Find your place
THE carousel has finally stopped—and by that I mean the restaurant called Carousel has finally found a permanent space, on Fitzrovia’s Charlotte Street. The past few years have been a whirlwind for co-founders Ollie and Ed Templeton’s wildly successful pop-up, in which time they have welcomed a dizzying array of guest chefs and put on more foodie events than it was ever possible to keep up with.
Staying put suits Carousel and its new townhouse digs include a wine bar, chef residency space, restaurant pop-up and private dining area (020–7487 5564; www.carousellondon.com). The wine bar is a triumph: the ‘best food I’ve had in London this year,’ exclaimed my dining companion. It’s a casual, tiled space populated with French bistroand high, bar-style seating. There’s a menu of minimum-intervention wines and delicious small plates: fresh, inventive and beautifully presented without ever looking pretentious. The chocolate mousse—and I do not say this lightly—is the best pudding on any menu in London right now.