4. Restaurants

Loulay Kitchen & Bar

600 Union St, Seattle, WA, 98101
  • (206) 402-4588
  • Store is closed

Loulay Kitchen & Bar Menu

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.

Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.

  • Bill C.

    Enjoyed a wonderful dinner here Saturday night with my wife before a play at the ACT. We were seated on the second floor overlooking the main floor which provided a quiet and more intimate atmosphere. The cocktail menu and wine list were both interesting and diverse, my wife choosing a glass of wine while I had a cocktail. We each had a wonderful starter, my wife the fried feta salad while I had the heirloom tomato salad with mozzarella. Both were amazing, fresh ingredients, nice preparation and presentation. I opted for the pork cheeks, a smaller second dish, while my wife had the cod entree. Once again, the food was cooked to perfection with incredibly fresh ingredients and lovely presentation. We chose to skip dessert until after the play so have no feedback there, but enjoyed a delicious meal in a relaxed atmosphere with top notch service. We'll definitely be back again based on our great experience.

    (5)

  • Mary K.

    I can safely recommend the Fallen Angel ("a sophisticated Manhattan"), french onion soup, dessert beignets (with mascarpone ice cream) and the cod. The service regarding the execution of the food was spot on and they never pushed out the entrees before we were finished. That being said, I did request my Fallen Angel to be in a regular cocktail glass vs a Martini glass and she forgot. When it was sent back to be placed in the correct glass, it came back completely muddled with ice to the rim. It was a strange sight. The scallop tartare was over salted and drowning a bit in the tapenade. I was also underwhelmed by the smoked pork cheeks.

    (3)

  • Masab E.

    Atmosphere was nice, they gave my wife and I the balcony seating which overlooked the restaurant. The staff was nice, especially our waitress. She had a huge smile and checked on us frequently but not too much to where it became annoying. The food was full of flavor and tasted really good. I had the pacific cod which came with sautéed Brussels sprouts. The only thing I would have changed is the portion, the cod was very small and was consumed in approximately 3-4 bites. However, I understand and appreciate quality over quantity. Two appetizers, 2 mains, 3 none alcoholic drinks, and a hot chocolate came out to $109 before gratuity. Not a bad deal.

    (4)

  • Joann U.

    My hubby and I decided to go out to eat downtown, and we decided to try out Loulay because it was near where we parked and we always drive by this place when we go to the our usual parking lot. We were greeted and seated just as we came in - it wasn't too busy for brunch. My hubby and I both ordered the salmon scrambled, which was very tasty and really good. My only issue was that service was so slow! I don't know what it was, but it took a while for our waiter to come and take our order, and I even noticed that people around us who came in way after us and who put in their orders after us got their food before us, so that annoyed me. Otherwise from the service, I wouldn't mind going back again and trying something else off the menu - granted if I notice slow service this second time around, then I probably won't be back!

    (3)

  • Adrian S.

    I loved Rover's and I love this place. I tried the crab beignets, feta salad, mussels, charcuterie plate, and a heavenly seared foie gras. All were very, very nice. For the main course, I had a delicious Northwest seafood stew with fish, clams, flageolet beans, seafood sausage, and a wonderful broth. A Januik Chard made a nice pairing. To top it off, Chef Rautureau came by to ask if we were enjoying the meal. The only negative was the obnoxiously loud F-bomb dropping patron in the next booth. Being the kind of person that I am, on the way out I had to call his attention to his lack of manners. As for the restaurant, I will definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Claudine M.

    It's a beautiful space. I loved the combination of old, modern, and urban in the details. It was very cool, too, that the chef was present and interacted with guests for most of the night that we were there. Service was stellar. Our server -- didn't get his name, unfortunately -- was one of the most articulate and attentive I've had. Food, however, might pale in comparison to what is offered by many other restaurants in the city, especially for the price. I had the crab beignets and the burger. I thought they were just okay. I'd rather eat the beignets at Toulouse Petit and the burger at Brass Tacks any day. I didn't have a bad experience here, though, so I might try it again someday.

    (3)

  • Todd S.

    A large group of us drove downtown and parked to go here only to arrive to a sign on the door that said they were closed for a private party. Needless to say we were disappointed, and had to find another place in nearby vicinity. So I guess I would recommend that you call before you go. This was like daytime on a Monday. Will update my review if I make it back.

    (2)

  • Scott W.

    We are here for lunch. I had the farmers plate which was okay. The sausage was dry but the veggies where flavorful. The toasted bread should come with butter. My pregnant wife ordered the chicken sandwich which was a lot better. The waiter said the pastrami sandwich was his favorite.

    (4)

  • Alecia S.

    The Halibut I had was amazing! The dessert sampler was a great choice as well! Can't wait to go back!

    (4)

  • Cassie D.

    Updating my review and dropping a star.... What a bummer! I was obsessed with this place the first time we ate here and unfortunately did not have the same experience on our return. We had a 2 hr window between our rez and a show at the Paramount and got crunched on time because our service was so slow!!! We started with the bread, crab beignets, mussels and fries, then I had the burger again and my date had the halibut. Bread and beignets, great. We were sat at 6pm and didn't get our second course - the mussels - until past 7:20!!!!!!!! The waiter apologized about the wait 20 mins after they cleared the crab, and we waited at least 20 mins more until we got them. They were delicious, so there's that. They also gave us a decanter for our Leonetti which we brought so appreciated that. My burger was not the love affair I remembered. I always ask how the chef recommends them cooked, and they said medium rare - which is what I had last time. This was not Med/Rare.... This burger was rare. I was pulling uncooked and cold ground beef out of the middle of the patty. Halibut review was satisfactory. We did have to hightail it out of there to make it to the show on time and only just made it before doors closed. Will likely give it another try but not in a hurry to go back after our last visit.

    (4)

  • J J.

    We had good service and great brunch the decor is fun. He had the steak and eggs I had the croquet. Super yummy convinced myself I had room for Clafoutis and was full but happy. We will be back elegant way to start a Sounders game day.

    (4)

  • Jennifer D.

    We only enjoyed dessert here. First, the staff greeted us politely and even excused our casual dining attire (had been touring the city) We ordered a sour cherry turn over with bitter almond sorbet. It was beautiful and very elegant for a turnover. The almond ice cream was very unique and I'm happy they offered plenty of it. The ice cream sandwich was very interesting. Loved how the cookies were merengue. Layered with chocolate ice cream and pound cake. Also a passion fruit coulis. The cream brûlée was standard but delicious. I'm certain their dinners are fantastic.

    (5)

  • D W.

    The house-made Burrata = excellent Cod w/ brussel sprouts = really really good Risotto with root vegetables = also really really good The pineapple turnover with rosemary ice cream = excellent Choice of wines = overwhelming and amazing The hot chocolate also really good Service was fine, hostess super nice, ambiance nice, overall very pleasant and will go back. I can see how the service can be slow. The servers have to go up and down flights of stairs all night and the extra touch put on each dish takes some time. Our service was not slow. A-rating for sure. The only thing that would have taken me over the top is if there were more vegetable sides.

    (4)

  • Dan O.

    Great Brunch experience - food was good and cooked well - service was good- clearly had a new guy training on us. So I am a bit forgiving on some details: - water refill - changing silverware - crumbling table Poor guy was nervous- he spilled a tray full of drinks on a table across us. As for food- perfectly made & right amount portion wise - tad pricey for a brunch but it was a nice eat out experience. Wish I knew about validation @ hotel, aside from that looking forward to trying their dinner menu

    (4)

  • Angela C.

    The Chef in the Hat does not disappoint! We were so pleased with our dining experience at Loulay. The Chef was walking around and talking to guests and you feel his passion for the restaurant. We started with the mussels and crab beignets. Mmmmm, pure deliciousness! The mussels come with sausage and garlic fries with an awesome aioli. It is french fry heaven! And the harissa aioli on the beignets was perfection! For our entree we split the burger and added a duck egg. OMG, the burger was divine. I would come back for the burger alone. The bacon-onion jam paired perfectly with the burger and egg. For dessert we tried the ice cream sandwich based on our servers recommendation and really enjoyed it. I highly recommend this restaurant, from the ambience, to the service, to the food, you are in for a real treat.

    (4)

  • Jean Y.

    Great food and service. This was at the other corner of where we were staying in Seattle. High ceiling and long windows to the street and all gives me a good feeling eating here. I just like that kind of a bit old fashioned European style decos. Good place to eat.

    (4)

  • Addie R.

    Went here for a business lunch and had the chicken sandwich which came with a mesclun salad. It was great and I loved the sandwich, and the fact that it was not crowded at all, given it being noon on a weekday in downtown Seattle. Only odd thing - was that at the higher bar like tables, they're pretty narrow, and the plates that the food comes on are these large ceramic square plates. We couldn't fit two of the plates across from each other on the table, the plates were just too big! And they didn't need to be that size, it wasn't like the portions necessitated it. So a suggestion - decrease the size of the plates so they can fit on the table!

    (4)

  • Celeste B.

    Food was amazing. Best eggs Benedict I've ever had! Service was incredible! Friendly and professional staff. Ambiance very laid back and classy. Perfect date spot :)

    (5)

  • Jason J.

