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, the new diamond from Josh Katz and Mattia Bianchi, opened in Fitzrovia in the early months 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. If you want to enjoy private dining, take a peep at the Green Room, a beautiful space that is filled with lush greenery and its very own bar.

Fresh pasta is one of the highlights on the menu, yet the dishes move away from some of the expected Italian classics. Dishes include seafood pappardelle with mussels, squid and hake, and sweet potato gnocchi with burnt aubergine and squid. A favourite from the Queens Park restaurant, the flatbread, has also made its way onto the Fitzrovia menu, and includes toppings of anchovy and chilli butter, cod's roe with potato, rosemary, spring onion and bottarga, and prosciutto with guindilla.

If you enjoy your wines then this restaurant will likely hit a sweet spot. Wine is a central part of the restaurant, 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 that are inspired by the region, including a Negroni with dried lime, sage and rose, and a Tom Collins that is made with beetroot, acai, Vermouth and apple infused gin.