restaurant. Waiters were friendly but not attentive. The discretionary 12.5% service charge was paid but not earned. I will never return.

We had a big family gathering and an evening meal here. The place was very welcoming and friendly. It is set in a great place by the bank of the River Thames, with plenty of interesting things going on nearby. I have several food allergies and intolerances and the waiter was very patient and helpful and I was able to safely eat a lot of things. This made a wonderful change from my usual eating-out experience. There was a lot of choice on the menu and everything was delicious and fresh. I stupidly dropped my bank card under the table and had to call the restaurant after I'd left. they kindly found it for me and kept it safe in the till until I could return to collect it. I recommend this place very highly and, if I'm back in London again, I hope to return for another meal here.

This place is a gem. Wonderful food, service and ambience. The crab and squid ink croquettes were delicious & I’ll go back just for those!

Great service great food, authentic Spanish dishes will be back with family and friends soon. Thanks Miguel you are a star ⭐️ Highly recommended 👏

Service was patchy even though it was not even 6pm and they seemed well staffed. Early on we were asked by one of the hosting team if we were ready to order. We said yes and she walked away; we assumed it was to get...

Everything was tasty and service was superb. There was only one server working when we arrived. Miguel, the manager, was great to help keep everything flowing smoothly until more staff arrived.

I'm late in reviewing this but can't not as it was so good. The tomato bread was simple but absolutely delicious, croqettas fabulous and that bread pudding was a step beyond. We over ordered, the portions aren't tiny. I have recreated the tomato bread thing...

It's a nice place with a nice atmosphere. It is very expensive for the quality and amount of food which is not even near the authentic Spanish cuisine. The meatballs tasted as the meat had been grounded to a powder or made with added soya...

Absolutely great food and atmosphere here. Really love this place. Definitely worth a visit! Will be back

Very enjoyable evening - service was attentive but not in your face and food was delicious and well priced. Would 100% return.

It was surprising to find this great restaurant right below the Royal Albert Hall, where there are usually just chains. The tables are crammed in, but that makes for a great atmosphere, although it’s not so noisy that you can’t hear. There are also outdoor...

Great restaurant in a fantastic location! Food great, would definitely recommend if you like traditional Spanish tapas and wine/beers/sangria!

Had a great meal with friends at la gamba probably the best restaurant on the south bank food & service was excellent

What a great time in a lovely restaurant! Amazing food, great service from Irma and wonderful atmosphere. Highly recommend the pork and jamón croquetas. Truly authentic food

🙌 Just wanted to drop you a message about this amazing place we visited. The food items were absolutely incredible and everything was so delicious! 🤩 I have to give a big shoutout to our server, Irma. She was the absolute best! 👏 Massive thanks...

Irma was our waitress and she was amazing, she dealt with my allergy very professionally. We had an amazing time. Food and service were excellent I’ll be back soon

Really goos food, service from the whole team was great but especially Irma! Great authentic food and experience. Would recommend

We visited La Gamba on a Saturday after walking from Borough Market and I was pleased I booked in advance - The restaurant was buzzing and it's location is superb on the Southbank . The staff were very friendly but professional and the food was...

So far the best restaurant I have been to on the Southbank. Really good spanish style food and after visiting Barcelona the weekend before London I had a fairly good feeling about this restaurant. Young staff who did their best.

Delicious food with friendly and excellent service especially from Manager Miguel! Sorry we didn’t have time to return to try the delicious sounding dessert you were recommending to us. Next time we are back in London from San Diego, CA we will try it!

Came here August 25th ..served by a lovely girl called Raquel ..she looked after me and my husband nothing was to much trouble .. a credit to your company ..

First time at la gamba - I have dined at their sister restaurant a few times and have always enjoyed it so thought give this a go! Really enjoyed the atmosphere and setting - we sat out side and can honestly say of a summer...

Took mum and auntie for dinner , arrived a bit early so we sat at the bar and had cocktails, they cleared a table outside early for us. The lady that served us was very helpful as we weren’t sure size of dishes she recommended...

