A revolving line-up of chef residencies workshops and events, Carousel is a three-storey building on Blandford Street which offers raw creative flair to the polished streets of Marylebone. An international series of guest chefs, who only stay a week or so, are hosted within the ground floor level of the building and on the al fresco courtyard, each showcasing their culinary talent and individual influences – meaning there’s always something new to sample.
At £37 per person, with a £31.50 supplement for wine pairings, I headed to Carousel to sample Karl Holl’s seven course set menu which displays his forward thinking culinary skills. Bites to start followed by a procession of small plates with big flavours, Karl’s seasonally inspired menu is taken from the popular farm-to-table movement of which he is a keen ambassador.
Karl Holl’s menu kicked off with lightly fried balls of asparagus arancini and an inventive lemon aioli, beef tartare and bone marrow served on small cuts of brioche. The pinnacle of this set menu led to generous blushing cuts of coal roasted beef with pebble sized crispy crushed potatoes with beef fat lardons and black garlic. Paired by the passionate floor staff, the narrative of each wine is presented with its own description, rounding off with an inventive, smoked blood orange Old Fashioned cocktail.
Just one of Carousel’s ongoing residencies, Karl’s set menu was only available from 2nd- 13th May. This June Carousel’s chef residency will feature Daniel Morgan from 30th May – 10th June. Having made a name for himself experimenting with playful combinations and modern techniques, with an inspiration taken from nature, Daniel will present his wealth of experience that will showcase foraged ingredients and seasonal vegetables.
Following on from this, with an ethos of the love of connecting people around a table, Shuli Wimer will take centre stage at Carousel from 13th – 24th June. Having worked at the renowned River Café, Wimer’s set menu will include comforting dishes with a heavy influence from her Israeli heritage.
A relaxed no-fuss atmosphere with an ethos that lets the dishes speak for themselves, East meets West in W1 at Carousel’s unpretentious and welcoming dining space. A platform for culinary talent and allowing international culinary creativity to be dished directly to the hungry mouths of London, an ever-changing influence is drawn from all corners of the globe to Carousel’s modest location on Blandford Street – where diners can return again and again to sample set menus straight from its adaptable kitchen.
Address: Carousel, 71 Blandford Street, Marylebone, London W1U 8AB, T: 02074875564 / www.carousel-london.com. Follow Carousel on twitter @Carousel_LDN and Instagram @Carousel_LDN.
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