Decked out with brightly coloured buildings, historic streets and vibrant venues, Carnaby is a must-visit destination for anyone who’s into their food and drink. Whether you’re after group feasting or an intimate lunch with a loved one, the area is a prime place to dine. An impressive variety of global cuisines is spread across over 60 eateries of all shapes and sizes to ensure you won’t struggle for choice. Sustainable and conscious eating is at the core of Carnaby’s dining scene, and the iconic Kingly Court is a three-storey food and dining mecca in the heart of the West End that’ll suit even fussy eaters.
Carnaby Eats
A homage to all the delicious cuisines in a unique area
If you needed an extra reason to visit Carnaby, we’ve got it. Taking place in the legendary area this September is Carnaby Eats, a month-long food celebration of excellent eats and refreshing drinks. From live music, masterclasses, interactive activities and cookbook launches to exclusive menus and limited-edition cocktails, Carnaby Eats has got a little bit for everyone. Carnaby Eats will be bringing new life to the month of September – just in time for the end of summer – and with more than 20 global cuisines scattered throughout the destination for you to enjoy, it’s the perfect edible reminder of what an incredible melting pot of cultures the city of London has to offer.
Blue Turtle
An ocean-friendly initiative that makes a difference
Carnaby has collaborated with ocean conservation organisation Project 0 to inspire the food community of Carnaby to take action and help protect the ocean. More than 40 restaurants, bars, cafés and pubs have pledged to commit to the new Blue Turtle sustainability scheme. The initiative aims to reduce single-use plastics and encourages businesses to adopt more sustainable practises. Carnaby faves who have already pledged include Tapas Brindisa, Darjeeling Express, Whyte and Brown, OKA, The Rum Kitchen and Polpo. Want to find out more?
Carnaby Eats
We’re not the sort of people who generally need an excuse to go out and explore London’s enduring and enticing food scene. That being said, if you are the sort of person who needs a little extra incentive to leave the comfort of your flat, the sights, sounds and smells of Carnaby Eats should more than do the trick.
From 1-30 September, the West End locale will be turned into a food lover’s paradise as all things eat and drink become the front and centre of importance in the area. From masterclasses and croqueta competitions to exclusive dishes, there’ll be plenty of fun to be had at Carnaby Eats.
It seems like nearly every eatery in the area is getting involved. Breddos Tacos has created some special dishes that’ll be served over the course of September, including a grilled tiger prawn taco and Tamworth pork skewers. Elsewhere, health food experts Kaleido will be hosting their salad roll demos throughout the month.
On the special menu side of things, The Good Egg is launching a new Green Menu (perfect for veggies and vegans alike) while INKO NITO are throwing their hat into the ring with a delicious Sunday brunch. And there’s not just good eats about but good deeds, too. In partnership with Grind coffee, Disrepute is using its ‘waste’ coffee and re-distilling it to make a coffee distillate, raising awareness for mental health in the industry through donations. Kebab legends Le Bab are also getting charitable and donating £1 of every grilled halloumi dish sold to ocean conservation organisation Project 0. Ugly Dumpling has set up an exclusive tasting menu created by chef Emilian Craciun while Pizza Pilgrims is serving a special Biscoff S’mores Brownie Pizza made in collaboration with Crumbs & Doilies. Sounds like a perfect month for eating out if you ask us.
Carnaby Eats: special dishes
Jinjuu
Jin Chicken Thigh
Jinjuu is a vibrant spot that brings contemporary Korean flavours to Kingly Street. Kimchi, fried chicken and more classic flavours from South Korea are well represented here, as well as creative cocktails and a great wine list across its two floors.
Throughout Carnaby Eats, you can find this sumptuous dish, the ‘Jin Chicken Thigh’, served with three different kinds of sauce – soy, gochujang and honey mustard.
Dirty Bones
Pimp Your Dog
Dirty Bones in Kingly Court is all about Americana-style comfort food: great burgers, hot dogs and fried chicken, with a cracking cocktail list. There are also tonnes of great veggie and vegan dishes to be found, too.
The classic Yankee Dog has been a mainstay on the Dirty Bones menu for good reason, and throughout September you can pimp it by customising the toppings to your heart’s content. Yum.
Tapas Brindisa
The Perfect Aperitivo
Known as one of the best importers of fine Spanish and Mediterranean produce in the UK, Brindisa also has a restaurant arm – a group of tapas restaurants serving simple and traditional Spanish tapas dishes in a warm, buzzy environment.
For Carnaby Eats, Tapas Brindisa on Broadwick Street will offer a glass of Vermut and a Gilda (an olive, anchovy and guindilla skewer) for just £5. The ultimate aperitif.
