Carousel Restaurant London: Shaun Presland

Up-and-coming Marylebone spot Carousel has had some fine chefs through its doors in recent months. Leandro Carreira, Sebastian Mazzola, Murray Wilson and more have taken up residence in the Carousel kitchen since the turn of the year, a veritable... well, carousel of top culinary talent from across the UK and Europe.

Located just around the corner from celeb hot spot Chiltern Firehouse, Carousel is a London pop up restaurant with a punchy reputation, famed for hosting leading figures in the culinary world – such as Moro Chef Tom Ryalls and in-house rising star Ollie Templeton. London restaurants with rotating chefs rarely have as much variety, and the most recent residency at Carousel is no exception.

Shaun Presland

Between the 4th and 15th of August, the Carousel pop up restaurant will be placed in the expert hands of Japanese cooking extraordinaire, Shaun Presland, the executive chef at the renowned Saké trio of restaurants in Australia. Already one of the most exciting – and certainly versatile – places to eat in Marylebone, this August's menu should be no exception.

On the menu

With over twenty years of intensive training with the best Japanese chefs around, including an extended trip to the small hill town of Yamagata where he learnt the fundamentals, Presland developed his own distinctive, contemporary style, with his Modern Japanese cooking poised to burst onto the London foodie scene.

Carousel's hints at the menu are already teasing us, with an elaborate signature dish of Crispy Skin Hiramasa Kingfish with Old School Ginger Teriyaki Glaze, Ohitashi, Carrot Purée, Jalapeño Cream and Leek Wafer leaps. With all that on offer we have a feeling the rest of the menu will be quite the treat.

If you're a lover of all things Japanese, but fancy a new twist on the traditional cuisine, then Presland's residency is definitely one for you. Book now to catch the award-winning Aussie chef's brief run in the spotlight, before he heads back down under to give those Antipodeans a taste of his stellar cuisine.

Top tips

Carousel pop up's rotating service means you can expect to wait a little while between courses, but they are constantly improving and the dishes are certainly worth the wait. We'd recommend booking with a group, as Carousel's relaxed atmosphere and long tables are conducive to intimate dining among friends.

Lunch sittings are offered as one- or two-course, but dinner is always four-course. Expect to be there for at least two hours as service is staggered. Our tip: show up at 8 instead of 7 to avoid a wait.