London - May 19, 2009

Beauty and the East

Eastside Inn Restaurant Opens

Staying in may well be the new going out. But then that makes doing dirty dishes the new digestif.

Thankfully, there are still restaurants worth leaving the house for.

Top of your list should be Eastside Inn — the first solo venture from acclaimed chef Bjorn Van Der Horst (The Greenhouse, La Noisette). Run with his wife, Justine, this slick but intimate fine dining restaurant and bistro opens today with a menu that combines traditional French dishes (Justine’s favourite: soupe a l’oignon with Beaufort cheese and crusty bread) with more innovative items (warm Scottish lobster with caramelised endive and vanilla brown butter).

The best part? Keen to make it feel like an extension of their own abode, the couple placed an airy, open kitchen smack in between the bistro and resto. They’ve also included a lounge to make the place even cozier.

But still no place like home.

Eastside Inn, 40 St. John Street, EC1M 4AY (020 7490 9230).