Damien Hirst is reviving his legendary but ill-fated Pharmacy restaurant at London’s Newport Street Gallery with a little help from chef Mark Hix.

The chemist-inspired eatery – opening next week inside Hirst’s exhibition space in Vauxhall – rehashes the exclusive Notting Hill haunt the artist opened with PR boss Matthew Freud back in 1998.

Just like the original restaurant, Pharmacy 2 takes cues from the artist’s interest in pharmaceuticals and features some of his own work, including his ‘Medicine Cabinets’ and butterfly ‘Kaleidoscope’ paintings.

‘Pharmacy 2 combines two of my greatest passions: art and food,’ said Hirst.

The medicinal theme continues elsewhere in the restaurant, with etched glass windows depicting DNA strands and marble floors decorated with a pill motif.

Pharmacy 2 will serve classic British and European dishes, conceived by Hix. ‘Damien designed a formaldehyde “Cock and Bull” for my restaurant Tramshed so it makes sense for me to exchange my skills by creating the menus at Pharmacy 2,’ he said.

The original restaurant closed in 2003, and although Freud described it as ‘an iconic place’, he added: ‘What happened was it became a very, very shit restaurant.’

With seasoned restaurateur Hix on board, perhaps Pharmacy 2 has a more promising future.