Summer is here, and there’s no better place to lean into its spirit than Honey & Smoke on Great Portland Street. I arrive on a golden evening and already the restaurant hums with warmth and happy diners, a signature of Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich’s places. The terracotta walls glow softly, Moroccan tiles add colour and charm, and curated artwork lines the space, giving the restaurant a lived-in, creative feel. The open kitchen flickers with energy, and that irresistible scent of the grill drifts across the room.
The welcome is equally warm: the team strikes the perfect balance between relaxed and attentive, setting a tone that encourages you to settle in. I start with a Marrakech G&T, a refreshing, slightly savoury mix of gin, kalamata olive and lemon. Complex and bright, exactly what you want to sip as you ease into a summer evening. We decide to go for the BBQ Sharing Menu, a three-course feast built around fire and summer produce. We enjoy mezze to start: smoky vegetables, vibrant pickles, freshly toasted bread and classic hummus, and a stand out courgette salad with dried apricots and hazelnuts. Then mains straight from the grill: huge tiger prawns with watermelon and feta and slow cooked pork gyros on charred pitta and tzatziki with shoestring potatoes scattered over the top. The cooking is generous and vibrant, smoke and spice balanced with freshness at every turn.
As we protest we are too full to possibly manage dessert, we are told that the cheesecake is ‘life-changing’ and one visitor took a take out home – to Leeds. How can we not try this? We share the feta and honey cheesecake on a crisp kadaif base and it’s honeyed, creamy, warm and crisp all at once. A perfect end to a meal that feels celebratory and summery.
In fact the new Summer Grilling Series at Honey & Smoke feels perfectly timed. Throughout July, August and September, Sarit and Itamar are inviting some brilliant friends into their kitchen, and the line-up is irresistible. It all began on 14 July with Hasan Semay (aka Big Has), celebrating the launch of his book Smoke & Seasoned Bread. Next up on 8 August, Rukmini Iyer, the bestselling author behind The Roasting Tin series, brings her vegetable-forward cooking to the grill for an evening that promises vibrant, seasonal flavours. And on 11 September, food writer Ben Lippett joins Sarit and Itamar for a supper club celebrating the release of How I Cook – a joyful evening of shared plates and seasonal dishes.
