Restaurants are not simply knocked together overnight. We know that a dining experience extends far beyond the kitchen and the dishes – from the farms that produce the ingredients to the material on the table we sit at – there is much else to consider. The art chosen on the walls plays a part in the feasting production and some restaurants in London have put art at the forefront. To catch sight of what role this is, we speak to the masterminds and curators putting on a show for our eyes as well as our tastebuds, and discover art’s role in our dining experience.
Feast your Eyes: Inside London's Best Art Restaurants
Words by
Izzy Schaw Miller
20th March 2025
London is witnessing a rise of restaurants filling their spaces with art of all kinds – whether it’s trendy Sessions Arts Club or spectacular Mount Street Restaurant. Art is no longer simply eye-candy, but is increasingly woven into the identity of restaurants themselves. SPHERE talks to five curators behind the best art restaurants in London on the intentions behind their artsy dining room selections.
Which are the best art restaurants in London?
Some might say the dining experience is like a film production. A film isn’t just credited to the director and actors. There’s the script, set design, costumes, sound, lighting and framing - the credits roll on. Directors think of everything from the number of blinks – whether it's Coen brothers’ 'No Country for Old Men' – to the time on the clocks cameras sweep over – as witnessed in Kubrick’s 'The Shining' in a ploy to create a nonsensical, dreamlike atmosphere. So too for art restaurants in London, where the curators impose their own taste. Hence selecting a few of the best art restaurants in London, where the sensory lends to the visual. This includes the emotional, such as in Jose Pizarro's new restaurant Lolo in Bermondsey, where Norman Acroyd's last artwork features in a beautiful landscape painting.
Mount St. Restaurant (Manuel Salamanca, Art Ambassador)
THE APPROACH TO ART:
Art is at the heart of Mount St. Restaurant, acting as a showcase for extraordinary works alongside specially commissioned site-specific art. This extends into the dining experience itself, from the table lamps to the chairs and even the mosaic floor. When it comes to food, the menu reflects this contemporary setting, inspired by the capital’s culinary history with a modern twist.
From top to toe, Mount St. Restaurant is a true feast for the eyes
WHO CURATES IT:
The extraordinary art collection is curated by Artfarm’s sister company, Hauser & Wirth and features some incredible original artworks by some of the world’s most celebrated artists. There are also several works specially commissioned for the space, which is rare.
KEY ARTISTS ON DISPLAY:
The restaurant and private rooms are filled with over 200 artworks, including Lucian Freud’s A Plate of Prawns (1958), Andy Warhol’s Lobster (1982), and Henri Matisse’s Éperlans (Smelts) (1920). Our art even extends to the salt and pepper shakers, inspired by Paul McCarthy’s provocative Tree (2014) sculpture, adding a playful yet artistic touch to the dining experience.
A portrait by Lucien Freud at Mount St. Restaurant
A vibrant landscape by Catherine Goodman can be seen in Mount St. Restaurant
MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE ART:
Rashid Johnson’s Broken Floor mosaic is undoubtedly one of the most striking features at Mount St. Restaurant. Crafted from Palladian marble, its interactive nature transforms the dining experience, inviting guests to explore, stand on, and physically interact with the artwork in ways that are traditionally not possible. The piece draws inspiration from Johnson’s Broken Men series, exploring themes of human vulnerability, societal roles, and self-reconstruction.
American artist Rashid Johnson’s Broken Floor (2022) lines the floor of Mount St. Restaurant
OWNER / MANAGER’S FAVOURITE PIECE AND WHY:
One of my favourite pieces in the restaurant is Frank Bowling's Shallowtrench (2014). It’s hard to miss, with its bold, bright colours that seem to glow. What I love most is how its composition seems to transform throughout the day. When the sunlight streams through the windows, the colours come alive, and the texture, creases, and staple marks add a depth to it. It’s a piece that catches my eye every time I walk by. (Carolin Rist, VIP relations manager)
When it comes to artistic detail, Mount St. Restaurant spares no effort
abc kitchens at The Emory (General Manager, Mike Walker)
THE APPROACH TO ART:
With a farm to table approach, abc kitchens’ menu showcases Chef Jean-George Vongerichten’s creative and forward-thinking, with plant-focused dishes, tonics, and cocktails celebrating the best of mother nature. The cuisine and artwork on display almost match perfectly, as Damien Hirst created a series of artworks called The Secret Gardens Paintings (2023). Made up of four pieces, The Garden of Rainbows, The Paradoxical Garden, The Sharing Garden and The Garden of Indifference, the vibrant colours and plants depicted in the artwork reflect the freshness of the produce being served.
WHO CURATES IT:
Vongerichten spotted Damien’s The Secret Gardens Paintings artwork at Frieze and instantly fell in love with them. It just so happened that at the time he was working on the designs for abc kitchens with designer Remi Tessier.
MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE ART:
The Sharing Garden (2023) artwork is our most photographed painting of the series due to its location in the restaurant.
