Fourteen years after opening their first restaurant, Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich are trying something new. On 13 April, the duo behind Honey & Co. will open Honey & Co. Great Portland, a deli, dining room and wine bar.
Taking over the former Honey & Smoke site, the 40-cover space is designed to work throughout the day. By lunchtime, it'll feel like a laid-back deli where you can drop in for something quick, and in the evening, it turns into a cosy neighbourhood wine bar.
Working with importer Keeling Andrew, the team have put together a list of wines that pay homage to the Mediterranean but travel further when it feels right, with bottles from Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Israel and Palestine alongside options from Georgia, Jura and California.
The food is crafted to match that, starting with nibbles like olives, pickles, baba ganoush and Moroccan sourdough, followed by small plates such as mizithra filo cigars with honey, anchovies on aubergine agrodolce crostini and chicken liver kamounia crostini. From there on, there's tuna crudo with tomato and tahini, lamb arayes, crispy pork with oregano and candied lemon, and fried artichokes with garlic and parsley.
Skewers come straight from the grill, with options including pork tenderloin with cherry relish, chicken liver with cumin and garlic gremolata, and whole prawns with preserved lemon and fermented chilli. Larger dishes include salt-baked or grilled whole fish, Greek-style lamb chops and crispy cauliflower rice with amba and pickled chillies.
For those with a sweet tooth, there's the group's honey and feta cheesecake paired with sweet Samos wine, or chocolate mousse served alongside Madeira.
Inside, the space is warm and intimate, with burgundy and ivory walls, wooden chairs, candlelit tables, and a deli counter at the front that leads into a small dining room.
Honey & Co. Great Portland opens on 13 April.