    A good selection of wines by the glass, and large list of wines by the bottle. Speciality cocktails are also among local favorites. Food: Specializing in bistro style small dishes in the lounge. Full bar in the front of the house offing full menu if the restaurant is fully booked. This is a first come first served basis. Open kitchen plan offered a Birdseye view into the making of your meal. Staff is friendly and helpful in making suggestions and accommodations to dietary needs.

    (4)

  • Ruth E.

    Eat here. More than once. Each dish has its own delicate and interesting mingling of flavors. Everything is perfectly cooked, not over- or underdone. Chef Thierry is a master. Beet carpaccio with salmon paté. Asparagus with pistachios and crème fraiche. Scallops tartare with pickled red onion. Pork cheeks with cauliflower. Tasty. Great selection of wine or beer too. If you have room for dessert, try the crème caramel, the sour cherry turnover with almond gelato, or one of the chocolate choices. Enjoy.

    (5)

  • Nina S.

    We went here for lunch and were disappointed. I ordered salmon and kale salad but kale was too acidic and hard to eat. It almost felt like it was boiled. My husband got a duck confit salad and anticipated to get a leg of duck confit but it was ground up duck and looked like a cat food. Service was also bad - they did not even ask how everything tasted. Not sure why Seattle Met called it the best new restaurant in 2014. Will not be back.

    (1)

  • Jo L.

    We came here for a weekend brunch and, while the place looked quite fancy with the chandeliers and giant gilded mirrors, the overall experience was underwhelming. Service was hit or miss. The host/maitre d' was very friendly and oozed charm. Our server was nice enough, but she forgot parts of our order several times. For example, we ordered drinks before our food order was taken, but when she came to take our food order she realized she had forgotten one of the drink orders and had to ask us again what it was. The food was okay, but nothing spectacular. I had the salmon scramble and the eggs came out a little bit rubbery (I guess that's the risk of getting scrambles). The chevre had a good flavor, and the salmon was well distributed without being overpowering. Still, the overall texture was a little odd. The potatoes were pretty tasty though! The eggs benedict seemed to fare a bit better, with a well-made hollandaise sauce and eggs that were poached properly. Loulay advertises valet parking at $10 for 3 hours, but Washington Athletic Club across the street can do parking for like $8.50 for an hour, so if you're just in there for a quick lunch/brunch, you can save a little bit by parking across the street.

    (3)

  • Yen D.

    Everything on this menu looks so good! One of the most popular items on the menu is their croque monsieur with the option of getting a duck egg on top for $2. The fried egg was crisped perfectly on top of brioche slices with nueske ham in the middle covered with mornay sauce. The brioche was toasted until crunchy and the mornay combined with the yolk added super creaminess to the dish. Crunchy, not too salty and crispy with creaminess? I like! Also you can get the option of ordering foie gras on the side for an additional $15. Customer service was great since they kept giving me bottles of water with lemon wedges. I also had their beignets with sour apple and ice cream which was fluffy, not too sweet and flavorful to the very last bite. I will definitely be back!

    (5)

  • Dwayne Y.

    What an amazing lunch! I can see why this place won Seattle Restaurant of the year for 2014! We got two lunch entrees, the Scallops and the Seafood Stew. Both were amazing. The scallops were cooked perfectly. It had a nice charred texture on the outside and was moist and tender on the inside. It was cooked in a beet broth. Normally I cannot stand beets, but somehow the chef made this broth taste amazing. Throw in some black garlic and we are in scallop heaven. The seafood stew had beans, mussels, clams, and seafood sausage. The clams and mussels were so fresh they had to have gotten them at the open market 30 minutes before opening. Our food was so great that we need to come back again. Service is really good and the price is not bad. Definitely head here if you got the chance.

    (5)

  • Ally-Marie B.

    This pertains to the bar only. My cousin and I stopped here for a quick drink before a local Yelp event. One star is knocked off because there wasn't a drink menu for something other than beer and wine. We each ordered the Lotus Flower (non-alcoholic) with Hendricks Gin. Delicious. The bartender was great! She was relieved we weren't ordering food and gave us the right amount of attention. BONUS: The bartender offered a little memory book for us to sign. Such a great idea that I haven't seen ANYWHERE in Seattle. The ambience is wonderful. Beautiful globe chandeliers, seasonal flower arrangements and a certain modern industrial flair that just works. Will be back to try the food!

    (4)

  • Linda T.

    I made my reservation on OpenTable and noted that we were having dinner before a 7:30pm show. The host and waitress took note of that and were attentive to accommodate our limited timing, even after half of our party arrived 15 minutes late. They managed to have us out within an hour without rushing us at all. The waitress helped us pick a fantastic Sauvignon Blanc and regularly stopped by our table to refill our glasses. Another waiter also stopped by frequently to fill our water glasses, all our drinks were consistently replenished. The Scallop Tartare was okay, raw scallops aren't the top choice for me, but the appetizer was alright. The Seafood Stew was delicious, fish and shellfish were cooked perfectly (not overdone) and the white wine creme fraiche base was really tasty.

    (4)

  • Liz P.

    Loulay is a great place for happy hour. Their wine and drink list has plenty to choose from and suits a variety of budgets. Loulay's dessert menu is also quite good. We ordered the Portuguese beignets and the creme caramel - both were delicious. However, our entrees and appetizers were just okay. We ordered the burger, the duck confit sliders, and the crab beignets (which were too heavily breaded). I wouldn't recommend this place for a full meal but for drinks and/or dessert, you can't go wrong.

    (3)

  • Ninette C.

    My expectations for Loulay were hesitantly high. I read the reviews but it was my first Thierry Rautureau dining experience so I was excited. Upon entering, the restaurant is stunning. There's two stories including a main dining room, a second floor which was a more private dining area and the in between balcony. Every angle of this restaurant is absolutely beautiful. 5 stars for decor. Thierry also came by to visit our table. He was very friendly, accommodated my request for dish recommendations and took some photos with us. He seemed to be stopping by every table so that was pretty cool. Our group ordered a large variety of first, second and third courses. I tried: -Hamachi tartare: Fresh, tasty and light -Oysters on the half shell: quality oysters prepared French style -Crab beignets: A little too heavy and breaded for my taste. I would have liked to taste more crab. -Albacore tuna with beet puree and lettuce: far too salty. I seriously think someone dropped the salt shaker into the dish. The service was nice but incredibly slow. We didn't get to sit down until about 30 minutes after the time we made our reservation. The first course came out pretty quickly but there was over an hour wait for our second course. We had told them at the beginning we were on our way to an event so this was pretty annoying. All in all, Loulay was ok. It didn't live up to what I hoped it could be but some day, I'd be willing to give it another shot.

    (3)

  • Nina H.

    This is a pretty fancy spot for a lunch, but it works well for team lunches or business lunches because of the great location. I've mostly had their fish dishes and have never been disappointed yet! I especially recall their amazing pear tartin dessert... very delicious! Haven't been for dinner yet, but hope to soon! The restaurant is absolutely beautiful and service is good. I recommend making reservations in case they get super busy.

    (4)

  • Staci S.

    We went to Loulay last night before going to a show. I made a comment in my opentable reservation that we need to be in and out in under 1.5 hours. They did a fantastic job of managing our time limit even thought we ordered appetizers and dinners. The staff was quick, attentive, and fantastic. I think even the manager chipped in to help move things along. The food - we ordered the mussels, the crab beignets, the halibut, the chicken, and the rib eye. The mussels and the beignets were fantastic. I would highly recommend both. The halibut was also excellent and came with a piece of bacon which everyone loved. I did hear a friend say it was kind of bland unless you mix each bite with all of the things on the plate. The chicken was also great. I didn't have it but I know my friends didn't leave a single bite untouched. The rib eye was big, which offset the fatty nature of rib eye. It's not a filet mignon, that's for sure, but it was cooked perfectly, the sauce was great, and I was full and happy. Also - the house white wine was fantastic. Overall this place is definitely expensive, but if you want to try it, I'd recommend appetizers and wine in the bar.

    (5)

  • David G.

    This is a high end restaurant that delivers on the promise on all fronts (warning: also on the price). We had a lovely dinner with good service. The food was excellent as described by many here. We didn't experience the front of house issues many Yelpers described, so I'm sticking with the five stars. The food lived up to that rating.

    (5)

  • Stefanie D.

    Had such a great dinner experience, we returned for breakfast!! Absolutely perfect! My husband had eggs Benedict, the hollandaise sauce was amazing, eggs cooked perfectly. I had the Farmers Breakfast...sublime. House made sausage and perfectly roasted veggies, toast and cheese!! Heaven on a plate.

    (5)

  • Chelsea J.

    Food was excellent, service was top- notch, atmosphere was vibrant and fun. To my delight I was taken here for my birthday. I had been dying to go and was so happy to finally visit! We had the crab beignets, french onion soup, and the roasted chicken with mustard and potatoes. The prices were very reasonable I thought with appetizers in the $10-12 range and the entrees in the $20-28 range with the rib eye being the priciest entree at $39. Thierry came around to each table and talked to us! I was so starstruck! He seemed so sweet and genuine. I can't wait to go back. I want to try the burger and the foie gras.

    (5)

  • Tony Y.

