East Bar Restaurant

58 Kingsland Road

London
E2 8DP

Chairman Mao's well-fed face looks out on a very hip, well-dressed crowd at this fabulous Shoreditch restaurant. The decor is white and red with splashes of yellows and aquas, and the tone is Pop Art smart-ironic. Not only is the Chairman's face everywhere, there are interpretations of classic Chinese-takeaway dragons and such. Modern-classic seating is dotted here and there, and the ambience over the two-story restaurant is cool and fun. The gourmet Chinese menu has Vietnamese influences and has undergone a renewal that has brought starters like paper-wrapped prawn with sweet and sour chilli sauce, chicken feet in blackbean sauce, and fresh asparagus in garlic sauce with scallops. The mains include panfried mussels in shell in garlic and blackbean sauce, deepfried duck in orange sauce, and assorted seafood rice served in a lotus leaf. The service is smart. The lounge bar is very funky and just made for drinking and dancing.

Average Price: £15

Cuisine: Chinese

Underground: Old Street