This week, I visited the beautiful French restaurant and bar, Louie, in the heart of Covent Garden, London. I’ve had a super-busy few months, so I wanted to find an immersive dining experience with great food and an enjoyable atmosphere.

Louie restaurant is in a historic 19th-century townhouse covering four floors, designed by Dion & Arles. The ground-floor restaurant is a classic brasserie with the concept of elegant, casual dining.

I saw online that Louie had live music whilst you dine, and immediately, I was interested! Live music, whether at a bar, dining out or at a festival, I love nothing more. Enjoy a deep conversation underneath candlelight or soak up the entertainment; you have the best of both worlds here.

We arrived at the restaurant around 7 p.m. and had the cosiest table in the corner, meaning we had a full view of the restaurant. The warm ambient lighting made the room feel smaller than it was, which created a hospitable and inviting atmosphere. The other diners were having a great time, and I think this added to the fun vibe of the restaurant.

We started with two Pineapple Picker cocktails, as Alex recommended these to us as they’re a favourite here at Louie; I’m not a huge drinker, but these were perfection. A blend of Remy Martin 1788, spiced pineapple topped with grapefruit soda, they tasted delicious.

It was hard choosing between the starters because I loved the look of all of them, so I left the decision in the hands of our lovely waitress, Rosie. We had Sesame-crusted tuna with horseradish, citrus and soy and crispy calamari with Cajun spice and lobster mayonnaise. The starters were out of this world; we inhaled the entirety, and the flavours were exquisite.

For our mains, again, this was a hard choice; the menu has so many of my favourites. One minute, I wanted to indulge in a whole Lobster with Tagliolini with Butter Sauce, and then I fleeted between the black truffle rigatoni or the New York strip steak. After all our indecision, we opted for the Cote De Boeuf; we made the right choice. Each mouthful was as beautiful as the last. The French fries and mouth-watering peppercorn sauce perfectly complemented the exceptional meal. I would go as far as saying this was one of my favourite dining experiences in 2023. My guest and I enjoyed our steak so much that we nearly finished the entire 1kg; it was far too tasty to leave!

After that masterpiece of a meal, you’d think we wouldn’t have room for dessert, but knowing how impeccable our starters and mains were, it would be rude not to! We chose the warm chocolate fondant with pistachio ice cream; the way the sponge melted in our mouths, what a dream. Our meal was faultless; we were in our element and cannot wait to dine here again.

As we dined on a Tuesday, we had the immersive Jazz band performing amongst the tables; this was super entertaining and made the whole evening exciting. If you are on a first date, the entertainment breaks the ice and gives another focal point to your evening. After your meal, you can head to the alligator bar upstairs for a front seat to see the live Jazz band whilst sipping on cocktails. The bar upstairs feels intimate and cosy, perfect for a romantic date night.

Louie has different events each night of the week.
Tuesday, Jazz night
Wednesday, Soulful
Thursday, All About Rhythm
On Fridays and Saturdays, DJ

Make sure that you keep an eye out for Louie’s exclusive movie nights at the top-floor Cabana, and their vibrant jazz brunches during weekends.

We had such a memorable experience here at Louie, and we cannot wait to dine here again and work our way through the exceptional menu. Louie restaurant is a hidden gem in Soho, and I can’t wait to suggest this restaurant to my friends and family as one of my top favourite places to dine in London. Thank you to Alex and Rosie, who made our evening so wonderful and for sharing great insights into the menu.

A:13-15 West St, London WC2H 9NE, United Kingdom
T: +44 20 8057 6500
W: Louie London

Written by Danielle Tobin for Luxuria Lifestyle London and International