Dinner In Bed

By Jeffrey Ressner

TREND Restaurants and bars where customers are served on large mattresses

HOW IT STARTED First sighted at an arty Dutch night spot; made its U.S. debut in Miami before reaching Los Angeles

JUDGMENT CALL Gives new meaning to the term dream date--though a full evening can cost a nightmarish $500

Too tired to go out to dinner? Now there's a restaurant just for you. At such eateries as the Pig 'N Whistle in Hollywood and Beverages, Entertainment & Dining in Miami, tables and chairs have been replaced with comfy, oversize beds, where diners can nibble their lamb chops or salmon tartare from a tray.

The idea began in Amsterdam at a hangout called the Supper Club, which features long beds for patrons to lounge on while eating finger food or grooving to a D.J. About two years ago, Miami's B.E.D. restaurant made its debut in South Beach, attracting celebrities from Oliver Stone to Matt Damon and holding events like Recovery Night, when staff members in hospital scrubs give massages and hand out vitamins. It didn't take long for Los Angeles to get hip to mattresses, as four places began offering different futon feeds.

"It puts people in a romantic mood," explains Pig 'N Whistle co-owner Chris Breed, who wants to double the number of fourposter beds because of the enthusiastic response. "Customers kick back, have a nice meal and become very intimate with each other." The seductive dining usually doesn't go beyond nuzzling and kissing. But for a $300 to $500 tab (in contrast to the usual "bed menu" of $75), you can stretch out with your dinner date all night long. Or at least until closing time.

--By Jeffrey Ressner