Carnival | Escape to Freight Island

A real celebration of open fire cooking, Carnival happens around a Chef’s table where all diners have a view of the huge indoor grill. It is tended by chefs who are working on this collaboration between Richard Turner (Hawksmoor) and Liverpool’s Belzan.

With only two sittings per evening and a maximum of 24 diners at each, Carnival is a real Chef’s table experience with an offering that changes regularly. The menu is likely to be meat-heavy, and the view of crackling steaks on the open grill is one to behold. Staples include a braised pigs head crumpet with honey, and piles of cheese churros. These can be seen being thrown in to the fryer at the back of the kitchen and are delivered to you with a thick blanket of finely grated Parmesan.

Other dishes on the set menu could include crispy fried scampi, Cornish squid with an intriguing Japanese-style kosho dressing, and a quartet of prime cuts of steak displayed on wooden boards. Sundays are for roast dinners, and Carnival’s is one of the most popular dishes at Escape to Freight Island – with towering Yorkshires, and a bubbling side of cauliflower cheese.

Dessert is good old-fashioned sticky toffee pudding with a dollop of clotted cream.