By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
Loulou Bistro has crossed the Sydney Harbour bridge and arrived in the heart of the CBD and it’s bringing with it a très chic slice of France, complete with escargots, oysters and just the right amount of je ne sais quoi.
Perched elegantly above the Martin Place Metro on Elizabeth Street, this latest outpost of the Loulou family - joining the original Milsons Point bistro and the recently launched Petit Loulou - is proof that la vie est belle, especially when it includes $2 snails and a Kir Royale at Happy Hour.
From its Parisian interiors - think marble, timber, a splash of signature Loulou blue and a silver mirrored ceiling that would make even the most polished Parisienne pout with envy - to its sprawling, sun-drenched bar, Loulou Martin Place has le look and le gout to match.
The space is spread across three thoughtfully designed areas: a light-filled oyster and wine bar upstairs, perfect for breakfast meetings and bubbles; a cosy dining room downstairs for lingering over duck confit and gossip; and alfresco seating outside where you can watch Sydney strut by like it’s the Champs-Élysées.
However, Loulou’s bread (baguette) and butter is its food - which is c’est magnifique. Loulou Brand Chef Ned Parker can take much of the credit for reviving the classic French bistro menu and reimagining it with a fresh, CBD-friendly twist.
Breakfast lovers can start their day with caramelised brioche topped with berries and fromage blanc, or a cheeky sourdough crumpet with avocado and a Bloody Mary that has the kick you need for a 9 am meeting.
Lunch is a tour de force of Loulou classics - steak frites with a three-day pepper sauce, chicken liver parfait and a John Dory swimming in Champagne sauce. Busy business-types buzzing between meetings can grab the newly minted sandwich Americain - a charred Wagyu beef patty and frites baguette, that packs Parisian flair into every handheld bite.
Mon dieu, the desserts! There’s a crème caramel that’s smoother than a Serge Gainsbourg ballad and the infamous profiteroles with scorched nuts and a rich chocolate sauce that deserve their own passport stamp.
For those chasing the golden hour glow, Loulou’s weekday L’Apero is where the magic happens. From 4 pm to 7 pm, you can indulge in $2 escargot and oysters and a cheeseburger royale with frites for just $18. Wash it down with a $13 mini Martini or a Kir Royale made with in-house dark berry cassis - it’s an after-work treat that whispers ooh la la.
The wine list will also wow you. With more than 350 French-focused labels curated by Etymon’s own Sommelier Maxime Bellon, you’ll find bottles from Burgundy and Bordeaux sitting pretty alongside local drops from Aussie winemakers. Whether you’re a wine nerd or just a bon vivant looking to toast the day, there’s a pour for every palate.
With expansion plans bubbling away - including a soon-to-open bistro at Sydney Airport’s Qantas T3 terminal (bonjour, pre-flight Burgundy) - Loulou is fast becoming Sydney’s most stylish ambassador of joie de vivre. Bon appétit!
