In November 2026 - Spencer Large, Honey Spencer, and Charlie Sims, the team behind beloved Hackney restaurant Sune, will launch an ambitious new project, The Poet, in Farringdon. Set within a historic building beside Smithfield Meat Market, The Poet will form part of the six ‘Houses’ surrounding London Museum’s new home in the General Market. It will open first as a traditional yet contemporary British pub and dining room across the ground and first floors, with food overseen by Charlie Tayler, formerly of Aulis and The Ledbury. Further spaces will follow in the first half of 2027, including an ambitious 10-seat chef’s counter restaurant on the mezzanine and a standalone cocktail bar in the attic.
On the ground floor, The Poet will pay homage to the classic Victorian pub, drawing on the maximalist aesthetic of the era with high ceilings, elaborate joinery and richly textured surfaces. The ground floor entrance will feature a striking double-height bar, flooded with an abundance of natural light, with cosy alcoves and snugs tucked beneath the mezzanine as you move further inside. The bar will serve fine ales, real wines and quality spirits alongside a playful bar menu which riffs on familiar pub snacks, from House Pork Pie with Piccalilli to a “Scampi Fries” Scotch egg, alongside other bar staples.
On the first floor, The Poet Dining Room will offer elevated dining within the charm and ease of a timeless pub. The menu will draw on London’s cultural diversity and the city’s restaurant heritage, reimagining British pub classics through the very best of the country’s seasonal produce – with a generous Sunday roast served each weekend. The dining room itself will be elegant and atmospheric, with wood panelling, a rich colour palette, leather seating and large windows running the length of the space. An open kitchen will bring energy as guests enter the room, allowing them to watch the chefs at work, with the dining room benefitting from the same wonderful light as the ground floor entrance below. There will be an extensive wine list chosen by Honey Spencer, celebrating beloved appellations and unsung regions alike.
Two further spaces will launch at The Poet in 2027. Tucked away on the mezzanine, Envoi will be an intimate 10-seat chef’s table restaurant from Charlie Tayler, offering a completely different experience from the pub and dining room. Its name comes from the poetic term for a concluding passage or stanza, while the 14-course tasting menu will draw on the structure of a sonnet. Served within an immersive, conceptual art gallery-style environment, Envoi will offer the most ambitious expression of Tayler’s food at The Poet.
Up in the attic, Shambles will be The Poet’s standalone cocktail bar, inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement that flourished in the late 19th century, around the time the building was completed. Its name takes its cue from a Middle English term associated with butchers’ stalls and the meat trade, offering a playful nod to Smithfield’s history.
More details on The Poet’s chef’s table and cocktail bar will be announced in due course.
The Poet’s opening comes as Smithfield undergoes one of its biggest changes in decades, with London Museum moving into the General Market on 28th November, bringing the historic building back into public use for the first time in over three decades. The Poet is the first business to be announced for one of the six ‘Houses’ built into the perimeter of the Victorian market. These new retail and hospitality spaces are being revived as part of London Museum’s 10-year restoration of the site and will become home to a community of independent businesses, charities, creative and cultural organisations, helping to shape a new chapter for Smithfield, one of the city’s oldest markets.
Of the project, Spencer Large, Honey Spencer, and Charlie Sims said: “We are beyond excited to be opening The Poet in Smithfield. We’ve wanted to open a pub together for years; pubs are one of our finest institutions and hold such a deeply rooted and important place in British culture. The Poet will be a pub first and foremost, honouring everything we love about a great traditional boozer, while also giving us the opportunity to bring together exceptional dining and cocktails under the same roof. Smithfield has been at the heart of London’s food culture for centuries, and it feels particularly special to be opening here at such an important moment for the area. With the historic market entering a new chapter and London Museum making its home here, Smithfield is becoming a place where London’s heritage, culture, food and hospitality come together. To have the opportunity to create a pub that respects that history, while hopefully becoming a small part of what comes next, feels incredibly exciting.”
Alec Shaw, Director of New Museum Project and Estate, London Museum, said: “From the outset, we wanted to embrace the architecture of the General Market to create a different kind of museum that not only tells the story of London’s history but is connected to the city of today. Reviving the historic high street built into the walls of the market has always been a key part of that vision, so we can create opportunities for other London businesses, charities and cultural organisations to come together, collaborate and create new experiences here in Smithfield. We’re really excited to have Spencer, Honey and Charlie create this brilliant pub on our doorstep and be part of shaping the future of the area.”
