Don’t break a winning formula is a useful principle. It’s one adhered to by the chefs at Honey & Co. Now in its second location (on Lambs Conduit Street, opposite Noble Rot), everything that made the original a success has been replicated here, in a larger and more grown-up setting. With the two owners hailing from Israel and having both worked under Yotam Ottolenghi during their careers, diners can rest assured that they will clearly be in good hands.
Honey & Co is designed to be the sort of venue you can enjoy at any time of the day. It strikes a good balance; somewhere to go for just for a snack, but equally a place that could work for a business lunch. The room is bright and airy with large windows and mellow oatmeal-hued furnishings. Although some tables were packed too closely for this reviewer’s comfort – but perhaps a testament to Honey’s success – there are also more spacious corner locations, such as the one we occupied. On a recent weekday lunchtime, all places were filled. Fortunately, there is also a countertop where diners can people-watch while consuming.
The simple setting allows the food to take centre stage – justly. A critical first glance at the menu might see sceptics assert that ‘it’s just hummus and falafel’ available at Honey & Co. Sure, the menu is brief, with around half a dozen of both starters and mains available. Both hummus and falafel do indeed feature but to describe them as mere replications of those available in many Middle Eastern outlets is to do the chefs a disservice here. Honey’s hummus was cream, garlicky and not totally smooth, reminiscent of similar offerings eaten on the streets of Tel Aviv. Their falafels were elevated by some of the best tahini – certainly not your everyday version – that your reviewer has tasted. A lemon cabbage accompaniment worked as a wonderful foil. Onto the mains. Your reviewer is rarely indecisive when choosing in restaurants, but at Honey he was stumped. Each of the five options sounded mouth-wateringly plausible. In the end, the roasted mauve aubergine was selected. Its promised barbecue tahini crust tasted as good as it sounded, and the dish was truly an aesthetic masterpiece. Portion sizes are generous with pricing fair. Diners will correspondingly likely leave Honey & Co with full smiles (and bellies), keen only to return.