With the cold months behind us, it’s time to enjoy longer daylight hours and warmer evenings. And you can comfortably do so in Santa Monica at LouLou Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge where delicious fare, entertainment, fashion, and art converge into a unique, one-of-a-kind destination.
At LouLou it’s all about the très chic vibes.
Relax and enjoy the beautiful open-air outdoor patio and indulge from a menu that aptly showcases French Mediterranean flavors with a classic California twist, while honoring the generosity of artisanal and homemade ingredients, as well as local organic produce.
Chef Stanislav Suchy comes to Southern California by way of Czech Republic with time spent in Australia and Africa, and at LouLou he is helping to take dynamic dining and hospitality to new heights.
The space at LouLou really is quite spectacular. The design is open, cool and comfy. Step inside and oh là là you’re transported to a sexy setting where good times will soon follow. I would recommend starting with a libation, however, the cocktail program tends to be too much on the sweet side and I’m more a fan of stiff drinks. The Hemingway Daiquiri with Flor de Caña 4-Year, Luxardo Maraschino, grapefruit, and lime lacked balance and was too sweet for me. Hemingway would not have approved.
I think you’re better off starting with a glass of wine or bubbly. I didn’t hate the Oh Lala with Astral Tequila Blanco, fresh watermelon juice, lime, and simple syrup. It’s sweet but I have a soft spot for watermelon drinks. Personally, I prefer mezcal with watermelon as I think you get more forward flavors but this is a fine drink to start with.
At LouLou we enjoyed a fantastic feast that started with Burrata with arugula, oven-dried heirloom cherry tomatoes, olive oil, balsamic glaze, and maldon salt (gourmet salt from the UK). Fans of burrata will love this one. It tastes fresh and is so very pleasing.
We were also big fans of the Grilled Octopus with Romesco sauce, avocado, and shaved almonds.
There are also pizzas to choose from—all made with three-day proof dough. We kept it simple and had the Margherita Pizza with San Marzano tomato, Fior di latte (fresh mozzarella made from cow's milk that has a mild and milky flavor), and basil. Sometimes simple is better. This was a legit pie and a good deal at just $19.
If you’re looking for heartier fare, you can’t go wrong with the Lobster Linguine with garlic, shallots, Meyer lemon, parsley, and cream. Chef was very generous with the lobster and this is a crowd-pleasing dish that is perfect to share or will be an absolute feast for a single guest. You’ll probably have enough to take home.
I couldn’t resist ordering the Duck Parmentier although it wasn’t quite what I expected, which apparently has been a common experience for diners. Think of this dish more like a shepherd’s pie rather than a traditional duck dinner. Here, the Duck Parmentier is prepped with duck confit, shallots, garlic, potato purée, crème fraiche, and grana padano (cheese from the Po Valley in Northern Italy). This is a very rich and decadent dish. I’m also a big fan of chicken pot pie so this was still right up my alley even if it wasn’t exactly the duck dish I was expecting. This was very much a happy accident.
To really enjoy the Lobster Linguini as well as the Duck Parmentier, I opted for a glass of white wine since the cocktails weren’t a good pairing. Here, the wine paired perfectly and just rounded out the experience to perfection.
Too full for dessert, I went with the El Paradisio cocktail with Flor de Caña “Eco” Rum, Green Chartreuse, falernum, pineapple juice, lime juice, and orgeat for my liquid dessert. Since the drink is already on the sweet side—although not too much as it is tiki style—it served as a great nightcap.
Definitely keep LouLou on your radar for fun, fun, fun as Golden Hour is weekdays from 3pm to 6pm with reduced prices on a selection of cocktails and a complimentary bite with your first order, and there’s also all-day happy hour from noon to 7pm at the bar with a 50% off drink menu. Every Thursday night is Disco Queen featuring LouLou's new disco and Drag party. And don’t sleep in on weekends as you’ll miss out on the Pardon my French! Brunch with DJ and live performances every Saturday and Sunday starting at 11:30am with a special buffet at $59 per guest ($49 before noon).
LouLou is located on the rooftop at 395 Santa Monica Place. Open daily from 11:30am to close. Call 323-410-2337.
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