Unique, provocative, and out of the ordinary, Pharmacy 2, the restaurant of the renowned Damien Hirst, seamlessly combines the artist's two great passions: art and fine dining. From the moment I learned of its existence and saw how it looked, I was eager to visit. For some, my newfound obsession seemed odd; I was frequently asked why I would want to dine in a pharmacy. However, after leaving Pharmacy 2, I found myself contemplating how soon I could return. It was that spectacular!
Located on the first floor of the Newport Street Gallery in Vauxhall, South London—owned by Hirst himself—Pharmacy 2 merges the artist's vision with the culinary expertise of Mark Hix, who, as a close friend and partner, shares in this creative endeavor. The name Pharmacy 2 is no coincidence; 13 years ago, Hirst opened Pharmacy 1 in another part of London at the height of his career. The venue quickly became a favorite among international celebrities, including Tom Cruise, Madonna, Kate Moss, and David Bowie, but it closed after five years of operation in 2003.
Hix encouraged Hirst to revive the Pharmacy concept, offering to partner with him in the culinary aspect. Thus, in February 2016, they launched Pharmacy 2, inspired by Hirst's 1992 artwork of the same name. The restaurant also features other original pieces by the artist, including The Medical Cabinet (2010) and his renowned butterfly paintings from the Kaleidoscope series (2012).
Psychedelic, unconventional, and ostentatious, Pharmacy 2 welcomes you with decor dominated by vibrant tablets and pills—a recurring motif throughout the space. These colorful elements are present everywhere, from the walls showcasing art to the plates serving the menu, all adorned with pill designs. As you step onto the marble floor—rather unusual for a typical pharmacy—you’re immediately transported to a realm of the extraordinary. The leather couches, embroidered with colorful confections, evoke the famous line from The Matrix: “Why didn’t I take the blue pill?” Across from them sits the bar, furnished with medical instruments and pill-shaped stools, topped with a striking illuminated sign that reads "prescriptions." The windows, resembling sacred stained glass, are painted with spirals of DNA. Scattered across the walls are medical charts and butterflies, each representing us, the patients in this pharmacy, each with our unique symptoms and eccentricities.
Before I even arrived, it was clear that Pharmacy 2 isn’t just a place to enjoy a meal; it’s a destination for concept, vision, and Damien Hirst's artistry. However, Mark Hix's unexpected and bold menu was enough to dispel that notion on a slightly rainy, quintessentially London Sunday. Among the offerings, the absinthe jelly—legend has it, the drink that drove Van Gogh to cut off his ear—embodies the essence of the entire concept. Long after consuming it, I reflected on how compatible the seemingly contrasting ideas of pharmacy and restaurant truly are. Restaurant > restaurer = a place meant to restore, rejuvenate, and bring you back to a good state. A place that, much like a pharmacy, holds the remedy capable of restoring your balance.
Damien Hirst's restaurant, strikingly repulsive yet enchanting, manages to achieve this in an exceptional way. A pharmacy where you enter to be restored in two ways simultaneously: through food and art, serving as a powerful treatment for monotony. In the end, there’s only one diagnosis for this establishment: outstanding.
Later Edit: After two years of operation, in 2018, the restaurant ceased to be operational. Despite the innovative concept and the reputation of the two partners behind it, the restaurant struggled to attract a sufficient clientele and become profitable.
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