    My girlfriend took me to Loulay for my birthday after I learned that it won restaurant of the year in the Seattle Met Magazine. Given that high praise, I was really expecting a great dining experience. However, I was disappointed to say the least. First, the people sitting in the booth next to us were very loud and obnoxious. They were yelling and cursing all evening, and the restaurant staff did nothing about it. Second, the food was hit or miss. Loulay's menu style is a small plates experience spanning several courses. You pick several plates and they come out at different times, plates ranging from starters to main dishes. One of the starters tasted good, but several of the others left more to be desired. Then, both our main dishes- the halibut and the steak- were really disappointing. They lacked flavor, were poorly cooked, and relied to heavily on the sauces. Third, being that it was my birthday, I appreciate restaurants that go the extra mile to make it a special dining experience. Our waitress did nothing. Considering we spent near $200 on drinks and food, serving our dessert with a candle would have been much appreciated. There is much better food and service in Seattle, especially at this price point. I will not return.

    (2)

  • Deb O.

    We enjoyed our meal at Loulay but were not totally bowled over. In the heirloom tomato salad with peaches, the tomatoes were ripe but the peaches weren't. I enjoyed the seafood stew but my husband found it overly bit fishy-tasting. Service was fine and the drinks were OK.

    (4)

  • Bosule P.

    Exceptional. Headed in for brunch on a Sunday afternoon. It wasn't too busy but there were still a good amount of people. Got seated promptly by a friendly hostess. I ordered the classic French omelette with an iced americano while my friend ordered the salmon scramble. Everything was delicious, including my coffee, which I can get picky about. The French omelette was classic and perfect. There's really nothing else to say about that. Looking forward to coming here for dinner. Street parking is practically impossible so I'm glad they validate at the Sheraton. It makes everything so much simpler and easier.

    (5)

  • Keiko J.

    Great wine service and food. Except one sad incident I ordered lemon tart for dessert. This was sort of deconstructed tart Au citron. My meringue was burnt. I meant charred black. I did not want to complete my fantastic meal with bad desert so I returned it They took and came back with white meringue .... Speechless. Other than that great restaurant. Make sure order lemon tart medium rare. ( ´ ` )ﾉ

    (4)

  • Robb M.

    I was a big fan of Rover's and like Luc, but only like Loulay when other people are paying. Overall, I find it to be very inconsistent. In the few times that I have been there, I have only had my order cooked properly once. An example would be that twice I have ordered a burger cooked rare, and they both came cooked medium, not even medium-rare. Now, that being said, the soups and salads are good. I would recommend the French Onion Soup. The service is usually good, but I find the restaurant itself to be quite noisy overall.

    (3)

  • Lupolo K.

    Big fan of the food. Some of the best mussels and beef burger with egg I've had. Nice little bar area and solid wine by the glass list. Only two things to point out: 1. If the mussels automatically sits on a bed of fries, bartender/wait staff should suggest swapping out the fries that comes with the burger for a salad. Fries overkill when it comes with both dishes. 2. Corked Wine. If a patron says the wine is corked and explains to you that they lived in Napa Valley, worked for wineries, and are club members of the wine you are pouring - it is pretty safe they know they are talking about and its is corked. They opened a second bottle, sniffed it, and said "You probably won't 'like' this one either". It has nothing to do with "liking" a wine and everything to do with it being corked. And that second bottle was not corked, tasted fine, and I ordered multiple glasses of it. Either way, food was excellent just trust and listen to your paying customers.

    (4)

  • Ali D.

    My first stab at what was voted as Seattle's Best New Restaurant of 2014 was a great introduction. I was lucky to have been treated to happy hour by co-workers at this sweet spot located right near our office. Though we just had drinks and a few nibbles, the experience was lovely. I sipped on the the Elderossa, a delicious vodka, st. germain and champagne cocktail (I mean, did you expect I would drink anything else?) and nibbled on the white bean and roasted shallot spread with toasted baguette and fries with aioli. Wonderful little bistro bites with a delicious cocktail - can't wait to return for lunch/dinner soon!

    (4)

  • Ben S.

    Had to try Seattle's restaurant of the year. It was pretty great, but unfortunately I was evaluating it through that lens and it did not live up to the hype. They serve classic French cuisine with updated American twists. The menu was varied and had lots of interesting choices. We got the burger and vegetarian risotto - both were good but not "the best food in Seattle." Don't get me wrong - you should definitely go - but I don't agree with Seattle Met's assessment. A nice touch though - the chef in the hat himself visited our table. He was extremely friendly and good natured. It felt great to know he cared about our experience. Also, make sure they seat you in the main restaurant. They have an auxiliary room upstairs that feels like they put you in the back closet.

    (3)

  • Sierra X.

    This is one of the best restaurants in Seattle. The portion size is expectantly small, so order accordingly. The ingredients were high quality and all of the dishes were very flavorful. Service was impeccable. The food here is better than Luc.

    (5)

  • Ann Marie L.

    Brunch: Cozy, beautiful decor, spacious seating. Service was great, coffee kept coming. We all enjoyed our breakfast. I ordered the salmon scramble - it was difficult to see the salmon in the scramble, definitely sparse yet the eggs were fluffy and it had good flavor. I honestly was not disappointed. Potatoes were mixed with caramelized onions and also served with toast - all great, satisfying in taste and good portions. Price was fair for downtown Seattle. I would definitely come again!

    (4)

  • Marcy S.

    Service started out a little slow, but ultimately, we felt well-taken-care-of by a very determinedly attentive server. In fact, a prolonged (albeit welcome and entertaining) visit from the Chef made the task that much more difficult, but she soldiered on - getting us safely through 4 courses and dessert with wine and cocktails to spare! Ordering the French Onion Sop may seem pedestrian, but don't be fooled- it is FANtastic! The French fries alone are worth a #HH, and the burger was perfect. Samples of the smoky pork cheeks and foi gras highlighted some of the expert preparation. Four separate desserts were four different amazings! Lemon tart was light and frothy, the Crreme caramel was indulgent and the profiteroles ware filled with ice cream! It was a lovely, grown up -- but not too mature -- meal. Must return!

    (5)

  • Saori T.

    We had a 7:45PM dinner reservation and were seat d promptly. Our server was a little cool for my liking however owner was quite friendly and engaging. Dishes tried: Pork cheeks with daikon (these were done quite well and tender) Crab beignets (not quite as fluffy as I would have liked but the flavor profile) Both felt a little heavy handed on the salt but I was having a quite light Sommers Reserve Pinot so may not have been salty if enjoying a more robust wine Baguette with the creamed hitter and Black Sea salt was exquisite Ribeye with foie gras (foie gras done perfectly) was a touch too "marbled" meaning that there was a LOT of fat and it was unappetizing. The burger with foie gras and pomme frites with aoili on point Beignets, caramel and malt ice cream were a fantastic way to finish the evening. I would have given it a solid 4 but the heavy handed salt and the too fatty rib eye won't let me

    (3)

  • Karen O.

    I came here with my family to celebrate my mom's birthday, and had a great experience. First, we were starving so we ordered a few bowls of the pretzel bites to get going. We all figured it would be like warm, soft pretzel bites, but it was more like trail mix or something, a true "bar snack". Oops! Not what we expected. For apps, we ordered crab Begniets, and duck sliders. The begniets were served with a really nice sauce, but I feel like it should have been drizzled on instead of just resting in it-there was a lot of dough that needed sauce!! They were divine. The duck sliders were sort of sweet, and perfectly cooked--not overdone. I ordered the beef burger with cheese. I ordered it medium rare, and it was cooked perfectly and completely juicy and seasoned to perfection. It came with aioli on the side, which was a little too garlicky for my liking, but I love aioli with fries! The fries were thin and crisp. I did not partake in dessert, but the table seemed pretty impressed with theirs. The service was wonderful, and the chef himself came out and spoke with us!! He is hilarious!!! Loved the whole experience.

    (5)

  • Yirla G.

    We visited Loulay for brunch and couldn't have chosen a better place! Hubby got the Bacon Sandwich and loved it. I got the Farmer's Breakfast which was the best. You get a little of everything and it's allllll good. Hubby wished he could have ordered it for himself too. You need to stop by at this restaurant when in Seattle.

    (4)

  • Warren B.

    Decent but overpriced. I'd guess this typically caters to business people with corporate cards in search of a decent meal and competent service with good availability. We walked here on a whim one Saturday. Can't imagine paying $36 for salmon and $39 for halibut unless I'm a tourist. That is Canlis $ but without the service and atmosphere. They did have good cocktails and a respectable wine list. But in my opinion, if you're a local, you know better places, don't you?

    (3)

  • Evan H.

    Have you ever been on a vacation that was absolutely amazing and when you went back a second time years later and it doesn't live up to original experience? Loulay left me with that exact feeling. The first time we came here I was blown away by their service, attention to detail and the stunning flavors of their food. Unfortunately last weekend we came back before the phantom of the opera show for another great experience and were left feeling somewhat empty inside. Our waiter nicely asked if we were going to the show after to ensure speedy service and we got the exact opposite. The food, amazing as usual. the muscles were stacked on fries and looked dry but at the bottom was a little surprise of sweet and salty broth. I had the halibut and it was cooked perfectly. But, from the time our 2011 Reserve Leonetti wine was opened we had a huge delay in getting our food which just destroyed the vibe of our night especially since our server made a note that we had a show at 8. I'd love to make this place a staple of mine but I can't do it just yet. I'll give it another shot in due time. Side notes: Halibut: great flavors and large cut, amazing wine selection, slow service, great ambiance and facility.

