Carpe Diem — Restaurant in London

Reply to ,, owner,, Well as much as I understand you're defending your business and we're all just people and mistakes happen, maybe you should warn your customers prior to order when so called,, chef,, is not present or left and customer should expect lower quality food to avoid disappointment as first impression is only once + you said you're doing the best to keep standards high, really just empty disappointing words from you??. Besides it seems very convenient for you to reply to just some of criticism leaving rest in silence( peeling off wallpapers, waiting time between food/plates 20-25 min at the same table without any explanation, not interested staff, lack of communication and even simple goodbye). I wish you all the best, but take constructive feedback as a way to improve instead of blaming customers ( well maybe it's my fault I came here) and if you stand by your quality( for me it looks more like quantity , for example loads of dry pasta, lack of sauce, tonnes of fries, very little fish/meat, rubbery, very soft calamari described as crispy,it's maybe for little demanding customers to fill stomach but it's definitely not taste, not restaurant standard, just cheap bar) as you said keep it consistent no matter if you're in or not because it's very easy to lose customers. And if you're proud of supplying local community with this quality of food then hmmm, no more questions , you're clearly the best in your delusional opinion ( are you for real??? Your comments to criticism showing quite opposite).I just shared my experience and your food and overall experience wasn't good enough simple as that, there's nothing to defend it, nothing to add. And if you're still thinking you're the best in what you doing/cooking maybe rethink coming back to basics,didn't notice or experienced,, best service or experience provided as you stated :( just your empty words nothing more,,And to finish I won't be back neither recommend it( I'm sorry) based on my experience and your rude response, to my family or friends. Word of mouth works. Take care ,, chef,,

Worst calamari I've ever had, clearly undercooked, rubbery and chewy awful texture, and almost white batter colour instead of being nicely cooked,couldn't even cut it with knife. Left everything untouched ,not even one waitress asked is everything ok even though I've received my dish first and they clearly have seen untouched plate bringing another plates later, oh well. Party of 4 received their meals every 15-20 min, which is ridiculous as one person supposed to eat with the rest watching peeling off wallpapers and waiting ? Was going to ask for refund but my wife didn't want to make scene so she took it in the box to throw it out later. At the end when leaving almost empty place they don't even reply to goodbye. Definitely not worth recommendation or coming back. I didn't notice you're focusing on providing,, the best service,...

Some restaurants fade with time, but Carpe Diem in Totteridge & Whetstone High Street is clearly not one of them. My recent Saturday brunch visit, five years after my last, proved that their culinary flame burns brighter than ever. The moment you step into Carpe Diem, its cosy, bustling atmosphere embraces you – a testament to its unwavering popularity. It was, predictably, full pack, a good sign of what was to come. My previous visit was marked by a memorable brunch, crafted by an Italian chef whose name, regrettably, escapes me. Today, that chef (surely the same one!) didn't just meet expectations; he surpassed them with an even more amazing rendition of his culinary artistry. The 'Carpe Med Breakfast' was a triumph: a generous plate laden with crisp bacon, flavourful chorizo sausage, perfectly golden hash browns, and surprisingly delightful falafel. The grilled halloumi and spicy beans added layers of savoury depth, beautifully complemented by the freshness of avocado and hummus. My choice of perfectly scrambled eggs completed this epicurean feast, served alongside toasted sourdough – a truly large size brunch which keeps you full for the whole day. No brunch is complete without the perfect accompaniment, and Carpe Diem delivered with a freshly squeezed orange juice and an amazing Italian coffee that transported me straight to a Roman piazza. The fact that such an incredible meal comes at a reasonable price is simply astonishing, making the perpetual queues entirely understandable. This was, without a doubt, a delightful experience, and I will definitely recommend and visit again – perhaps I'll try to get the chef's name this...

Had breakfast here with my family 2 weeks ago. Really good food. Shame they let us down by trying to deceive us with the bill. The waitress came up to us with a card reader and said 'the bill is £32' bearing in mind we had 3 sandwiches (around £5 each) and a tea, a flat white & orange juice. We had to question it and ask for a receipt so she brought out a piece of paper which she had written out our order and priced it completely different to the menu prices. They charged us double for the drinks even though on the menu they were around £1/1.50 - so we questioned that and another lady (who was pretty rude) came and had the audacity to say that 'oh the prices are on our new menu and because the orange juice is fresh we have to charge higher prices and because you had a pot of tea, not a cup - its more expensive'...??? it's fine if those are the prices (the menu is good value anyway) but give us the correct menu in the first place and don't deceive your new customers to try make extra cash at the opportunity. She then CROSSED out the price on the receipt which said £6 for the sandwiches and turned it into £5 in front of us which is just embarrassing. The bill was then £22 - which originally happened to be £32. Pretty shocking to be honest and it's a shame because their food is really good. Would just recommend that if you decide to go here - DOUBLE...