Fine dining, now dressed down for your everyday appetite.
“It’s not complicated,” muses East End Bistrot mastermind William D’Auvray. “It’s elevated.” And, now—it’s for everyone.
Less chophouse and formal, more whimsical and comfortable, D’Auvray is loosening the collar at East End—from the price point to the mood to the menu. Now taking the reins as managing partner, the executive chef behind the cult-favorite Giorgios Hospitality Group concept since day one has shifted the focus, infusing true “bistro” energy into East End Bistrot.
It’s a sign of the times—and how people want to eat now. And the shift playfully, poetically and thoughtfully answers the call for a dining experience that is at once polished and accessible. No longer just a special-occasion splurge, it’s serving drop-in delicacy with a range of refined yet unpretentious offerings.
Having staged under some of the world’s most celebrated chefs, D’Auvray is among the early champions of marrying classic French techniques with Japanese and broader Asian influences—long before “fusion” became a (dirty) buzzword. Now, he’s bringing that finesse to the forefront—not by abandoning what works, but by expanding its soul: preserving the space’s signature sophistication while lowering barriers and creating a space where finesse and friendliness coexist.
Forrest Mason Media
There’s brilliance in the balance: like a citrus-bright sashimi salad kissed with lemon-lime white shoyu, or the genre-redefining black grouper goujonettes with fine herbes–laced tarter that will make you rethink every other iteration. Or the once “secret” East End burger now proudly anchoring a tight list of mains and a pair of Dover sole or Côte de Boeuf “Classiques” for those still craving the full fine-dining hit. The OG bible-size wine book remains on request, but a streamlined by-the-glass list is more spontaneous and seamless.
That nuanced shift plays throughout: sleek black-and-white bistro napkins replacing fine-dining formality, more relaxed glassware and bud vases, Sinatra swapped for upbeat tracks. The lush Champagne terrace is, too, a more accessible ticket, with every dish ringing in under $15—a transportive escape without the splurge. And come September, a buzzy brunch joins the lineup.
All told, it’s a refined-meets-relaxed choose-your-own-adventure culinary unicorn. Terrace or sidewalk seat, lingering dinner or solo nightcap—fit for whether you’re dropping in on a whim or dressing to the nines for a special occasion—Raleigh’s most dazzling dining stage and culinary-theater backdrop still beckons.
More than a business move, it’s personal. For D’Auvray—whose whole pedigree is built on inflecting one cuisine with another—the evolution is about cooking more like himself: less steakhouse, more style. Less formality, more feeling. Less about making a reservation, more about making it a habit.
And in that, East End Bistrot isn’t just serving dinner—it’s rewriting the fine-dining script for Raleigh. One bistro dish at a time. eastendbistrotraleigh.com
A feast for the eyes and the senses, the crown jewel of Raleigh’s retail market is officially unearthing at East End via Giorgios Hospitality Group’s latest “GEM.”
Answering the call for an approachable and highly curated shopping and dining experience, the aptly dubbed Giorgios Epicurean Market is at once a European sojourn and one-stop shop for whatever you bloody well fancy—including even a bloody (or freshly squeezed OJ or coffee…).
From first entry, aromas, visuals (and for the samplers, scores of tastes) overcome the senses as you’re met with an abundance of lush flora and fauna—inviting you to check your real-world worries at the door and succumb to a Zen-induced haze of indulgence highlighted by a verdant design that’s “vibrant and alive with the fresh energy of a modern European market,” says Giorgios Bakatsias. Sommelier selects? Check. Olive oils, jams and spices? Yup. Plants and potables for the hostess, office or “oh-yeah-it’s-my-anniversary” gift? Count on it.
Playing on herbaceous hues, every detail is intentional—from the mod white, olive and rusty subway tile sections that merge with natural wood and concrete to the gentle botanical brushstrokes by artist Arianne Hemlein seamlessly blending the seasons across the length of the market to even the authentic “boulanger” sign Bakatsias procured from a flea market to add a little “spice.”
At the root of it all, a massive full-sight breakfast-lunch-dinner kitchen production helmed by Managing Partner/executive chef William D’Auvray promises to tempt the palate with fresh butcher cuts and made-in-house bakery selects, salads, grilled goodies and beyond—whether to grab a pastry, sandwich to savor on the piazza or steaks for tonight’s dinner.
Vinos for pairing are intentionally selected by sommelier Scott Hardiman to complement the cafe menu and prepared foods, says Bakatsias, “so guests can easily curate a gourmet meal to enjoy at home.” Essentially, they thought of everything so you don’t have to—the “simple things in life people want—executed at the highest level,” he adds.
