Babylon comes to Camden

The Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh is rated the oldest literature on record, dating from the third millennium BC. It is preserved on 11 clay tablets discovered in the 19th century - and it seems that its hero, Lord Gilgamesh, half god, half man, may have been a historical figure.

So much for the Babylonian epic. Gilgamesh is a corking new restaurant and bar in Camden Stables, wildly over-decorated in the Assyrian style. There are immense carved wooden and gilded murals everywhere - even chairs, all made in India, with arms for arms, hooves for feet and a fine lion noshing on a naked lady on the back.

A giant version of the wonderful little Sumerian figure of a ram in a thicket from the British Museum stands proud - and the reliefs continue into the loos. It's like an Indian restaurant gone mad. Or a Cargo shop in full-blown psychosis.

The building itself would be impressive even without the decor. The sheer size, some 1,500 sq ft, is palatial. It's a great glass slice, designed by the Stables Market team in the style of Norman Foster.

The main dining room is canopied by a moveable internal awning, and looks out over a buddleiainfested and quite noisy freighttrain line, strangely evocative. Then there's a gigantic bar inlaid with lapis lazuli, a lounge and a tearoom, too, and an open kitchen, as well as this vast hall. There's a fine sense of light, space and air here, as well as of barmy luxury.

From a central console, between two great Babylonian figures of human-headed winged lions, sometimes there's to be a DJ, playing music with vaguely Arabic influences, sometimes a band. The whole vast room constantly changes colour with a light show. The waiters have been ruthlessly selected for their looks, too. It is an absolutely spectacular place, on a scale new to London.

For Gilgamesh can take 500 people at a time. On a freebie launch night last week, when it was packed with happy liggers, there was a great, cruisy buzz. Whether it can generate enough custom for real to work so well each night remains to be seen. The proprietors want it to seem exclusive, despite being the size of a bus-station - a hard act to pull off.

The head-setted doormen, guarding a stretch of red carpet between naff flambeaux, have obviously been told to look dubious about the chance of an unreserved table, even when the place is three-quarters empty.

As a bar, it's nevertheless surely a goer already. The "pan-Asian" food hardly needs to be more than satisfactory. But it is much better than that. Ian Pengelley, who made his name at Notting Hill's E&O, and who took a wrong turn in opening Pengelley's for Gordon Ramsay Holdings, is in charge.

At the launch evening, we were treated to the works. There was fantastic salmon, tuna and yellowtail sashimi and sushi, incredibly fresh and attractively presented. Coconut-based creamy Dtom kha soup (£5) was rich and delicious. Chilli salt squid (£7), a signature Pengelley dish at E&O, is tiny pieces of fried squid served in a paper cone, astonishingly salty and peppery, a real roustabout for the tastebuds. Think of it as highly flavoured salt - an incentive to drink, perhaps.

The dim sum, clean and nice enough, were less remarkable: steamed prawn dumpling, chicken gyoza, duck spring roll etc. But then they were dim sum.

The main "Gilgamesh dishes" were quite delicious: muskily delectable Miso Chilean seabass roasted in hoba leaf; excellent beef fillet with sweet soy glaze and Japanese chive mash. But then again, on a summer evening, all you'd need would be the duck and watermelon salad, with cashew nuts and a sweet fish sauce (£11), tasty and refreshing.