Tapas Brindisa
The Perfect Aperitivo
Known as one of the best importers of fine Spanish and Mediterranean produce in the UK, Brindisa also has a restaurant arm – a group of tapas restaurants serving simple and traditional Spanish tapas dishes in a warm, buzzy environment.
For Carnaby Eats, Tapas Brindisa on Broadwick Street will offer a glass of Vermut and a Gilda (an olive, anchovy and guindilla skewer) for just £5. The ultimate aperitif.
Carnaby: the area
Kingly Court
Kingly Court is a three-storey al fresco courtyard where you won’t be stuck for choice. Fancy a bit of chicken and craft beer? Whyte & Brown willl sort you out. Oysters? Wright Brothers know their bivalves better than most. Posh kebabs? Le Bab practically invented ‘em. Only drink in London underground-themed bars? Cahoots has got your number.
Kingly Street
Kingly Street is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. Start off your day by queuing up at Dishoom for an absolutely-worth-the-wait bacon naan roll. Follow that up with one of Island Poké’s fresh bowls of poké from before working off some of that good eating at one of the many gyms and fitness studios nearby and end the day with a post-workout meal from The Detox Kitchen. Bliss.
Ganton Street
Here’s a fun little fact: Boy George used to work as a window dresser on Ganton Street back in the early 1980s. While you’re not likely to find the Culture Club singer there nowadays, there are still some excellent reasons to visit. Namely, edible reasons like Pastaio’s carbonara bucatini, Sacred Cafe’s superlative pastries, Dehesa’s top tapas and The Diner’s shakes, pancakes and burgers.
Carnaby: global dining
A visit to Carnaby gives you the chance to try food from some truly global chefs and restaurants. Here’s exactly what to look out for – and some hero dishes to try, too. Travelling the globe ain’t cheap. Booking flights, buying travel insurance, organising an AirBnB. All of those costs add up before you’ve even arrived at your destination; leaving you little money to spend on actually enjoying yourself. Our solution? Don’t go abroad. Just go to Carnaby instead. If you want a taste of some of the best and brightest international cuisine going in the capital – spanning everywhere from Indian to Peruvian cooking – Carnaby’s a grand place to explore.
Carnaby is home to the largest collection of independent restaurants, pubs, bars and cafés in London’s West End, with more than 60 places offering weekend brunches, quick lunches, fine dining and late night cocktails. There’s so much hustle and bustle in the area that a simple walk through Carnaby can feel a bit like a Phileas Fogg-esque trip around the world. Except, of course, it won’t take you anywhere near 80 days.
Up for Indian? Dishoom and Darjeeling Express are excellent examples of what that region’s kitchens can offer. Craving some Peruvian cooking? Señor Ceviche is the answer. Feel like getting all Thai’d up? Rosa’s Thai Cafe isn’t a bad place to get your tom sum on. Italian for your eye? It’s hard to go wrong with a glass of wine and some fritto misto from Polpo or a plate of fresh pasta from Pastaio. All Greek to you? The Life Goddess is the Mediterranean gift that keeps on giving. For a proper taste of British comfort food, spud specialists Mother Mash are on hand to remind you exactly why pie and mash have been such an iconic dish since London’s dining scene first began. And for a touch of luxury, head to The Court, a member’s club with live music.
The water refill station
Carnaby’s a historically rich part of London, so how about this for a bit of modern history-making: Kingly Court is the first place in London to house a public water station. Yep, it’s hard to believe but it’s true. The fountain was created as part of the Mayor of London’s campaign to rid the capital of polluting single-use plastic water bottles. Since its launch in 2018, the refill station has saved the use of over 60,000 plastic 500ml bottles. Thirsty? You can find the water station located on the ground floor in between Pizza Pilgrims and Shoryu Carnaby. Drink to your heart’s content.
Carnaby X Project 0
In need of a tote bag to carry all your clobber, but want one that’s fashionable yet at the same time announces to the outside world that you deeply care about the planet? You’re in luck. Carnaby has teamed up with Project 0 to create an exclusive range of tote bags this September. Not only do they look good, but they do a fair bit of good, too. The limited-edition reusable totes cost £15, with 100% of funds raised from the sale of the bags going to conservation work in the Thames. The bags feature designs from the likes of Tracey Emin, Fearne Cotton, Georgia May Jagger, Holly St Clair, Julian Höenig and Suki Waterhouse – simply put, you won’t find hotter accessory for your wardrobe. Fact.
Visit Carnaby.co.uk and follow @CarnabyLondon
