Louis - A New Chapter Menu Launch

A lovely evening was had last week at the press and influencer preview of Louis' new menu.  It was wonderful to catch up with team behind Louis, and meet some new friends at our shared table for the evening!. 

Fortunate guests were treated to an absolute feast along with some superb live entertainment, all set within the opulent surroundings of Louis' dining room.  It's one of the most special dining spaces in the whole city, and the vibe has always been unbeatable for those looking for an intimate venue, along with great food and service.

You're in for a wonderful time with the new menu, which contains highlights which will transport you directly to New York without even stepping on a plane!

Guests were allowed to break Louis' no photo policy for the evening, since we were there to spread the good word, which clearly requires photos not only words.  But it's worth noting that all our photos are of the tasting portions received as part of the showcase.   Eating 9 full sized dishes would be a tough ask even of us.

Dishes previewed were;

Champagne and Maldon Rock Oysters served as a snack for arriving guests and were as superb fresh and delicious as you'd expect.  A truly celebratory way to get such an event started.

Once guests were seated, Tuscan Shrimp Focaccia was the first dish on the table and featured oodles of chilli and garlic, adorning some lovely house made bread, with a hugely sized well-cooked prawn sitting on top.  This one will be a hot seller, mark my words.

A good Steak Tartare is a timeless classic, and Louis are elevating it with their own reinvention.  High quality chopped beef, which was really well seasoned, served on a sheet of pasta with Parmesan foam, topped with egg yolk to bring the whole thing together.

Louis' American soul came into play with their Sticky Bourbon Short Rib, which was one of the evening's most indulgent dishes.  The beef was rich and unctuous, after being perfectly braised. It simply fell apart, and it's sauce was superb.  A sweet potato crisp acted as some texture on the plate.  Lovely.

A simply stunning Duck Cavatelli followed and was most probably my favourite dish of the evening, really embracing the Italian side of Louis.  Perfectly made and expertly cooked pasta, with sizeable chunks of duck which were well-seasoned to create a hearty yet comforting plate.  This is a must order!

Branzino Croccante was a lovely light way to follow that beef.  Well-cooked seabass sat in a classic butter sauce, garnished with a smoked aubergine croquette on the side for some crunch.  Simple, confident, and delicious, perfectly in harmony with the Summer weather outside; at least on the evening which we ate the dish!

Pollo Alla Calabrese is another dish that looks set to be popular item on the menu Summer menu.  A well-cooked portion of chicken breast, lifted with some spicy Calabrian sausage polenta.  Absolutely perfect for any menu, in any season.

As the tasting drew to a close, another highlight dish was served.  This time the table was served Louis' Veal Milanese; a tranche of veal, bread crumbed and shallow fried, served simply with a muslin covered wedge of lemon.  Absolutely delicious.   This was served with a Waldorf Beetroot Salad, classic steakhouse side showcasing what I believe is an underutilised veg in the UK.

But no dinner would be complete without a suitably sweet ending, which on this occasion was Louis' Dark Chocolate Tart.  Super rich with very dark chocolate being used to create an ultra-smooth ganache filling.  The base was the ideal thickness and shortness, with the plate being finished with a rocher of cream.  Hugely generous and definitely one to share!

After being well and truly spoiled with generosity, guests sat and chatted about their favourite parts of the tasting, before departing to spread the word about the evening.

Louis' new Summer is a must try experience which will quite simply make you feel like a million dollars!

** Our experience was gratefully comped **

To experience a New York Summer at Louis;

Louis - Taste Of Louis Preview

One of the city's most intimate spots is the fabulous Louis down in Spinningfields, which has become a city centre favourite since it launched last year.  Once through those secretive looking doors at the end of a suitably red carpet, you're welcomed into a world of opulence and celebration. 

We were kindly invited down said carpet to sample the new 'Taste of Louis' menu, which offers a solid choice of New York Italian favourites for the bargain price of just £34.50 for 2 courses, or £39.50 for 3 courses. Clearly we opted for 3 courses.

And as you can already see, we were allowed to break their infamous no-photo policy, which felt rather naughty if I'm being honest! But to keep the suspense alive for you we've limited our pictures to food and beverage only.

We chose;

Iberico Meatballs were a great start to the evening.   Meaty, firm and super juicy made with top quality meat, sat in the silkiest, smoothest tomato sauce that you can imagine.  Delicious

Calamari Fritti is always a go to starter for us, and this was textbook.  Delicate, soft calamari, wrapped in obscenely crunchy yet light batter.  Fresh and satisfying.

Rigatoni Alla Vodka is, oddly, a dish which I've never had before.  I've seen it on a score of menus over the years but just never committed for some reason.  This version made me question why.  A creamy tomato sauce, coating some wonderfully al dente cooked pasta, garnished with crispy guanciale, one of the finest parts of the pig.  Whilst the vodka itself isn't overly evident, the backnotes enhance the tomato and cream laden sauce.  A must try.

And to accompany the pasta course we just had to go with the Chicken Parmigiano.  It's very possibly the single most iconic NYC Italian dish out there, and Louis of course deliver.  A spin on the traditional Milanesa, these were cooked perfectly, topped with oodles of melted cheese, and a couple of Parmesan crackers.  This one is certain to be a sure crowd pleaser.

No main is complete without the sides, so we added the optional Mac and Cheese (£10 supp.), which was a good excuse to order even more pasta, in this case a cheese loaded version.  Wonderfully scented Potatoes with Truffle and Parmesan (£9 supp.) completed the duo of extra carbs perfectly.

After a short break to enjoy the live piano, we dived into a slide of New York Cheesecake, which was a stunner.  Super creamy baked cheesecake, with a lovely biscuit base. The minimalist presentation highlighted the perfect execution of the bake.

Tiramisu is currently the most popular dessert in the world.  We've eaten dozens of them in recent months all across the city, and this one was outstanding.   A supremely rich dish, with booze sponge and small nibs of chocolate for a bit of added texture, adored with piped cream and finished with a more than ample dusting of chocolate powder.

A huge shout out to our brilliant waiter Tony, whose passion for all things baking really stood out via his help in us picking the sweet courses!

So, it's American Italian classics done really well, with a wine cellar that's stocked brilliantly by Berkmann, in a dining room which transports you to another era and feels like a super polished speakeasy.  It will make you feel like a million dollars.

The onsite live entertainment is also fantastic and sets the mood perfectly, with things being expertly managed by the always brilliant and charming Matteo Punzi, whose front of house team delivered a spotless experience which you owe it to yourself to try first hand.

Book your table here, and remember to respect the no photo rule, capisce?