IT’S about being French but also local to Sussex,” is how Andy Tinker-Taylor sums up the new approach to much-loved Hove restaurant L’Eglise.

Hove-born and bred Tinker-Taylor has teamed up with head chef Alistair Doyle, formerly of The Jolly Sportsman and Preston Park Tavern, to take over the Church Road restaurant, which closed on Mothers’ Day this year.

After three weeks of refurbishment and refitting the pair reopened the 40-cover restaurant at the beginning of last month to positive results.

“A lot of the old customers have been coming to try us out, and so far 100 per cent have said they will come back,” says Doyle, “L’Eglises’s name was so well-known in the area, with such a good reputation we wanted to keep it,” adds Tinker-Taylor, although he admits there had been some unforeseen problems changing over some of the social media contacts.

The pair have focused on keeping the restaurant’s lunch and dinner menus short and tight – with only five starters, mains and desserts available in the evening. The menu will change seasonally, although 28-day aged steak will remain a constant for both lunches and dinners.

“If you have too much choice it confuses people,” says Tinker-Taylor, who is returning to restaurants after 15 years working in the wine trade.

“Also if a menu is too big there are questions about how well it can be done, and how fresh the ingredients are. Ali is a great chef, and he gets the best, freshest ingredients he can possibly get.”

The pair have ensured as much as possible is sourced from Sussex, including the gin, vodka and vermouth from Blackdown Spirits in West Sussex, beers from Horsham-based Hepworths, meat from Barcombe, fish from Newhaven and wine from Bolney and Ditchling.

“The only thing we might bring in from France are the truffles,” says Tinker-Taylor. “We do have foragers who are bringing in fresh local mushrooms for us.”

The restaurant is working closely with Brighton-based wine supplier Sheridan Cooper and will be hosting matching wine dinners with fine wine producers Rothschild, on Wednesday, November 5, and Sussex’s own Ridgeview and Lewes-based Harveys in the near future.

L’Eglise is positioning itself as a neighbourhood restaurant, less concerned with turning tables than ensuring everyone has a relaxed experience in a friendly atmosphere – whether they’re having a dinner party with 15 friends or just want to pop in for a croque monsieur and a carafe of red wine.

As is to be expected with Tinker-Taylor’s background the wine list is extensive, with deliveries coming in every day.

“It means we are able to restock faster to get what our customers want,” he says.

“We have a shortlist which will change regularly and a long list featuring wines from £11 for a 500ml carafe to £160 for a Pierre Jouet Belle Epoque champagne.”

Among the innovations the pair have brought in is a sharing Sunday lunch to create a true family experience.

“We didn’t want to do a Sunday roast the way everybody does,” says Tinker-Taylor.

“If you’re doing a lunch service over four hours how do you keep a piece of beef medium rare? It’s about getting people around a table in the French style sharing dishes.

“We do the same with desserts – although if people want individual dishes they can.”

The restaurant space itself has been freshened up with a coat of new paint and rearranged to allow more space between tables. In the spring the pair are looking forward to opening up the back garden space for a further 20 diners, and opening up the big windows looking out over Church Road.

And they have already started taking bookings for a £25 per head Christmas menu – including the option of ‘dinde [turkey] au vin’.

Sample menu

Starters
• French onion soup with gruyere crouton – £4.95
• Chicken liver parfait, red onion marmalade and toasted sourdough – £5.50
• Home-cured salmon, beetroot and horseradish – £6.50

Mains
• Semolina and gruyere quenelles, warm salad of leeks, artichoke and winter leaves – £12.95
• Slow cooked belly of Sussex pork, olive, orange and bay Provencal vegetables – £15.25
• L’Eglise fish stew, rouille and crouton – £16.50
• 28-day dry aged Barcombe 8oz rib eye steak – £18.50

Desserts
• Dark chocolate and praline tart with lemon sorbet – £6.50
• Apple tarte tatin with vanilla ice cream – £5.50
• White chocolate brulee – £6.25

• L'Eglise in Church Road, Hove. Open Wed to Fri, noon to 2pm and 6.30pm to 9.30pm, Sat noon to 3pm and 6.30pm to 9.30pm, Sun noon to 3pm. Visit legliserestauranthove.co.uk.