Before you decide on what kind of ambient lighting you need, check out task lighting. Bars of lights that attach onto the bottom of cabinets will make a real difference. Track lighting makes me think of a modern design, while a single light can mean modern or country, or anything in between depending upon what style you choose.

I have a similar style kitchen and the best thing I ever did was buy a cheap flouresent light and stick it under the overhead cabinets. To hide the light fixture I attatched a strip of wood infront of it and it looks really good + now I can see what I'm working with because my body isn't blocking the light. Here's pictures: http://ploefff.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/samme-k%c3%b8kken-men-mere-bordplads/

I agree with the under cabinet lighting. Then possibly track pendants.

Under cabinet lighting for sure along with track lighting because it looks dark like a cave in there. I'd also use recessed track lighting if you can. Be sure to add dimmer switches and play around with the right bulbs. Trust me on this one. You want bright, but not harsh and you'll want to be able to control the amount of light at different times.

i would go with both; functional lighting under the cabinet, and a light on the ceiling. which is less functional, but gives more ambiance. and also, to get a more spacious result + even more light, is the trick of using mirrors or high shiny materials on the back wall (sort of like on the link that ploefff gave) this way, even a cheap strip of led-light would give more than enough light, because of the reflections. with the use of light colors on the cabinet fronts, you will allso create the illusion of a more light (and open) space and by placing a mirror like material on the "lower ceiling" part, above your counter, you would be able to see the inside of your pans when you're cooking, while standing outside of the kitchen :-) haha. good luck!

To prepare and cook food you will need bright lighting so use high wattage strip lights on the undersides of wall-mounted cabinets to illuminate the worktop although you will also want to create a softer and more welcoming atmosphere so for that use low wattage track lights. If you can change some of your cabinets doors to glass then consider lighting them from the inside, it will creat a lovely soft effect and by layaring your lighting you will create a great visual effect. Good luck and if you want to know more about lighting then you might want to check my blog.
Best,
Ana Aguilar-Corney

http://letsblogdesign.blogspot.com/2011/03/lighting-core-ingredient.html

I agree with the track lighting but on another note-- I always thought it was a "galley" kitchen not a "gallery" kitchen...no?

I have a similar kitchen, and echo the comments above about track lighting. I installed hockey puck under cabinet lights, and put them on a dimmer. I also have a single light above on a dimmer. This gives me more lighting options.
But if you're not sure about under cabinet lighting, try these out for about $20 - they plug into a regular electric socket and you can use adhesive for a temporary installation. You'll probably want to reconfigure for permanent use, but this will let you see what it looks like before committing. You can also try different kinds of light this way (halogen, xenon, etc).

http://www.homedepot.com/Kitchen-Kitchen-Lighting-Under-Cabinet-Lighting/h_d1/N-5yc1vZbn5u/R-202051387/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053&superSkuId=202572738

After you correct the lighting, you might try a brighter piece of art or a large mirror on the end wall that serves as a "window" effect.

Thank you everyone for your comments. Yes, under cabinet halogen or xenon lighting (hard wired, so as not to have hanging cords) is already in the plan. I was asking about the ceiling fixture in this narrow room - track vs single fixture. If you've had to make a similar decision, please chime in.

some more-well ment advise; depends on your budget ofcourse, and the amount of things you want to stack, but personally i would go for only a wooden shelve above the counter, about 25 cm deep, ledlight-strips (warm white) underneath. you could place some nice kitchen utensils and/or mayby a nice clock. but you can also re-use the upper cabinets by placing them above the fridge or so? then use a white and/or shiny back wall and the mirrorlike "partly lower ceiling". by making the all the cabinets on that side also white, you'd create a really open and fresh kitchen, with still the warmth and character of the wood, the white provides the clean look and some metal bowls, cabinet-handles, accesoires etc. and the mirrors will give it space and balances the whole. sorry if i talked too much.

track on the ceiling.

we gutted our galley kitchen ( same size). I kept the lighting as a single ceiling light ( with a new small black caravaggio) on a dimmer. Make sure that the cabinet doors can open without hitting the light ( thats the design fail we were replacing). track lighting felt dated to me and too home depotish. The singular light is stunning. We also did under cabinet lights, which lit the little room beautifully.

galley or gallery? the title says "gallery" but i'm assuming "galley" was meant.

That's a galley-style kitchen. Can't say I've ever heard of a "gallery style" kitchen. Hmmm...

Unless your current fluorescent overheads are impossible to fix up somehow, I'd leave them and put the brightest bulbs possible in them. Kitchens are so dark these days.

I love track lighting anywhere except kitchens. They get dusty and grimy really fast there. If you do install them, please get into a weekly ritual of cleaning them or they'll be totally gross.

I'm really not all that fastidious, but I've seen some really ickified kitchen lighting since everyone got into the hanging-lamps-in-the-kitchen thing lately.

I've got the same kind of kitchen, sans soffit. A single light in the ceiling isn't enough.
I'd mount track lighting on the edge of that soffit, and point it where it's needed.

As I type I have an electrician installing these lights in our galley kitchen.

http://www.rejuvenation.com/fixshowC100/templates/selection.phtml

He pointed out that they're not that bright, but once I pointed out that we have under-cabinet lighting he seemed ok with it. That, and we've been living with 1 of 4 light fixtures actually working for the past year, hehe. It'll seem so bright!

Is the soffit really FULL of mechanicals, or is it possible to fit some can lights in?

sagekitten85: Yes, the soffit is full. It contains a waste pipe that comes out from the wall and snakes horizontally as well as an oversized steel vent box that reaches from the wall to the inside edge of the soffit. Neither can be modified (according to the rules of the building).

mhg: The caravaggio is gorgeous. Wish a pendant would work, but we've got a 4.5" height (and 11" width) restriction to clear the swing of the cabinet doors. That's part of the difficulty in finding a (nice looking) fixture that will give appropriate ambient light.

My sister renovated her galley kitchen that has has very similar constraints and dimensions to yours. She actually bought a straight track light with 5? lights at Ikea and put it in the middle of the ceiling, it looks great. That plus some task lighting under the cabinets was the way to go.

Too bad. In that case I vote for track lighting on the ceiling since it is a long narrow space. When you are standing at the counter you will be standing in front of the light source, but less so with track lighting than a single fixture. Anyway, your new under cabinet lighting will help with that!

Another possibility... it looks like you don't have a cabinet above the sink/stove. You could put a wall-mounted light there?