We had a great meal here. Cocktails were lovely, wine great. The food was outstanding- mussels , prawns, octopus salad. Thoroughly recommend- we will be back!

Whoever wrote that this is good tapas never ate tapas in their life. I was amazed how one can make food with the included ingredients and achieve ZERO taste. Really awful food. I would be ashamed to cook soemthing like this and charge for it!

The restaurant was superb : very welcoming and the choice of food was extensive. My friend and I only went in for dessert but ended up trying one of the tapas as well as the food being served on adjacent tables looked so delicious. I...

Amaizing food and service!Thank you to all the staff! Very friendly and atentive!I will definitley come back!

Fantastic location and great wine & cocktails. Food was lovely especially the chicken thighs but all our dishes came out so spaced out we had at least a 15min wait between. I know tapas can come out at different times but every other table got...

We visited on the back of a very favourable Jay Rayner review in the Guardian. It was ok. Bang average. Lovely staff and a good location but the food was totally bog standard. One very weird things though - the tortilla was prepared in a...

This restaurant is in a good location especially if you sit outside because it is good for people watching. Three of us ordered a range of 8 tapas dishes which were, in my opinion, fairly average. They tended to use too much mayonnaise which is...

In a great location, this restaurant is an above average addition to the south bank. We chose a selection of tapas, including croquetas de jamon, chipirones, heritage tomato salad, really great bread plus an original dessert of caramelised cinnamon and orange bread with ice cream....

Busy restaurant in a great location. Food was excellent as were the staff. We sat outside which if the weather is good is a must but strongly advise booking during peak hours as very busy and just turning up might result in disappointment. We were...

Lovely food, great friendly service. Thank you Theo for taking such good care of us! Would definitely recommend!!!!!!

This was my third time dining here since it opened. The first two were with friends for lunch, and yesterday evening was with my husband before going to a show at the National. The location is great and it's lovely to sit outside and watch...

Excellent Spanish tapas from friendly and attentive waiters. The manager was particularly helpful re a nut allergy. Good location for the National Theatre and Festival Hall. Buzzing atmosphere, food came quickly, very good flavours.

A great restaurant next to the National Theatre. We had the set tapas menu which was excellent and great value. Service was good as well. Very busy with a great atmosphere.

Good portion size tapas Limited options for picky eaters but defiantly a few (meatballs etc) Nice desserts Good espresso martini Wine was good value G&T’s were nice

The food itself is not bad but if you are going there expecting real Spanish flavor, it is not the place! And it's too expensive for the little portions they give you, but it is central London after all...

Great service today, flavoursome food, served hot. Cold beer in really chilled glasses. Fabulous tapas lunch, lots of happy people just enjoying life, food and drinks. Very attentive staff.

Had a lovely experience here yesterday when I visited with my mother. Ate delicious food and drank a jug of Sangria . I would highly recommend this Tapas Bar & restaurant ...the menu is small and the food is executed perfectly! The ham crocettes and...

First time I’ve been here and it was really nice. Our table was right at the back by the kitchen but the smell wasn’t too bad and the service was really nice - Madaleyne was our waitress and was lovely. The food was generally great...

Simply put, Awful. Hair in the food and food was returned and took a very long time for it to be brought back out. Undercooked steak, asked for medium - steak covered in blood so clearly had not been let to rest. Asked for a...

Drinks were nice, that’s about it. Food very expensive for the quality. Not a inventive menu. Staff were fine. Views are nice.

Tapas is well made , if a tad unimaginative compared to somewhere like Barrafina . Portions were too small though and the prices too high ... but that's the location . Service was good .

Me and my husband went for our anniversary and had such a delicious dinner. We order a pre set menu and it was amazing. The ambience was very nice, we booked a table indoors, but will definitely go back to try out the terrace and...

