Tue 12 April 2016 Art Binge Afternoon tea, light refreshments and self service has been the traditional standard for the art gallery restaurant scene. More recently however, Michelin-starred chefs have stepped in and artists and restaurateurs are collaborating, making the restaurants a destination in their own right. Why did it take so long? First up, the Barbican. Sure, there have been always been reasons to visit: exhibitions, films, talks, a 101 in brutalism… but food has never been part of the appeal. Now, Osteria has opened, with Patrick Leano (formerly of Michelin starred Arbutus in Soho) in charge of the kitchen. The new restaurant has an Italian menu – antipasto, homemade pasta, meat and fish – but if it’s a quick ‘refreshment’ you’re after, a cocktail menu of martinis, negronis and bellinis will do just fine. Next, Damien Hirst at the Newport Street Gallery. Work up an appetite perusing the 37,000 square feet space before making your way to the gallery’s newly opened restaurant, Pharmacy 2. Here, the art continues with pill motifs, florescent hospital lighting and canteen chairs – this is very much Hirst’s baby, but unlike the original Pharmacy, the food is worth writing about. Mark Hix heads up the British and European menu, so you know you’re in good hands: think prawn and crab linguine, smoked haddock and pineapple upside-down cake. Lastly, as with many a London restaurant of late, it’s all about the hot, young talent. Case in point: Sardine, the highly anticipated opening by Stevie Parle’s (chef-owner of Dock Kitchen, Rotorino, and Craft London) protégé Alex Jackson (head chef of Rotorino). Aptly enough, Sardine is opening in Parasol Unit, the contemporary art gallery known for supporting up-and-coming artists. The menu is said to be inspired by the Provence and Languedoc regions, with a focus on wood grill cooking: whole rabbit, grilled stuffed sardines or a leg of lamb hung over fire and slow cooked. Now all we need is for the gallery gift shops to up their ante. Until then, we’ll be exiting through the restaurant. BY CS Calendar Picks This Week’s Picks Drink I DON’T MISS BOOK DRINK II Wine sans grapes by Ryan Chetiyawardana at his pop up wine bar, Lyan Cellars. Lantana Cafe Shoreditch, Unit 2, Oliver’s Yard, 55 City Road, EC1Y 1HQ. April 11-16. Som Saa’s soft launch period with 50% off food. 43A Commercial Street, E1 6BD. April 11-17. Sushisamba X Lima’s fusion eight-course dinner where traditional Peruvian cuisine meets Japanese and Brazilian. Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY. April 16. £150 Bourbon accompanied by a live blues band at The Natural Philosopher, every Wednesday. 489 Hackney Road, E2 9ED. From 6pm. BOOK NOW Singha Beer celebrates Thai New Year in London- April 14/15 Sponsored Listing We at UJ are always looking for a reason to celebrate. With that in mind, Happy Thai New Year! Almost. This Thursday and Friday, Singha Beer and Shuttlecock Inc. will be throwing an immersive party to ring in the water festival of Songkran (Thai New Year). Taking place at Carousel Spaces, check your London stresses at the door, grab a Singha Beer and get ready to travel through Northern Thailand. Check out the vibrant Chiang Mai street with stalls and shops, bars and bites, visit the traditional floating markets and cast off your own wish lantern. This is a celebration with the food, sights, sounds and vibe of South East Asia at Thai New Year, so get a ticket and get your New Year on. Tickets are £35. However, Singha Beer is offering a 50% discount on tickets exclusively for Urban Junkies readers, which can be redeemed at http://www.shuttlecock-inc.com/singha_beer.html. Promo code: URBANJUNKIES LIKE SHARE FORWARD PREVIOUS EDITION (c) 2016 Urban Junkies. All rights reserved. Reproductions of any portion of this website only with our express permission. Urban Junkies is a free weekly mailer. All listings and features are editorial: We do not receive any payment from venues, artists or promoters. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information listed but we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.