Damien Hirst’s magnificent The Sharing Garden (2023), abc kitchens’ self-professed most Instagrammable piece ©Damien Hirst and Science Ltd
FAVOURITE PIECE AND WHY:
My favourite piece of artwork is also by Damien Hirst, entitled The Head of Gorgon (2019) which is positioned at the entrance to the restaurant and is there to greet diners as they enter.
The Portrait Restaurant (Beth Harding, Restaurants Director at Searcys, The Portrait Restaurant collaborator)
THE APPROACH TO ART:
For me, The Portrait Restaurant is an extension of The National Portrait Gallery. Our chefs are artists in their own right – they balance flavours like a painter balances colours, craft plate dishes to be visually stunning, and create experiences that stimulate the senses. With an open kitchen, they are also performers – a live artist at work.
This bronze bust sculpture of artist and writer Adrian Stokes features in The Portrait Restaurant.
WHO CURATES IT:
The restaurant’s photo wall of portraits was carefully selected by Richard Corrigan Junior in collaboration with curators from the NPG. The sitters are a mix of inspirational and creative women and men such as Edna O'Brien, Benjamin Zephaniah and Brendan Behan who have left a mark on music, literature and the arts across Britain and Ireland over the last 100 years.
KEY ARTISTS ON DISPLAY:
Three of the seven portraits are by the legendary photographer Ida Kar, featuring Brendan Behan, Shelagh Delaney, and Dame Iris Murdoch.
MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE ART:
The food and the view steal the show – with beautifully plated dishes and the sweeping views of London, guests can’t resist capturing the moment.
London skyline display, Beth Harding’s favourite viewing
FAVOURITE PIECE AND WHY:
My favourite piece in the National Portrait Gallery is Laura Knight’s Self-Portrait. I find it a striking work – not only for its size and vibrant use of colour but for what it represents. At a time when nudes were traditionally painted by men, she created a formidable and confident painting of her model and made the active choice to include herself in the composition.
I've also always been drawn to Alessandro Raho’s portrait of Judi Dench. I find it incredibly powerful – it is so peaceful to me and yet it carries such quiet strength.
July (Solyknka Dumas, Co-Founder)
July’s husband and wife team opted for an intimate and jovial atmosphere, as a painting of Dumas’ parents sits on the wall ©Safia Shakarchi
THE APPROACH TO ART:
We really wanted July to feel like an extension of our home, that’s a true place of hospitality where guests feel as comfortable as they would in a friend's house. Featuring original art on the wall seemed like a seamless way to achieve this.
WHO CURATES IT:
Julian [Dumas’ husband and co-founder] and I did all the art curations. We also asked our friend Lucinda Bellm, who owns LAMB ART if she could lend us some pieces to fill some walls that needed extra loving.
KEY ARTISTS ON DISPLAY:
The restaurant displays a mural by Orfeo Tagiuri and a ceramic sculpture by Katy Stubbs. We also feature various works by Tiago Mestre, decorative plates by Alma Berrow, tapestry by Andrew Pierce Scott, paintings by Renata de Bonis and Michael McGregor, and a beaded sculpture by Beya Gacha, to name a few.
MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE ART:
Either Orfeo Tagiuri’s mural or Katy Stubbs’ ceramic.
West London-based artist Orfeo Tagiuri’s mural adds a splash of warmth and camaraderie to July’s sunlit back dining room ©Safia Shakarchi
FAVOURITE PIECE AND WHY:
I love all the pieces in the restaurant but the ones I love the most are all the ones I have an emotional and personal connection to. There’s the portrait of my parents that a friend of theirs painted in the eighties, the vintage poster of the Alsace my dad gifted me, the beaded sculpture my amazingly talented cousin Beya Gille made, and the hanging vegetal installation made by another cousin who is a wonderful florist.
Lolo (José Pizarro, Chef and Founder)
THE APPROACH TO ART:
I believe art and food are deeply connected, as both have the power to evoke emotions. Just as a great meal can bring immense joy – or a bad one can ruin your mood – art has the same ability to move and inspire us.
From left to right: Zephyr platters by Peter Layton, Herma Ness, Shetland by Norman Ackroyd, and Companion by Sam Henning
WHO CURATES IT:
Peter [Meades, Pizarro's husband] and I curated the collection together – we both share a deep love for art.
KEY ARTISTS ON DISPLAY:
Tracey Emin, Norman Ackroyd, Peter Meades, Liu Susiraja, Harland Miller, Sam Henning, Peter Blake and Peter Layton.
Peter Meades' Brillo Rojo in Lolo on Bermondsey Street
MOST INSTAGRAMMABLE ART:
The Tracey Emin piece.
Ominously overlooks diners and Pizzaro’s most Instagrammable selection is No! This Is Sad by Tracey Emin
OWNER / MANAGER’S FAVOURITE PIECE AND WHY:
Every piece is special to me, but if I had to choose, I’d say Norman Ackroyd’s work and, of course, all of Peter Meades’ photographs.