We had a fabulous afternoon/early evening here. The service was super, Miguel was attentive, friendly and fun and Jack welcoming and accommodating. We had a lovely table outside in the sunshine and enjoyed a range from the full menu, everything was tasty and nothing disappointed....

Gorgeous tapas restaurant you can sit outside and or inside . Lots of delicious choices on menu . Loved the aubergine and wild mushroom croquettes! Will revisit ! Friendly staff & good service .

Welcome was fine and water served promptly to the table (and replenished frequently). Asked to be seated at the bar but encouraged not to. Had to wait some time for our order to be taken. Waited even longer for our wine to arrive, in fact...

We were looking forward to this new addition on the Southbank as something different from the usual chains there - and we love tapas too! We arrived in time and were greeted well - always a good sign - then shown to our table. The...

A bit of confusion initially. I asked for the set menu for 3 people. Waiter said they could accommodate this. Later transpired that an order for 2 had gone in and that they couldn’t change this as it was a set price? Anyway it turned...

Not a great experience. The tortilla was very poor. It didn't even look like a tortilla - I had to ask what it was! Rubbery on the outside and runny on the inside.

Amazing restaurant, the food it’s soooo good, the staff was so kind, our waiter Suleman it was amazing and soooo helpful 🤗

I noticed this new restaurant about to open some weeks, and as we love Spanish Tapas we thought we would give it a try. The decor and views are really good, but that’s where it ended. The drinks arrived and the Cava was warm, some...

We wanted to meet with our friends for dinner after an amazing day in London and walked in to La Gamba. We were greeted well but after our orders had been taken it started go downhill. We were served the wrong food, everybody’s orders came...

Rubbish experience. Won’t go again, wouldn’t recommend it. 6 dining and dishes brought as made, fair enough for tapas but wouldn’t expect to wait the ages we did between dishes arriving. Half the table cold by the time the remainder arrived. Not even busy. No...

Great restaurant created, the tapas lovely fresh and accurate to ethnicity. Front of house staff very helpful and friendly attentive without being overbearing. Good wine selections to accompany tapas etc. If the choices are to hard then just go with the special selection as a...

Appalling from start to finish. We arrived in good time for our reservation and were unfortunately sat next to a loud large group of young girls and placed on a table without seat cushions so I had to sit on a hard bench whilst the...

Positives Location, style, service, pricing, sangria. Needs work Some of the dishes need refining. The texture of the meatballs was odd and sauce lacked flavour. Potatas bravas undercooked.

We had a very disappointing lunch at La Gamba. The pan rustico was stale. After we had each eaten one slice (out of four) we asked the waitress to toast the remaining pieces. She did this and improved it - but £4.50 for bread and...

Lovely and really enjoyable exeprience for a dinner reservation.Best plates were the Cod, steak and toasted bread desert. Flavours were rich ( shout out to the sauces !) The desert was indulgent and textured. Only dish I wasn't loving was the chicken skewers. Whilst nice...

Refusing to cater to a set menu switch to an option that caters to dietary requirements. In this day and age.

We took a punt on this new restaurant and it was great. Authentic and very good tapas and amazing desserts. Super attentive staff. We wish them well and will return

After a theatre visit nr London Eye, on a wet saturday [11/3/23], saw La Gamba, and gave it a go. Whilst the restaurant could do nothing about the weather, and we were okay with sitting outside under umbrella with heaters, it was not a great...

A great spot for tapas this ideal for those seeking a quick bite or two just before or after a play at the nearby National Theatre, a film at the NFT or a concert at the Royal Festival beneath which it sits. Otherwise a lazy...

We went with high hopes. The staff were mostly friendly and helpful and keen but obviously lacking experience and training. Food was good. We felt that it needs polishing up in many ways.and hope that this happens. It is a welcome addition to the rather...

Took a punt on this place as there were no reviews (as it’s new). A very warm welcome by the lovely staff on a chilly day. Delicious hot food followed by a scrummy dessert. The cheesecake is a cracker! I’d 100% recommend.