    (3)

  • Karl S.

    A friend and I tried this place only only as a last resort, was just raining too hard to walk very far. The Valets at our hotel warned us not to eat here, but would I listen? Nope. I ordered Eggs Benedict. Blah. Decently poached egg on a bun but with this completely flavorless sliced sandwich ham and weak sauce. My friend tried the Eggs/bacon and was equally dissatisfied. Good service, friendly staff just bad product.

    (2)

  • Rae E.

    My biggest turn off for this restaurant was that almost every meal was smothered in aoli, and their aoli is very thick, and essentially just flavored mayonnaise. I ordered the crab beignets for an appetizer, the mussels and fries for my entree and my husband had their burger. Everything was very overpowered and drenched by the aoli, except for the fries which were drowning in vinegar. I found it no more dignifying than a diner that covers their meals in gravy to hide imperfections. Though the meal was decent, I was not impressed and will probably not return. Service staff was exceptional, and the design of the restaurant was lovely and made up for what the meal lacked. Otherwise I would probably give the place 1 star.

    (2)

  • April G.

    Recommendation: stick to the actual menu and not the bistro menu. This is my third time dining here and the other two were much better. I came in alone and thought I would eat at the bar. I ordered the steak frites. The steak was overdone and quite tough. No bread service. Fries were good. If I come back I will sit in dining room regardless if I am alone and have a proper dinner.

    (3)

  • Monica C.

    The Chef In The Hat is back!!! :) Before Rover's closed down, I rushed over to enjoy my very last meal there. I was sad lol, I tried LUC and wasn't impressed so I was secretly hoping something close to Rovers would come up! The fiancé took me here for my birthday last month (complimentary champagne!). I had no idea this restaurant existed, and was so excited to experience it! It's a middle ground between LUC and Rovers- semi causal, but not formal. It's so beautiful inside, the chandelier is breathtaking. The decor is just adorable, I couldn't stop looking at everything. Beautiful design, modern, elegant, French. Some of the little touches reminded me of the little quaint place in Madison Park- the little French candle cover dome and even some of the items on the menu. We got seated on the second floor and had a great view of the place. We were close to the chandelier, the wine collection and got a good view of the kitchen. The chefs were doing their thing, there weren't many of them but the food they put out is spectacular. We tried the clams & crab beignets for appetizers. I had the duck trio and my fiancé had a steak and we shared two desserts: tapioca brûlée & the chocolate cake. The clams were in this tomato/saffron broth. It was very simple yet delicious, I loved the toast that was provided to dip into the broth. I think it had a drizzle of Harissa aioli. The crab beignets were interesting but very small portion. We ordered two plates because I couldn't tell if I liked them or not lol. They're good, but I think the crawfish beignets are Toulouse Petite are better! Entrees- I enjoyed my duck trio! Whenever I'm at a French restaurant I always go for duck or foie gras. The duck sausage was surprisingly good! It was awesome, the duck breast was yummy and tender.Pretty presentation- fanned across the plate with some sort of berry sauce and fava beans, I forgot lol. I also had a crispy duck leg, that was ok. The texture was slightly off, it needed some more seasoning or something. My fiancé liked his steak. It was a big portion, I had a bite as well. It wasn't bad but I'm not sure I'd order it since I'm so picky with steaks! Ah alas dessert time! The chocolate cake I had was divine! OMG it was so good I could have licked my plate clean. They also lit a candle for me, it was a nice touch. It made me happy :)) The ice cream was some sort of milk cream? It was just heavenly, I couldn't put my spoon down. My fiancé fought me trying to get some bites. He doesn't even like desserts but he couldn't stop eating it either! It was beautiful too, like a piece of art. Everything was edible, I think they made garnish out of spun sugar or something, yum! The cake wasn't too sweet, everything came together well but also tasted so good individually! We also tried the tapioca brûlée. I actually finished this one off because my fiancé was down for the count. But no worries, dessert girl to the rescue! I love my desserts haha. What a great idea! My mama is Southeast Asian and I love her tapioca in coconut cream dessert. This reminded me of that... But the crystallized sugar crust made it even better! Crunchy, charred crust, and the smooth tapioca pudding underneath. It had some candied oranges which gave it another depth of flavor. So I'm drooling thinking about the desserts, I think I'm going to go again soon LOL. If you haven't been here yet, come try it! Parking will be a pain, I recommend parking at Pacific Place and walking a few blocks. Happy eating!

    (4)

  • Stefanie S.

    I'm not too impressed with Loulay. Maybe we came on an off day? Our server wasn't very friendly, he seemed more annoyed than anything. I ordered the beef burger and it was super greasy but tasty. The garlic aoli for the fries was also very good. I wouldn't mind coming for happy hour or another lunch but I'm not jumping out of my seat in anticipation for my next trip to Loulay.

    (3)

  • Christopher B.

    We live in NYC and eat out a lot. This was an amazing breakfast. Best Eggs Benedict and Croque Mossieur we ever tasted. A little pricey, but no regrets.

    (5)

  • Justine L.

    Discovered this place on a recent business trip to Seattle, and overall, found it delectable! Our waiter was amazing - great sense of humor, prompt, courteous and pretty spot on recommendations. Ambiance: fantastic, quiet, well lite, high ceilings. We started with the raw oysters (yum) and the crab beignets. Two thumbs up on the oysters, boo on the crab beignets. These were so fried and full on cream/mayonnaise that you couldn't taste crab at all. I'm shocked that people raved about these so much - definitely two thumbs down for that app. Thankfully, the foie grais and scallop carpaccio made up for it. A bit pricey, but oh so good. The mussels were also excellent, but typically of any mussels in a tomato base. Next, the Northwest seafood stew - didn't sound great on the menu, but our waiter recommended it and it was SPOT ON. A bit small for an entree, but overall, delicious and tasty. I'm also a huge halibut lover, and while it was good, it didn't compare to Simon & Seafort's halibut in Anchorage, AK. Overall, I'd get two stews instead. The topper? The amazing dessert: the panna cotta was by far the best I've ever experienced in life. And the $5 hot chocolate? WORTH it. Despite the crab beignets (boo), two thumbs up for everything else.

    (4)

  • Bobbie H.

    Was really looking forward to trying Loulay after hearing so many wonderful reviews. We had 8pm reservations and were shown right to our table without much of a welcome. Our server was over to our table promptly but spoke so quietly we couldn't hear him and he seemed to be in a bad mood. Not terribly nice or helpful. He seemed to be a bit of an angry elf. He took drink orders for the table but walked away without taking mine. Not that big of a deal. The big problem was that he disappeared for at least 15 min before returning - without the drinks that had been ordered. I ordered by drink but then we waited another 10-15 min for all the drinks to arrive. Just too long of a wait for four drinks. The appetizers we ordered were less than impressive. The duck confit sliders were yummy but the scallops tartar was rather bland and the crab beignets were not great at all. The oysters on the half shell were good but also lackluster. I have definitely had better. Our entrees were better than the appetizers and they arrived in a timely manner. The steak that was ordered was slightly over-cooked and the cheese atop the steak was just a bit too much but it had good flavor. The chicken, however, was delicious with crispy skin and moist and juicy meat that was perfectly cooked. The salmon got good reviews although I didn't try it. Desserts were good. So, I had very high hopes for this restaurant but I left feeling - meh... Probably won't be back any time soon.

    (2)

  • Carl D.

    Disappointing. For a restaurant recently declared by one magazine to be Seattle's "Restaurant of the Year," I was underwhelmed. Given the upscale atmosphere and prices, I expected better food and impeccable service. My wife and I went for an early lunch one recent weekday and, though we did not have a reservation, were seated immediately. Our server came quickly, brought menus and poured the water. So far, so good. The first thing I noticed was the food stain on the menu, a gaffe that many diners cite as a major turn-off. At lesser restaurants, things like that happen. At a place that presents itself as fine dining, it should not. As we perused the menu, I noticed an interesting, non-alcoholic drink called the Lotus Flower. Made of basil, lime, mint, sage, cucumber and soda, it was herbaceous, tart and refreshing and provided that "special touch" during a rare weekday lunch together. For my lunch, I ordered what was billed simply as French Onion soup made with veal broth, comté and a baguette, followed by the Farmer's lunch platter of seasonal vegetables, artisanal cheese, sausage and grilled bread. My wife chose the two-course lunch: a house salad of mixed baby greens, sheep's cheese and blood orange vinaigrette dressing, followed by pan-seared tuna in a white wine sauce topped by a frisse salad. To my surprise, the French Onion soup had an unusual sweetness to it. When I asked our server, she confirmed that it was made with Walla Walla Sweet onions, which altered the flavor profile rather dramatically from a traditional French Onion soup. It wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't what I'd expected or, importantly, what the menu indicated. Most of the items on the Farmer's lunch were very light in flavor and therefore provided little contrast. The stars were the creamy, rich, buttery cheese and the grilled bread. The sausage was pleasant enough but was quite mild, as were the grilled fennel and grilled pear. The fennel had the expected licorice notes and a bit of sweetness, but had obviously been grilled earlier in the day, as it was not at all warm. Neither was the grilled pear, which was also cool, not nearly as ripe as it should have been, with its flavor yet undeveloped. The grilled carrots, with typical carrot sweetness which provided the most flavor on the plate, were beyond al dente; they were downright crunchy. My wife's house salad was nicely done, as was the seared tuna: a bit of crust on the outside but still properly rare in the center. The flesh was tender and flavorful, especially when swirled in the wine sauce. However, two salads in a single lunch pairing seemed too much and, to me, constituted a "miss." I realize the house salad and the frisse salad use different types of lettuce but really, one or the other would have been sufficient. Our server was fairly attentive, if a bit rushed. That's understandable during a busy lunch when many diners are on a tighter schedule than at dinner, but at one point we got a "drive-by." Instead of stopping at our table, she asked, "How is everything?" as she walked past our table without breaking stride and stopped at the table next to us. That sort of thing simply should not happen in an upmarket restaurant. While some of these criticisms would hardly have been noticed in a lesser establishment, bear in mind that Loulay itself set the standard fairly high with its high-end atmosphere and equivalent prices. In my estimation our lunch for two, which came to more than $60 without alcohol and before gratuity, failed to meet that standard.

