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 inParasol 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.