And not to confuse elevated with unapproachable, this isn’t some stuffy, unaffordable pinkies-up place. Instead, at its very core is an MO of utter simplicity and approachability. “We’re not boxing somebody in to spend a certain amount to have this experience,” says Bakatsias. “You can come in and spend $10 for lunch or whatever you wish.”
Further delving into the Euro-ness of it all, docents are at the ready as you shop and savor to proffer wine, party platter or gift picks. And in line with that Old World vibe, no, they won’t pounce you like a SNL Sur La Table skit. But, so new age, they will provide a pay-where-you-are option sans the line.
Ambling past the abundant product—which D’Auvray, who also helms East End Bistrot, spotlights in the market menu—quaint alfresco-esque indoor seating gives way to a day-to-night indoor cafe and bar set off by rollup garage door. And, outside, a botanically-driven “relaxing playground for eating and drinking” awaits via covered terrace and lush piazza dotted with mixed seating—and primed for pop-up farmers markets.
Both masterful and masterpiece, it’s got Bakatsias’ fingerprints all over it. As the ultimate gardener (see flourishing East End Bistrot, Rosewater, etc.), the market extends that signature vibe. And like all gems, she’ll get better with age. … Stay tuned for catering, and wine and cooking classes—even visiting chefs—to come.
Until then, “I’m excited to start baking and cooking food Giorgios and I both love and live by,” muses D’Auvray. So are we. Tue.-Sat.,8am–9pm,gemraleigh.com
Giorgios Bakatsias hasn’t written his last chapter—in fact, he’s turning the page on a new one. As the ultimate gardener—cultivating places, people and literal gardens—his forthcoming Giorgios Epicurean Market expands his reach at East End Market with a morning-to-night all-in-one cafe and market, anchored by the three B’s: butcher, baker, beverage program. “We’re creating a whole village here with our wonderful [cider] friends,” says the master craftsman. “I love it.”
A “jam for the community,” jibes Bakatsias, the purposefully named space is a nod to his salad days frequenting markets in Greece to grab things for Mom. (Fun fact: Epicureanism, aka a hedonistic philosophy placing pleasure as paragon, was founded by famed Greek philosopher Epicurus.) “I just came back from Greece not long ago,” he says. “I love just getting lost in those markets… I could stay there forever.”
A feast for the eyes and senses, the space serves up a short sojourn to Europe, at once satisfying necessity and wanderlust. “What inspires me are the visuals, the aromas… the overstimulation of the senses—the market does it for me,” he muses. Filling a void beyond the big-box ops, Giorgios Epicurean Market is, in a word, curated. Period. In an age of “abundance, it’s nice to go deeper in knowledge instead of just having an extra bottle of something,” he says, and to have a more personal experience of service—not just asking, ‘Did you find everything?’… What does that mean?”
To wit, sundry handpicked goods will be on offer—from sommelier vino selects from the wine library to fresh rotating fare and expertly prepared foods (salads! sandwiches! moussaka!) to freshly baked breads (baguettes, pastries and beyond by operating partner and East End Bistrot executive chef William D’Auvray). Think even a personalized concierge at the ready to help you orchestrate the perfect meal or gift—this wine, this olive oil, this mustard, that pastry or cookie.
And, since “everything has a vibration,” says Bakatsias, for those not on the go, expect bountiful flora and fauna—not unlike the ambitious restaurateur’s Rosewater and East End Bistrot—cultivated across a massive canopy-covered piazza featuring 200+ myriad seating ops and some combination of spaces for relaxing so you can post up solo with a book or for a hang sesh with the SO or fam.
A water feature supplies serenity and heaters keep the nip at bay, while a window slide allows easy access for morning freshly squeezed juice or java giving way to afternoon or evening spirited mixology, wine or beer from the Euro-style bar. Inside, more seats abound in the cozy cafe where you can post up for a fresh snack amid the bustling market. “William makes amazing gourmet pizza,” suggests Bakatsias.
The lifeblood of the space is connectivity to ingredients—and people. An intentional gift to the community, at the heart of it all is that heartfelt hospitality. “The service culture and knowledge is just as important as the curation of product,” he says. “We can’t have everything in the world here, not because of space, but intention… so we can curate products that are meaningful and purposeful to you, and that you will enjoy with some quality and value because you know it’s important.”
Drafting another page in his book, Bakatsias still has more to come. “Creating is exciting,” says the master maker. “We don’t need just another project. What we need is to make sure we are serving the community—and in the best way we know how. … I want to write my best chapter—which I haven’t yet. You always want to continue to evolve and create.” Consider this just another brilliant “GEM” in Bakatsias’ beautiful jewel box. giorgiosgroup.com