    (2)

  • Jan H.

    This place really ticks all the boxes. Atmosphere, service and FOOD. everything we had was perfectly prepared and tasted amazing. Can't wait to make this a regular place.

    (5)

  • Rachel H.

    If you are a fan of foie gras, I can only hope for your sake that you don't live in California. Now if you do live in California, you don't have to live like a desperate foie outlaw anymore. Board a plane, and take a foodie breakfast vacation to downtown Seattle.If you are here on a business trip, don't worry, we like to roll a little like the Wild West here in the PNW. Its okay. It's all perfectly legal. Here at Loulay, which Seattle Magazine claims is the best new restaurant of 2014 btw, you can have seared foie (minus sirens and handcuffs, heck you don't even need a prescription) for your breakfast, tucked right up next a traditional, buttery french omelette, for a pricey $15 add. Now, I can take a hint when someone puts seared foie on the menu, even at breakfast. I admittedly got in a staring contest with the menu on this one, but once I blinked, I realized they were completely serious. I was all in. I've actually never seen foie on a breakfast menu, but since I like to do one thing every day that scares me, I didn't look back. As for the rest of Loulay's brunch menu, its fairly simple and traditional: eggs benedict, eggs florentine, a french omelette, french toast, etc. While not revolutionary and some might say ho-hum, really all of the breakfast food here is super solid, perfectly seasoned and buttery, and priced fairly. I'm a fan of their coffee service which is inky, dark and would be right at home in any European bistro. The service here is completely polished, but on the slower side. The neutral decor at Loulay, of glittery lighting, dark woods and swank 40s-style upholstery, aims for glamorous, but finds itself slightly nearer to sterile, mainly because its alongside a corporate hotel. While Loulay may lack some of the coziness and originality of neighborhood spots in town, and even its own colorful Madison Valley cousin, Luc, I can appreciate that like pearl earrings and a traditional handbag, a classic, simple European elegance has its place. Despite their beige aesthetic, I appreciate their attempts at classic charm. One successfully charming thing to mention, the name of the restaurant is based on the french town where chef Thierry Rautureau, hails from! Foie for breakfast? Um, yes, please! It's a welcome and dangerous-feeling surprise.

    (4)

  • Katherine M.

    Loulay is definitely a "top deck of the titanic" experience. I had the poached cod with spaghetti squash that came with an excellent sauce. For dessert I tried the cocoa sorbet which tasted richer than Italian gelato. Seriously, If you like Nutella, you must try this dessert. Our server was very courteous and professional. In all, Loulay is a great choice for high end dining in Seattle.

    (4)

  • Linda Z.

    Loulay is a great addition to the French bistro scene. The food is good and inexpensive while the atmosphere is lively and not stuffy. We noticed right away that the ratio of servers to patrons is quite high, and we had no fewer than 5 different people serve our table. The amuse bouche was beef tartare with horseradish - a great, flavorful bite to start the meal. The duck trio was excellent. The meat on the duck leg fell off the bone, the sausage was incredibly flavorful and the duck breast was well-cooked. My dining partner enjoyed the braised rabbit (well-seasoned and rustic) but wasn't a fan of the grilled endive salad. The pear tart tartin, while visually stunning, was good but not that memorable (which is typical of most desserts).

    (4)

  • Alanna M.

    I used to come to this space when it was formerly Alvin Goldfarb and they have really transformed the place! Absolutely beautiful! The staircase, the chandelier, the furniture, the booths... is all so modern chic. It's in a great location downtown considering the area is surrounded by mainly chain restaurants. Great for out of towners who are traveling, staying downtown and don't have a car. The bar is on the small side, but the restaurant is spacious and open. Every table in the house seemed fairly private. Got a little history on how the restaurant name came to be while dining. Loulay is the name of the region Chef Thierry grew up in. This is exactly what Seattle needs -- something a little upscale, reasonably $$$, delicious food, classy, romantic and modern. Expect small tasting portions. I like this because I can sample more dishes. There's a tasting menu but not exclusive (how Rover's was). There are more a la carte options which is nice. What we ordered? To drink we had sparkling rose, Duck Horn Cabernet and pin eau des charentes. I'm usually not a dessert wine person, but this was amazing! I had two glasses of all of the above. Starters: Crab salad and crab beignets. Both fresh, delicious and perfectly flavored. The scrambled egg with caviar is a little expensive but a must try. You might as well indulge. Second course: Sweet breads and white polenta. Loved. Loved. Loved. Just enough to share with another person. Main course: Duck trio and rib-eye. Both generous portions and cooked to perfection. Dessert: hot chocolate and financier. The hot chocolate is one of the chef's childhood memories (as we were told). He had it with his grandparents. The dessert comes with toasted brioche, butter and rich hot chocolate. Spread the butter on the toast and dip it in the rich cocoa. It's quite a treat! You can't go wrong with the financier either. All of the staff were friendly, attentive, professional and delightful. I really felt like the staff worked hard to to assure we had an excellent experience. I'm looking forward to my next visit already.

    (5)

  • Mauricio G.

    I was there for brunch and service was appalling. I have never seen anything like it. We waited for too long for someone to take our order. After we ordered, my coffee sat getting cold for over 15 min before the cream arrived. Service was so bad I even called the restaurant, from my table, in hopes that I could have the charming but useless greeter come help the wait staff. I got an answering machine and had to leave a message. And finally, even to pay the bill I had to wait. My card sat on top of the check for over 10 minutes. I was about to walk down to pay as if at a Denny's when the waitress finally showed up. My omelet was perfect but that is the minimum bar expected at a French restaurant that showed nothing else of any substance. And the service and experience was beyond unacceptable even at the humblest of restaurants.

    (1)

  • Lori-Li N.

    Fancy place, pleasant staff. The food was pretty average . It was costly for just a party of 2. The quanity, and quality was not up to the price.for something that is expensive and such little portions... The food should be exquisite and tasteful. Seems like a pretty fancy name for a restaurant with such average food and high pricing.

    (3)

  • Latifa S.

    Beautiful new place from Chef Thierry!! Perfection! Came here on day two of opening. As usual, I came in with full on excitement and ready to fall in love with the place. And so I did :) Walking into this beautiful new baby instantly warm me up. It is way bigger than Rover's but still has that cozy romantic feel. It is modern, upscale yet laid back casual. The ambiance is just right! They do have some hiccups on lighting if you sit on four seater booths. But it's day 2! You just have to wait and watch. The staffs: it's nice to see some of the same people from Rover's here. Well, they were fantastic. Why wouldn't they be here. There were few nervous errors on this fully booked day 2! But they were all so nice and gracious about it. I'm coming back next week. On to the main attraction: one thing you can always always guaranteed at Cher Thierry's place is to have a fantastic meal. Be it his egg and caviar or simple piece of cod fish: you will taste the magic. Between the four of us: we opted for 2 plates each. Amuse bouche~purée of walnuts and pea with truffle! This was divine way to start our meal. Foie gras~ hmmmm it was just right. Simple, semi sweet and very rich. Ahi tuna~ simple pieces of ahi with Asian pear ponzu on top. Tasty! Dungeness crab ~ with grapefruit and celery root remoulade. Very refreshing! Braised Rabbit ~ with wild mushroom , arugula and paperdelle. Rich and tasty. It could use a little more seasoning. Perhaps salt? Duck trio: beautiful! Taste exactly the way I remember it. Leg, breast, bacon with flageolet beans and Demi glacé. My fav dish! Wild salmon ~ with king bean faro salad . I'm not big on salmon but this was great. Pacific cod~ with celery root purée and miso nage. My second favorite dish! We also had few of their cocktail. Rover was the first place to introduce me to my fav cocktail: French 75. You can get that exact same here. We ended our evening by sharing a small hot chocolate and talking to Chef Thierry. He came by a few times to say hi to us. ( Apparently he recognized my laugh before he knew I was there) Well, I guess that's one way to remember me by I guess :) He still wouldn't give me his hat though. Guess I'll convince him on my next visit. Overall~ Loulay was a beautiful experience. Stunning food, gorgeous place and super gracious and funny Chef. Congrats Chef Thierry on your new baby!!! :) I plan on coming back several times this month.

