Rich, flavourful and absolutely delish – Lou Lou’s signature dishes are guaranteed to impress
Located in Green Point’s iconic Cape Quarter, Lou Lou’s has become a fixture on Cape Town’s entertainment scene since its launch several years ago. The restaurant-come-bar has a palpable atmosphere of excitement that extends from Owner James Truter and his team right down to every guest. At Lou Lou’s, there’s a little something for every soul. If the music doesn’t pull on your heartstrings, the delicious cuisines from around the world will get you – or one of the 52 cocktails on Lou Lou’s extensive drinks menu.
“I fell in love with Lou Lou’s instantly,” says James longingly as he reminisces on taking over Lou Lou’s nearly a year ago. “I loved the look, the feel, and I thought the potential of it was pretty amazing – plus it’s in a brilliant area,” he adds. As part of the Cape Quarter’s ‘curation of art and attitude’, Lou Lou’s certainly brings more than a little attitude to the table. Here, you can always find an event, a place to feel at home and a personal experience that guarantees your return time and again.
Delectable dishes that will get your taste buds singing
Lou Lou’s certainly goes the extra mile to ensure everything on the menu is conjured up with their clientele in mind. And, with a host of incredible tapas dishes to share with friends, it’s not hard to see this. Not only does Lou Lou’s provide guests with a wide variety of fusion cuisines to choose from – think Asian, Italian and even Portuguese flavours – but the portions are healthy, giving you more bang for your buck.
One of Lou Lou’s popular signature dishes is the Seared Spiced Tuna starter, which is thinly sliced, rolled in seven secret spices and served with a tasty lime mayo. “It’s absolutely to die for and people really love it,” says James, adding that visitors love the Arancini, too. These are scrumptious mushroom and truffle risotto balls served on a bed of creamy parmesan sauce – bursting with so much flavour, it will leave you wanting more. Also, of note on the starter menu is the Pork Belly, offered up with egg fried rice, hoisin and ginger dressing. Guests will be pleasantly surprised to find that the starter portions are generous and ideal for those in search of a lighter meal.
When it comes to mains, the Thai Beef Salad is a firm favourite, says Chef Chantal. “It’s a cold salad with a hot steak cut over the top served with a Thai chilli sauce on the side.” This, and many of their other salad options – Caprese, Chicken Caesar, and Peasant Salad, for instance – are hits during the summer months when diners are in search of something light, cool and refreshing.
Another signature main on Lou Lou’s menu is Linguine Al Gamberi: deshelled wild Argentinian prawns with a touch of napolitana sauce, a drop of cream and a hint of chili, garlic and parsley. As the name suggests, it’s a piquant dish that will get you salivating in no time and with Lou Lou’s commitment to quality, your prawns are guaranteed to be the best and freshest in town. In keeping with all things spicy, Rigatoni Vesuvio is one for the books, says James. Other standouts on the menu include the spectacular vegan dish; Cauliflower Risotto, the Norwegian Salmon, and the melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu Beef Burger.
Not too long ago, Lou Lou’s added South African inspired dishes to the menu. The star of the show would have to be their fish and chips, while dishes like Bobotie and Chicken Malay Curry do very well with both local and international diners. Chef Chantal strives for perfection by sourcing all her spices from Bo-Kaap.
A drinks menu bursting with creativity
There’s nothing like an incredible drink to wash Lou Lou’s flavourful food down – and they have a rather exceptional and comprehensive drinks menu. With more than 50 cocktails to choose from, an extensive list of imported spirits, and a range of local wines and beers to boot, everyone is sure to leave happy.
Lou Lou’s drink specials include a sundowner half-price gin specials on the newly launched Fezzy Fridays from January to April. DJs will be firing up deep hypnotic grooves from 17h00 till closing time. Hot DJs on the decks include Tamara Chetty, Roy Hendrix, DJ Dani B, Dino Moran and Groovy G’s, to name a few.
Crafting a full and personalised experience for guests
These days, people go out for the excitement, to try something new, to have fun, says James. “The food, the atmosphere, the people all play a role in this,” he explains, “You want to go somewhere that you’re remembered. This my staff does well and that makes Lou Lou’s such a great experience.”
Since its launch, Lou Lou’s has been committed to the customer experience. Both James and Chef Chantal cannot stress this point enough. They believe in building long term relationships with everyone they meet – whether it be a guest, an artist performing at their venue or a food supplier. “It’s very important to me that they work well with you, that they respect your customers as you respect them,” says James. “For example, Lilli Slaptsilli did a Pink Bingo night last year that was a huge success – absolute, rip-roaring fun – and we’re doing it again on the 21st of February. There’s almost a connection of friendship, and that’s exactly what you want.”
In fact, Lou Lou’s is so committed to the customer experience that they take ‘going the extra mile’ very seriously. They sit with their guests and listen to their comments, taking it on board to ensure that they deliver 100% happiness to each person who walks through their doors. “Learning about the different things that people find important that you never gave a second thought to is a huge thing,” James adds.
Chef Chantal agrees. “I think the ideal experience is having a close relationship with your customers. You know what they want, you can please them, and they’re welcome anytime. We’re happy to even give them a dish (if they really want) that’s not on the menu this season but was a few seasons ago.”
There’s always something worth celebrating at Lou Lou’s
Crafting an atmosphere of fun is at the core of what Lou Lou’s brings to the Cape Quarter. They have a close relationship with all their neighbours and as such, they collaborate and feed off each other in order to create great experiences for visitors.
An example of this is celebrity chef Jenny Morris, also known as ‘The Giggling Gourmet’, who runs cooking classes just next door to Lou Lou’s. “She sends the after parties to us because she closes at 11pm and we’re open until 2am,” James explains.
This summer, Lou Lou’s plans to take over the whole square and host a market together with their Cape Quarter neighbours. “We won’t have any outside food vendors, but rather will showcase ourselves as a square. What Lou Lou’s will do for the market is specialise in some street food for the day. Our menu is tapas-based with Italian, Asian and Portuguese influence, so we will do some street food-style tapas.”
Commitment to quality and affordability
Thanks to Lou Lou’s dedication to the whole experience of eating (or drinking) out, guests can be sure that no matter what, they can expect to have a good time that doesn’t break the bank. With James’ ability to craft a world-class experience and Chef Chantal’s innovation in the kitchen, there’s nothing stopping Lou Lou’s from becoming your home away from home.
Lou Lou’s is located on 10 Jarvis Street, Cape Quarter Square, Green Point, 8005
To find out more or to make a reservation:
+27 21 418 0015
