Carnevale

Carnevale is a lovely little casual vegetarian restaurant. I visited in the evening with two friends. None of us are veggie, but we all liked the look of the menu and weren't disappointed.

We were given a choice of nice breads and dipping oil to nibble while choosing from the menu. The goats cheese and butternut ravioli with lentils was delicious, and the smoked cheese on the breaded aubergine dish worked perfectly and really enhanced the flavour.

Our waitress was friendly and attentive, the food was inventive and delicious and we lingered over our meal with a couple of bottles of nice organic wine. A very nice place to spend a relaxed evening catching up with friends.
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AliW
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Thursday, September 15, 2011

Lovely, tasty no-frills veggie fare. I can recommend the breaded aubergine with romanesco sauce and the falafel dish, both of which are delicious. We also had some lovely organic wine. Decor has a certain rustic charm.
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Gabrielle Koonin
7 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 8
Thursday, September 15, 2011

I have seen some less than flattering reviews on this website which seems to contrast with other review websites; hence I thought I would comment upon my very pleasant meal here to present a balanced view.

The restaurant is rather quaintly located by Whitecross Market, which makes for an ideal lunchtime escape from the hustle and bustle of the City. I took some former business associates, one of which was Kosher and as such the Vegetarian and Mediterranean cuisine suited ideally.

The service was very prompt and friendly, and I found the menu to be both exciting and enticing to a carnivorous individual! All three started with shared (not intended from the menu I must add) Haloumi and Pumpkin Gnocchi, which were both light, delicate and very enjoyable. Matched with a very crisp Chenin Blanc, this made for a refreshing starter.

For main course, I chose the Falafel Harasi Casserole, served with Aubergine and Peppers. I found this to be very well prepared and full of flavor. Very satisfying to my meat-loving pallet indeed. My fellow diners both ordered the Chickpea lentils which were well received to seasoned Mediterranean pallets.

Overall, this was a very pleasant experience and one which I shall be repeating soon. The restaurant enjoys a relaxed atmosphere due to its quiet location (ideal for ambience but less so for its profits!) and serves as an ideal lunchtime get-away, or indeed a relaxed weekend dining venue.

To my taste, it would be less suited to an evening venue, partially due to its location, and perhaps to its apparent lack of ambient music (which I prefer to do without for conversation-filled lunches). It is therefore important to note I have scored it on the basis of a lunch-time visit rather than an evening (where it may succumb to comparable competition). However, I highly recommend in general and the experience has left me hungry for more vegetarian experiences - Well Done Carnevale!
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Ben
9 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Tuesday, March 22, 2011

We visited for lunch and were sorely disappointed. I'm amazed by the positive reviews on their site and can scarcely believe it’s the same place.

I had the Potato Cakes with Fennel, Lemon and Basil with Provencal Vegetable Casserole and Mixed Rocket salad. I was served potato cakes with bitter-tasting, over-cooked vegetables in an oily sauce. My sister had the Homemade Vegetarian Sausages with Colcanon mashed potato and Red Wine Rosemary Gravy. The sausages were average, the colcannon very strange – not like any I’ve tasted before and the ‘gravy’ tasted like red wine poured straight over the top. The Chocolate Roulade for dessert was edible but nothing special.

With a drink each plus service the meal came to £40 - more than we would normally pay for a far superior meal elsewhere. With so many good restaurants closing in the past year it’s irritating that places like this can serve such sub-standard food. I assume the only reason they’re still open is their location – lots of office workers needing somewhere (anywhere) to sit down and lunch.
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cassminx
4 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Tuesday, March 30, 2010