    (5)

  • Monteze C.

    I had lunch here today and was disappointed. The bacon sandwich bread was over-toasted and the bacon under-done. My healthy faux cocktail was delicious but over-priced; and the brioche dessert could have been presented more artfully. See photo. The overall ambience of the restaurant was nice.

    (3)

  • Stacy R.

    Service was bad. Lots of attitude. Our server constantly spilled water all over the plates every time she filled our glasses. She forgot part of our order as well. The food was average. Eggs were a bit dry and my friend's burger was overcooked. Their website says that they are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week. They do not serve lunch on Saturday. They serve "breakfast" all day. That should be made clear. I went there expecting to have lunch. On my way out I stopped in the restroom and it was pretty much trashed. Bummer, I really wanted to like this place.

    (2)

  • James C.

    Exceptional food, great value, wonderful staff. I had the Polenta and seasonal veggies, wife and daughter both had the burger. The sauces are just what you would expect from a light cross of French and American cuisine. I'll be back.

    (5)

  • Soraya V.

    "The Chef in the hat" is popular for his high-end dishes and Loulay is a perfect sample of this. So here is the deal...Beautiful, chic restaurant setting that makes you want to get all dressed up in your "Sunday's Best" and take in the luxurious surroundings. However, the cliché of "pay a fortune for a tiny portion" is alive and well here with an a la carte menu of limited choices. One of my co-workers and I enjoyed lunch with a client here, at her request. The food was about a 7, on a 1-10 scale. I had the Scallops entrée and a bite of a tiny dessert. By 3 p.m. we were starving! Bottom line: good place if you don't mind paying more for a few bites. Profitez-en!

    (3)

  • Marika A.

    Very nice place to have dinner before a play. Uplifted atmosphere, great interior, wonderful food. Make sure you get a reservation even on a weekday.

    (5)

  • Rich T.

    We couldn't wait for rovers to reappear so arrived here on the first night. It was a hard night for the staff as it is never a good thing to be totally fun on the first day. That being said this place shows so much promise in the relative paucity of great restaurants on 6th and 7th. The place is wonderful. It is hard to imagine it was a jewelry store but the two levels are wonderful. And the layout is modern french cool. This is going to be a wonderful happy hour spot. The dinner menu is tapas style with lots of small plates. They are good about the portions. This place is the follow-on to rovers and it is somewhere between fine dining and the casual bistro that is its sister restaurant Luc's. The foie gras and the scrambled egg is a holdover from the Rovers and they are great. The egg is just a little more garlicky than rovers with a touch less cream. The foie gras was great. At this point in the evening, the kitchen sadly overloaded as they were still slammed so I would say they r still working up to the volume that they r going to get due to location and reputation. The Dungness crab salad was light and delicate and well done. As were the oysters on a half shell. The rib eye was well prepared and the scallops were perfectly done in a nice sauce. We love the adventure of opening night and think of it like being the first folks down the trail in the spring.

    (4)

  • Ellen J.

    A bit disappointed. We were a party of 5 for brunch last weekend. Although the food was good, the service was disappointing. Slow and we always had to get our server's attention for any help. My friends got there before we did and they said it took about 10 minutes before anyone approached them for coffee. I get that our table was not full immediately but this is brunch so some caffeine would help while waiting. With so many options for brunch, we don't plan to return, maybe for dinner. And hopefully it will be as fantastic as the meal we had at Luc.

    (2)

  • Beth M.

    It was really really good ! Atmosphere was casual , jeans were fine . Service excellent but not fussy. Our waiter was great and helped us with making choices . We all had 3 courses plus dessert!! Big winners , foie gras, duck sliders, pork cheeks, burger and the salted honey pie . Most courses $16 -21. One person had rib eye steak at $39. We took our own wine (Mark Mark Ryan McNeilly Ryan 1.5L Long Haul) they inky charged $25 to cork. Easy parking at the Convention Center. Was able to pay via new Open Table feature which allows you to monitor bill during service and pay when you want do when you are finished you just can leave . Our server said this made his job easier and it calculates your tip based on percentage . Can't wait to go back !

    (5)

  • Whitney B.

    I had no idea what I was getting myself into until I hastily agreed to the fact that they were offering nothing but their bistro menu, which is synonymous with pointless. My advice to you is HOLD THY TONGUE. Now I understand why the place was dead at the time we walked inside; the bistro menu is fucking short and not in a good way. In the way that a girl decides to cut too-damn-high bangs into her hair with the care and concern rivaling that of a first grader with blunt-tip scissors. Girls, please. It looks like a mudflap draped above your eyebrows. Out of maybe 10 items, I wanted to eat 2. Anyway, the selection they had on their menu clashed with my raging rhino appetite. It did not mix. I like baby death metal, he likes jazz. I prefer weekend nights out in the city, he prefers quiet evenings scratching his nuts with bacon grease. See where I'm going with this? The bistro menu and I weren't meant to be. The only thing that felt like it clicked is that I gave Loulay money and Loulay wanted it. I had the crab beignets and some pitiful salad because I asked for it not to be tossed with cheese. It was so pitiful that I'm not even going to delve into that topic. The crab beignets, on the other hand, had excellent flavor and were not heavily battered. They run a bit on the smaller end but the overall execution compensated for the portion size having it paired with a great aioli. Being that the crab beignets were quite good and apparently so is their signature burger, I have high hopes that their actual lunch and dinner menus fare better. I'll have to give you another try when I have had some time to recover from a disappointing brunch visit.

    (3)

  • Bill C.

    Seated on third level, room lacked any ambiance, crowded and noise level precludes conversation. Service was professional and knowledgeable. Food however was meh. Highly hyped crab beingets were a mass of breading lacking in crab flavor, really a hush puppy. Northwest seafood stew was flavorless and mainly mussels and clams. Chicken and onion soup were ok but there is far more flavorful elsewhere in Seattle. Overall, overhyped, overpriced and not worth a return visit.

    (2)

  • Alice T.

    My Oh My! How my heart rejoices that the hole created by Rover's closure is now mostly filled with the existence of Loulay. While there are aspects of Rover's that aren't matched by Loulay simply because Loulay is a different type of restaurant, much of what I loved and adored from Rover's I can find here, namely the delightful French dishes (in particular, Chef Thierry's caviar egg and seared foie) and the spectacular service. The cherry on top is that the prices are wonderfully reasonable!! I've now been to Loulay three times, once for lunch, once for dinner, and once for after show drinks. On all three visits, service was top notch as it always had been at Rover's. At dinner, Dan (who used to be at Rover's) was our server, and he recognized us as past Rover's clientele. I was impressed by his remembering us because I didn't actually dine at Rover's all THAT much (once, maybe twice a year, but consistently over the last 10 years). Then Scott, the sommelier, walked by and also recognized us, and visited with us briefly as well. I felt right at home....it was so nice to be there. We dined there for dinner prior to a show, and Dan made sure the dishes came out in a timely fashion to allow us time to get to the show. We had less than an hour, and I was impressed with the speed of the dishes, while still well paced between the first course and main course, such that we had some cushion and didn't have to rush out the door. I can't recall the specific dishes we ordered other than the signature caviar egg and foie, but do recall I was pleased as always with the dishes prepared in Chef Thierry's kitchen. I can't recall what I ordered when I was there for lunch either, but was 100% happy with the food. Finally, a restaurant that is actually in the heart of downtown that I would visit over and over again. The space and ambience are very modern and exciting, located centrally, and only two blocks from the 5th Avenue. Thank you Chef Thierry and everyone who made this possible!!

    (5)

  • Kelby J.

    Went for an anniversary dinner and it was outstanding. The service was attentive, and the food was killer. As a pescestarian its hard to find a French restaurant where I can eat. These guys nailed it. Highly recommend.

    (4)

  • Gilad B.

    Really great dinner experience. We went for the first time on their 1 month and had a great meal. My favorite dishes were the fuagras and the 3 way duck. We went a little crazy and ordered most of the desserts and they were all beautiful and perfect. The chef came out to schmooze which is always nice. and O yea, Bill and Malinda Gates were there.

    (4)

  • Peter M.

    Has the Chef in the Hat thrown in the towel? Vey poor experience for a restaurant that had received decent reviews. Service was exceptionally slow and food was mediocre and overpriced. Spent $500 for a dinner for five. Layout was a bit tacky and confused. Rover's was getting tired, but this place is just plain lousy. Seattle has plenty of better restaurants than this place. We're never going back!

    (1)

  • Kim S.

    Happened to come across Loulay's. Wonderful food and service. We had oysters, rib eye and tapioca creme brulee. You won't be disappointed.

    (4)

  • Steve S.

