Taking up one massive stable block in Camden Market, this Cuban-influenced restaurant doubles as a 350-capacity event space. It’s a decent spot to grab a bite after a morning trawling the stalls, but Gabeto is so enormous that on my weekday visit it lacked atmosphere. That’s tricky for a place that bills itself online as #CAMDENSHEARTBEAT. Happily, there’s a little terrace outside where you can sit slap-bang in the middle of the market and soak up the vibes.
Gabeto’s menu features a range of wood-fired-oven-smoked meats plus fish and burgers – most with a Latin twist. There’s a dedicated brunch menu too. The best thing I tried was The Vegetarian Full Works, a sunny plate of eggs, salty, crumbly manchego cheese, grilled tomatoes, a big flat mushroom and teeny square-cut fried potatoes. The non-veggie version comes with chorizo, but everything’s so well balanced you might not even miss it. Less good was an eggs Florentine layered with raw tomato (why?) and topped with watery hollandaise sauce. The nachos were decent, though, and the bloody marys came nice and spicy. Don’t expect fireworks, but if you’re in Camden Town, Gabeto is a safe bet.