Carmel Fitzrovia

Carmel presents a modern twist on Mediterranean cuisine, with a menu that stretches as far as Turkey and the Middle East in its search for inspiration. A beautiful spot for special occasions, Carmel provides a lively ambience with low-lit moody interiors making it ideal for date nights. With its unique patio-styled dining space and leafy fixtures, the restaurant is successful in transporting visitors to the depths of the Mediterranean through its dishes, drinks, and design. A dry, fruity glass of Moscato is a great way to begin the Carmel experience, but it also makes a great pairing with a few of their dishes.

Carmel’s za’atar flatbread with tahini and fermented chilli is a must-have, but it would be difficult not to order one, as the aromas of this fresh-baked flatbread fill the restaurant as you enter. There are lots of dishes to choose from, and Carmel delivers on quite a few of them. Lebanese beef tartare with cracked wheat, pickled cucumber and amba is incredibly flavourful, as is a grilled ‘monster’ prawn, drizzled with shellfish oil and served alongside soft, pillowy mizithra gnocchi and a beurre blanc. A bowl of crispy potatoes topped with confit garlic, rosemary, pul biber and gremolata sounds simple but it makes for a sumptuous vegan option!

Not everything reached this high benchmark, though. The Urfa chilli chicken with pomegranate jus and burnt lemon promised much but came out rather bland, with only the lemon flavour noticeable. We also - perhaps subjectively - weren’t particularly fond of the blackened aubergine with tahini, as the flavours didn’t mesh well and the tahini seemed to overpowered the rest of the dish.

Still, there's lots to like at Carmel and it's definitely worth a visit as a majority of the menu does hit the mark, and was successful in conveying those sunny Mediterranean flavours.

Carmel Fitzrovia is a vibrant and eclectic Eastern Mediterranean restaurant located in the heart of London, just steps away from Oxford Circus. Founded by brothers Paul and Josh Katz and Mattia Bianchi, Carmel opened at the start of 2024 and has been welcoming guests with a friendly embrace ever since. The restaurant is open from lunch through to dinner, and extends to brunch on the weekends. Josh, along with Carmel's executive chef Jeremy Borrow, have created a menu that consists of small plates and sharing dishes that explore the flavours, produce and spices that can be found across the Eastern Mediterranean.

Carmel is a sophisticated and sleek restaurant that has detailing of blackened steel throughout, with rich timber and an impressive open kitchen along with a private dining room filled with lush greenery and its very own bar.

The menu always features a number of freshly baked breads and flatbreads, making the most of the bread oven in the restaurant. The za'atar flatbread with tahini and fermented chilli is a cult favourite from the first Carmel restaurant, and it makes an appearance on the menu here alongside a superb lamb tepso flatbread with pomegranate molasses, pickled onion and sumac yoghurt. Elsewhere, you’ll find 30-day aged sirloin, slow-grilled miso harissa chicken, and grilled challah bread, as well as a lamb and octopus shish with smoked aubergine cream. 

Wine is a central part of the Carmel experience too, with co-founder and wine buyer Mattia working with some of the best low-intervention producers from across the world. If cocktails are more your thing, you'll love to taste the epic flavour pairings inspired by the region, including a Noomi Negroni with sage-infused gin with bitters and vermouth rosso, and a ‘VnT’ cocktail of house-made vermouth and tonic.