    Wanting to show out-of-town guests an upscale Seattle dining experience, we went to Loulay on a Sunday evening. Driving through a downtown decked out with Christmas lights, Loulay makes for a comfortably chic experience. Service is pretty polished and friendly. The waiter tried to impress with some Tom Cruise in "Cocktail" moves when refilling the water glasses, but fell a little short as he missed the glass. Still, much appreciated the showmanship - much like the showmanship evident in all of the dishes. The amuse buche was a smoked duck breast with orange gastrique and pickled parsnip - a perfect bit of bitter/tangy and savory. One guest started off with the crab beignets (dungeonous crab fritter with harissa aioli.) Fantastically succulent. As someone who was reluctant to order fried food, our guest was surprised by the lightness and velvety texture of the beignets. Note too - she was afraid of "aioli," note quite knowing what that is, but happy to discover how tasty it was and sad to learn how she'd been missing out all these years. My rainbow carrot with watercress (with chèvre mousse and citrus argan oil) was an ample portion, fresh and flavorful. Another appetizer - the grilled salad with squash and crumbled roquefort - was a wonderful blend of smokey blue cheese and tangy vingeriatte. Two of us had the Northwest seafood stew with crabs, clams and seafood sausage - the strength was the broth - a well-blended mixture of succulent fish stock with a trace of spice and cream. Shellfish were perfectly cooked and the seafood sausage was a delicious accompaniment. The butter poached cod had something that reminded me of Durkee fried onion rings (a good thing, trust me). It was a perfect dish - one that I could eat every for the next month - if they would let me. Grilled salmon with herbed quinoa and brussels sprouts - well cooked, however, the quinoa could have had more presence. Desserts included the chocolate truffle cake (with praline bar, lemon cremeux and roasted with chocolate ice milk) - three small bites of the flourless chocolate cake that, like other dishes at Loulay, was a blend of sweet and salty, contrasting flavors that worked in harmony.

    (4)

  • Peter R.

    Breakfast only Beautiful room. Bright and open. With it & awake staff (customer not so much). Quite a few choices - and they're not your mothers boring breakfast.

    (5)

  • Ron S.

    Ok, only went for dessert and drinks, sat at the bar, service was great, the Beignets were excellent, a spin off from their other restaurant Lola's. Menu looked really good, plenty to choose from. And now for the best part: best restroom for a restaurant I've ever been in, smelled like a rose garden as well. Very happening scene, attached to The Sheraton. Will be heading back for dinner real soon! Ron

    (4)

  • Heidi H.

    This place is great.. Ambiance is nice, decor is modern and elegant, restaurant is clean, and customer service is good. I had the Benedict's with smoked salmon instead of ham. The salmon wasn't your typical whole salmon it was mixed with other ingredients, but it was rich in flavor and had a good amount of everything. The potatoes were good. Coffee was great. Overall good experience. Definitely coming back again.

    (4)

  • Anthony B.

    Great food, amazing space, good cocktails, screaming deals on wine, superb service, disappointing oyster plate. Having never made it to Rover's I made it a point to ensure Loulay was my first reservation for Seattle Restaurant Week. Imagining their menu would be $$$$ like Rover's, I was pleasantly surprised that their menu was much more reasonably priced. My favorite part of this menu was that there are no 3oz pours of wine over $10. Wine is where ever restaurant can gouge you to keep their margins, so I am extremely grateful for their unpretentious attitude toward wine. We started our meal with cocktails in the bar while we waited for our table. And both of our cocktails were delicious (mine a tequila based manhattan type). They were also able to transfer our bar tab to our dinner check! The oyster plate was the only disappointment of the night at $25. I expect a few more big ticket bicuspids (kumamoto), but their smoked tomato topping was delicious. The meal was wonderful, both delicious and aesthetic. Even my beet soup was a wonderful way to start the meal on a warm day. The service here was fantastic. Relaxed and fun, our server brought everything out at the perfect time and had the sense not to interrupt a deep conversation. Also she said the rose was dry and for the first time ever it wasn't a lie. The restaurant space in one word would be luxurious. An outrageously high ceiling is complimented by their ostentatious gilded mirror (complete with 2 hats). The booths downstairs were gorgeous but we were seated on the upper catwalk in beautiful white linen chairs, which were the most comfortable seats I've ever used in a restaurant. I will be back, they have a happy hour menu that I need to sink my teeth into.

    (4)

  • Dana R.

    Sat upstairs for dinner tonight ... don't care for it ... I'd rather sit downstairs ... although I do still really like the chandeliers! Service was good, but the food still isn't as good as I'd hoped for. I started with the French onion soup, which did come warm with gratineed cheese this time ... I found the broth to have great depth of flavor, but a touch too sweet. My husband's house salad was overdressed, but otherwise he liked it. I ordered the braised pork cheeks with spring onion and asparagus. Unfortunately, the meat had a very strong smokiness to it -- had the menu mentioned it was smoked meat I wouldn't have ordered it. I ended up sending it back as I really don't like smoked meat, and ordered the seasonal vegetables instead. It took them more than 15 minutes to bring the veggies and when they did arrive, they weren't very warm. It was a potato, leek and carrot gratin-type dish and the top of it was rubbery as if it had been sitting out awhile. My husband ordered the burger and fries. The burger was cooked as ordered, medium-rare, but lacked seasoning ... he added salt and pepper (he doesn't normally do that). His fries were not very warm and tasted like they also had been sitting out awhile before being brought to the table. The highlight of the evening was the Chambolle Musigny.

    (2)

  • Cat T.

    I'm giving them 5 stars because I don't understand why they only have 3.5 stars. This is a solid 4-4.5 star place. The service was awesome. The food was fantastic! They suggested wonderful wines to pair with each course. The price was outstanding! This is a gem. I will fly back here for the pan seared foie gras alone!! And don't let me start on the desserts. I couldn't decided so I got all three and there wasn't a bad one in the bunch. Beignets, the butterscotch meringue, and the chocolate truffle. Must haves!! Defiantly save room for dessert.

    (5)

  • Candi K.

    After I read about it winning the best restaurant in Seattle award from Seattle Met I just had to write a review of this place. I came here 2 times and I don't want to come back again. Service is very poor. I made reservations through open table (for my birthday lunch) and we showed up and said our reservation wasn't there. I pulled up the email on my phone to prove I wasn't crazy and they scrambled to get a table together (it was only 4, if it was more I feel like it wouldn't happen). the food is just average. Some of our food took FOREVER to come out and ended up being cold. I do like their tapioca brulee (I like anything tapioca) but everything was meh. One of the girls got a salad and it was wilted from all the dressing that was on there. So disappointing.

    (2)

  • Mark Y.

    Cocktail - improvement point. it was not what i expected.. didn't taste that good either. I knew i shoulda stuck with a steal/bargain of a Oregon pinot i saw on the list! wife's not drinking so didn't go with a whole bottle.. mistake :) Restaurant week menu. Appies - I'd say the food got progressively better. Appies were weak. grilled romaine lettuce were literally grilled lettuce with chopped olives. nothing else. I had the pate, much better.. but still just ok. We both got the Bourride, b/c we both love Bouillabaisse. This dish delivered. The broth was excellent, the fish/clams were fresh. Could use 1 or 2 prawns in there but that's nit picking.. overall good dish Dessert - dear god the profiteroles with pecan ice cream.. out of this freaking world. one of the best desserts i've had in a seattle area restaurant. I got the chocolate cake - it was good but unfortunately served with the profiteroles it's not worth mentioning. Got a 2nd order of the profiteroles b/c wife and i both loved it.. all in all a good place, the servers were super friendly.. accommodated for our 2 month old in a quieter area.. Cher in the hat came by and said hi to all the diners.. nice touch. I think it's comparable to Luc's.. obviously the execution of the food isn't Rover's level but then again it's for a totally different market.

    (4)

  • Leah W.

    Disappointing given the hype. The food was good overall, but nothing mind blowing. The French onion soup, which is supposedly one of their signatures, was pretty standard. The crab beignets were tasty, as deep fried things involving crab and a creamy sauce should be. Beet carpaccio was fine. The burger was solid, but the fries arrived cold. Profiteroles were meh. Service was gracious but painfully slow. Egregiously long waits after each course and we had to flag down servers repeatedly to get more wine. This was intended to be an early Valentine's Day celebration dinner and I wish we had dined elsewhere.

    (3)

  • Linda W.

    Atmosphere and service to notch. The food out of this world. It takes a lot for us to stop and close our eyes and moan. But we did. The Owner and Chef even came out to meet us. He even gave me some hints as to how to make the reduction sauces. Cheers to this place, we will be returning on every visit to Seattle.

    (5)

  • G M.

    Excellent scrambled eggs very creamy not over cooked. Wonderful French Toast and bacon. Will definitely come back when in town.

    (4)

  • Sandy L.

