Since opening three years ago, the only permanent feature of Carousel’s incubator space at No.23 Charlotte Street has been constant change.
So now they’re trying something permanent. For a change.
The small sleeve of a space has now been transomed into a full-time mezcalería & tostada bar, with the drinks supplied by bartender Matteo Vaccargiu (HIDE, Equal Parts) and the food taken care of by Ollie Templeton, the talented chef who started Carousel in the first place.
Inside, they’ve taken the clever move of putting in precisely 23 seats, and making it look like the place was only ever supposed to have 23 seats, lined up against its minimalist wood & steel bar, and skirting its midnight blue walls. It feels like you got a tiny bit cooler just for stepping inside.
On the menu you’ll find a lineup of classic cocktails, all of which have been punched up with either mezcal or tequila. That means their newfangled (and rather smoky) old fashioned involves peach & fig leaf; their martini has a fiery dash of guindilla chilli; and their French 75 has tequila, strawberry & tarragon all drowned in English sparkling.
There are just three tostadas on the menu (you’d need to be relatively ambitious to get dinner here), but they’re all lovely. They include:
- Tomato with avocado, guajillo aioli & red onion
- Ceviche with salsa macha & guacamole
- Chicharrón with guacasalsa
Yes, ‘guacasalsa’. It’s exactly what you think it is, and it’s really nice with the crispy, salty chicharrón pork. And with a menu that concise, when it comes to both the drinks and the food, they’ve managed to ensure it’s all made to a pretty high standard. As is often the case at Carousel…
..you’ll probably end up circling back here.
NOTE: No.23 is open now, Tuesday to Saturday. You can find out more, and make a booking at the Carousel website.
No.23 | 23 Charlotte St., W1T 1RW
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