Carousel

Joining the ranks of Fitzrovia’s bar scene is Carousel, which has relocated from its previous space in Marylebone to take over three – yes, three – townhouses’ worth of space on Charlotte Street.

Carousel is fronted by its wine bar: an easy-going, all-day space with floor-to-ceiling windows that open up onto the leafy bustle of Charlotte Street (sure to make the space Fitzrovia’s hottest destination for a summer sundowner).

Across the thoughtfully chosen and extensive list of characterful, minimal intervention wines there’s a strong focus on independent wine makers. The list flows from Australian pét-nats to Spanish oranges, to classic French whites and Italian reds.

With over 80 options to choose from, our server expertly guided us through the list, recommending a few options and bringing us a few tasters to try before making our choice (a delightful sparkling red pinot Madeline called Kiss Kiss Maddie's Lips).

The food is a major player here, too: the all-day menu encompasses a range of snacks, small plates and desserts. With flavours and techniques from ‘pretty much everywhere’, you can count on one common element: unfussy, high-quality ingredients, allowed to shine.

For something punchy to accompany your glass of carefully curated wine, the homemade crisps are a must-try: light, perfectly crunchy and topped with a preserved tomato sauce and draped with rich, intense anchovies. On the more substantial end of the small plates is a succulent grilled pork collar, topped with thin slices of watermelon-bright radish, and confit pumpkin, complimented by burrata, black trumpet and sage.

End your night with dessert: we had to try the deep fried apple pie, a puffed triangle of buttery, cinnamon dusted pastry filled with sweet, tart apples and paired with a fresh, light caramel ice cream.

Carousel is a cornucopia of culinary spaces (the bar backs onto an intimate restaurant space, the arena for their ever-changing guest residencies). But with a tasty, creative menu and an adventurous wine list to work your way through, this bar is sure to become a neighbourhood favourite.

You can never be sure of quite what to expect from Carousel, but you are bound to get plenty of food for thought. Taking the fashion for supper clubs and pop ups to the next level, Carousel is a permanent restaurant and event venue which brings top chefs from around the world to showcase their skills for around a fortnight at a time.

Carousel is the brainchild of brothers Ed and Ollie Templeton. The venue originally opened its doors in 2014 at a site in Marylebone, but in 2021, moved to a new, larger site in Fitzrovia which spans three Georgian townhouses. Alongside the main dining room, Carousel also comprises a wine bar open throughout the day, a 10-seat incubator space which houses new concepts and longer term residencies, as well as private dining and event hire spaces.

The wine bar at Carousel is a minimalist and stripped-back space featuring bright white interiors and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Charlotte Street. In the warmer months, the windows open fully, with tables and chairs spilling out onto the street. The menu changes often and comprises snacks and small plates infused with Mediterranean influences, paired with a thoughtfully compiled list of wines and cocktails.

The chef residencies that Carousel is famous for take place around a kitchen island, allowing guests to be up close and personal with kitchen goings on. The ever-changing line-up consists of both homegrown and international faces, with several chefs in the past using Carousel as a test kitchen for fledgling restaurant concepts, making this a great place to find undiscovered talent and chefs to watch. The intimate 10-seater incubator space meanwhile, is located next door and features new concepts every three to six months.

Upstairs, there is a large, flexible space offering culinary workshops where guests can refine their kitchen skills.