Carmel Review - Queen's Park - London - The Infatuation
"Lonsdale Road in Queen’s Park feels like it should be cobbled. It’s one of those little thoroughfare roads, with charming converted warehouses, microbreweries, artisanal garlic salespeople, and the like. It’s got the air of a Richard Curtis set—quaint and wholesome with a lot of Emma Thompson lookalikes—and in Carmel, it has an all-day restaurant that mirrors this warm charm. Mediterranean-inspired but—with its rust-chic tones, hanging foliage, and three varieties of negroni—completely at home in north west London. All-day restaurants, like Curtis films, tend to require a kind of consistent and inoffensive loveliness, and Carmel has got this down to a tee. It’s open early in the morning on weekends, when organised families and friends make themselves comfortable in the pastel banquettes and get acquainted with rose raspberry syrup, coconut, and peanut-topped French toast. During lunch it feels similarly laid-back: new parents at the counter watching their turmeric-roasted cauliflower do its thing over open flames, old parents sitting at the central shared table discussing whether heritage beets refers to the food or the soundtrack. The flare of Carmel’s food, whether you’re sharing small or big plates, is in the bits and bobs. The oozing confit garlic, the bubbles of char on their peerless flatbreads, the caramelised lime sitting beside the familiar joy of a sumptuous grilled chicken. There are multi-coloured beetroots with whipped feta and pistachio dukkah, turmeric-roasted cauliflower with tahini and nuts, a tender lamb shank shawarma with zhug and pickles. These aren’t new combinations—they’re reliable—and that’s why everything here is exceedingly pleasant, even if there is a noticeable lack of va-va-voom. Not every restaurant has to make an enormous statement, and there’s something comfortable and comforting about Carmel. If we were an NW6 local, we could imagine popping by mid-afternoon for a flatbread and a glass of something on the reg, alone or otherwise. But even if you’re not, it's very easy to imagine whiling away a morning or evening here. Pop down to Portobello Road, cosplay a rom-com, then wander up here for a mushroom and cheese-laden flatbread. It’s tried and tested enjoyment, with no need for Hugh Grant. " - Jake Missing
