Honey & Smoke Grill House, from chef-owners Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich, are pleased to host October Gallery for an exhibition of work by artists Hassan Massoudy and Zana Masombuka for the whole month of October in celebration of Frieze London. The restaurant, situated on Great Portland Street just moments from the art fair in Regent’s Park, will serve a special Defrost Menu throughout the month to mark Frieze London, which falls 11th – 15th October this year.

The Defrost Menu will be informed by the art direction of the exhibition, with a skillful reference to ideas of shared cultural traditions, the ritual of dining together, and the combination of heritage and modernity in both food and art. Guests are invited to view the artwork as they share food and ideas in the fun, party environment of Honey & Smoke.

We love the buzz the art fair brings to the restaurant every October: we host so many gallerists, collectors and visitors to the fair on their way to and from Regents Park, so it was a no brainer to offer a permanent space for the month! Art is a big part of Honey & Smoke’s identity. We’ve always admired October Gallery and their mission to shine a light on different cultural traditions and exposing London audiences to them — a mission not very different to our own. They have done an amazing job in curating the exhibition, it’s a match made in heaven.

(Itamar Srulovich)

Elegant, gestural, calligraphic works on paper by Hassan Massoudy will be presented on the ground floor of the restaurant. Born to a traditional Iraqi family, Massoudy trained in Baghdad and Paris. A master artist-calligrapher, his work connects with the Middle Eastern influence and tradition through the written word, with peace and tolerance as central themes in his work.

Zana Masombuka, an artist from South Africa, will present a body of striking photographic works in the downstairs area of the restaurant. Her work engages with the intersection of tradition with the modern age, especially through Ndebele culture, symbolism, and material contrast, in a radical re-examination of the self as an individual.

The collaboration has been designed by October Gallery’s Artistic Director Elisabeth Lalouschek, Curator Eleri Fanshawe, and Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer, the chef couple behind Honey & Smoke Grill House.

October Gallery are thrilled to collaborate with Honey & Smoke on an exhibition of striking works by two fascinating artists. This outstanding restaurant provides a synergy and sympathetic environment for visual art. The Defrost Menu is both highly imaginative and creative, which reflects the visual energy of the works by Zana Masombuka and Hassan Massoudy.

(Eleri Fanshawe)

We wanted to provide a complete sensory experience for our guests: the menu we’ve created is seasonal and vibrant, it relies on and references traditional preparations of the Middle East but plays with them a little. We want this menu to bring tables together, and can't wait to hear the conversations around these tables.

(Sarit Packer)