The name is supposed to suggest New York's East Village, but
Village East doesn't have to ride on the coat tails of something else, it's plenty cool on its own, with its Scandi meets vintage décor, and location in a little pocket of London chic.
The bar is upstairs, separate from the restaurant which is on the ground floor as you walk in. This is a smart layout as it means that the bar vibe can be relaxed and after-work-y as well as evening-out-y, while the restaurant can have its own far-better-than-a-cafe-but-not-too-pretentious-'cause-look-at-my-cool-bar... The kitchen opens onto the polished concrete floor of the restaurant, so you can watch the action as their ex-Savoy chef knocks up food that foodies would call modern European. The ingredients are quality staples, but the flavours are fresh. If you're on a date opt for one of the 'for two' options – it's nice to share.
The brunch is good and it's a good area to brunch in – close to the Tate Modern... The cocktail list is interesting (read a few pages before ordering, they have the usual suspects, but also their own creations.
This is the kind of place that it's OK to come and work in during the day as well, or just swing by and have a quick coffee in the bar.