    An excellent value. We have dined with Luc's previous restaurant, Rover's on several occasions. Loulay is his new restaurant, and it's a departure from the high expectations that come with the high-end price that Rover's had. First, you will need a reservation. We were told a 30 minute wait when we arrived at 8:45 on a Saturday evening without one, but we were able to get a spot at the bar after about 15 minutes of waiting. First course was a half-dozen oysters. The quality is good, but I will skip this next time as there was only one of the most desirable Kumamoto oysters on the plate. My husband had the steak. It's only $35, so the quality of the meat, while good, is not stand-out. Go to a dedicated steakhouse and pay double if you really want the best cut. The steak has more of a grilled/charred type of flavor than the more typical pan-fried/broiled flavor that you get in most restaurants. The sauce and layered vegetables were excellent. I had the duck trio, which is a steal at $22. The taste was excellent, and usually you don't get duck at this price anywhere else. We had the pear tart tatin for dessert, to split. It's sized for one diner, so when split it's nearly guilt-free. The flavors are intense and delicious, and it was gone quickly. The only bad part of our experience was the roughly 30 minute wait for our entrees to arrive. We had started to grumble at least 10 minutes before our entrees showed up, and we had to wait a couple more minutes for our steak knives. I should also point out that if you are used to other restaurants that load up your entrée with carbs or other fillers, you might be hungry. There's enough food here, but you aren't going to be stuffed. There's also no bread basket provided at the bar, but it looks like you could ask for one.

    (5)

  • Marty D.

    I love "the chef in the hat" so I was excited to find his place so close to my hotel when I was in town for a convention. The only problem is they were completely unprepared for that same convention when it came to a brunch. The place was filled with convention goers and the staff couldn't keep up. Since I sat so close to the kitchen, you could hear the lead chef on duty trying to motivate his staff but it wasn't working. What should've been a one hour meal turned into a two hour dining experience. When the food did show up, it was hit and miss. The cod dish is some of the best seafood I've ever had. Who knew that cod could be so luxurious? On the other hand, the croque Monsieur was a big letdown. The sauce had clearly not been made properly probably because of those kitchen problems. On another visit, I tried the beignets which appeared to be undercooked. Loulays drink menu is great and I highly recommend trying out their specialty drinks including their non alcoholic ones. With some refinement Loulay could be a gem but for now, many of Seattles other star chefs have eclipsed the one wearing a hat.

    (2)

  • Karen L.

    Expensive for what it is. The food is good, but not exceptional (like his other restaurants). The decor is nice though and the staff pretty accommodating.

    (2)

  • Ashley M.

    My husband and I dined at Loulay recently to celebrate our anniversary and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. Our server was super attentive and knowledgable, answering ALL of my questions about obscure drink ingredients (and even bringing me a small snifter of carpano Antica liqueur because I had never tried it before). We had some dietary restrictions including gluten free and there was a lot available in that category. We ordered the Duck Confit sliders, French Onion Soup, Smoked Salmon, Seared Polenta (plus another order bc I kept eating all of my husband's!) Sunchoke Cakes, and Roast Chicken. The food was really tasty and was actually a great value. We ordered all this plus 2 drinks and were out the door for less than $130. My fave was the Duck sliders-- the "bun" was actually a puff pastry so they were presented like a little cream puff and were so cute!! The only weird thing is that when I asked for my entree to be boxed up, our server just brought the box to the table. It didn't ruin the experience at all for me, but I just found it a bit off from the rest of our dining experience, given that it was a high end restaurant.

    (4)

  • Tami H.

    Finally had the chance for a complete dinner here. Really the best choice before a show at the 5th Ave. Great service overall (they mixed up one item but didn't charge us). Fabulous wine selection. Loved the salads and the special sausage appetizer. The mussels were good, though a little greasy and the frites were submerged in the sauce. Thierry was there visiting tables too. Overall a solid experience.

    (3)

  • Andrew M.

    Took my wife here for her b-day. Food and service top notch, we are looking forward to next visit. Thank you!

    (5)

  • Sin-Yaw W.

    Loulay is the hometown of the owner-chef who was the owner-chef for Rover. The "chef in the hat" came out and chatted with patrons and that was a good touch. The foods were very good and reasonably priced. The wine selection was excellent and very nicely priced too. I will definitely come back.

    (4)

  • Ann E.

    Hmmm...tried to take my teen daughter here for lunch. The bar was half empty and the restaurant was completely empty except for 2 tables spoken for....and yet we were asked if we had a reservation to which we looked at each other confused and responded no....and they kindly repeated two times that it would be impossible without reservations due to valentines day....we said there's nobody here though and they smiled and repeated that we would need reservations. Very odd. Give it to people straight. We would at least be ok with a legitimate reason like you ran out of food or the chef is having a breakdown.....something! Customer service is critical in this industry and there are too many other options for us foodies to worry about this place being available.

    (1)

  • Sarah M.

    My husband isn't good when it comes to taking charge and making plans which is why I was SHOCKED when he said that he had made a dinner reservation here for my birthday. We had passed by it a few times...and both LOVE French food so I was excited to go. They had a really interesting cocktail menu - I had a Lazerac which was rye whiskey, lavender simple syrup, bitters and chartreuse. To be honest, I'm not really a whiskey drinker...I got excited about the lavender simple syrup part but couldn't taste any of it in there. It just tasted like a giant shot of whiskey. Anyway, out came the bread and butter. The butter was sprinkled with salt that I've seen in Iceland - it's black volcanic ash salt - and really delicious. I try not to fill up on bread before dinner but couldn't help myself. We were then surprised when they brought out an amuse-bouche of calamari which was in some kind of sauce with sprouts. It looked beautiful - but I don't eat anything from the sea except for salmon so I passed it along to my husband who happily ate it and loved it. For our appetizers, I had the French onion soup (in veal stock) and Mike had the crab beignets. I loved that the soup was much less salty but richer than beef stock. It was just the right amount portion-wise in my opinion. Mike loved the crab beignets as well - there were only three which he downed quickly - but they were super pretty. For dinner, I opted for the roast chicken with brussel sprouts and roasted potatoes which was delicious! There were three large pieces of chicken - one white meat and 2 pieces of dark. There were only a few shredded brussel sprouts - it would have been nice to have a few more. And about 5 or 6 baby smashed roasted potatoes. I couldn't finish everything and brought one of the pieces of chicken home. Mike had the steak which was HUGE! I read some reviews saying that the portions were pretty small - but we definitely didn't seem to have that issue. We were going to do dessert at home but when I saw that they had beignets with ice cream and caramel sauce, I couldn't resist. It was lovely because my husband had told the restaurant that it was my birthday and they brought out a candle in the beignets. It was a nice little touch. The service was impeccable. They acted just like in a French restaurant where they wait until everyone is done with their course before clearing plates. They don't try to bore you with small talk, are efficient, quick, and always on top of things. As soon as our water glass was about half full, someone would always be there to top it off. I took the napkin ring off my napkin and seconds later, someone snatched up the trash. It was really impressive. The chef came around right at the end of our meal, and he was delightful. I hate when managers at restaurants come up to everyone and say "How is everything?" and say the same thing to every customer. The chef was really personable and we had a really nice conversation with him. I've been gushing like crazy about this place to anyone and everyone who will listen. Come here, ASAP!

    (5)

  • Mark K.

    Had a wonderful (small) meal there. The food was delicious (including our friends who had the French Onion Soup). Great wine selections and a cozy feel in one of the back booths... where it was easy to talk. The place does get jumping and reservations are likely a must.

    (4)

  • Kari G.

    If you miss and loved the fine dining establishment Rover's, you'll love Loulay! Hint: It's the same chef. A few delicious morsels made it over to Loulay, denoted by a hat symbol on the menu. High points of our meal were the drinks (specifically the wines), the scrambled egg with sturgeon caviar presented in an egg (OMG SO EFFING GOOD), and the guinea fowl which was both tender and delicious. We even got to speak to the Chef Thierry Rautureau who personally came over and thanked us for coming. What a sweetheart! Such wonderful and considered atmosphere -- modern and stylish without being unapproachable! Service was very attentive and quick. The price points are definitely more affordable than Rover's... so hats off to Thierry Rautureau's new restaurant. May it prosper in this new location for years to come!

    (4)

  • Courtney N.

    This was the first place that my partner and I ate at while in Seattle and at the time, I thought they won't be beat and I was right. Absolutely great food and a wonderful venue. We sat by the window and people watched. Our server was very nice. The food did take a long time, however, we were happy to just hang out. They ended up apologizing to us (we didn't mention it) and taking half of it off the bill which was amazing. Speaking of amazing - the food was delicious. Best we had in Seattle. I had the croquer madam and it was so rich and interesting. My partner loved their beer selection. We actually wanted to go back but didn't find the time which was a pity.

    (5)

  • Stef M.

    Stopped by for a late dinner around 9:30 last night and though I'd checked earlier on OpenTable which showed plenty of availability, we were greeted with just the tiniest bit of attitude about not having a reservation. And were then seated almost immediately. So... uh, ok. Not a great first impression, but our waiter was awesome and the service was quick and attentive after that. I shared some dungeness crab beignets and had the grilled endive salad, French onion soup and hot chocolate for dessert. It was all really delicious! I also tried the lazerac cocktail: strong, with a hint of lavender (don't worry, it's not overpowering). The beignets were great - perfectly crispy and briny with a harissa aioli. I was glad that the French onion soup wasn't super salty - it was just right, apparently it's a veal stock and the croutons on top were gooey and wonderful. And the tiny cup of hot chocolate served with 2 tiny sticks of toasted brioche and salted butter was the perfect dessert. My friends got an amazing-looking cocoa sorbet that somehow magically was dairy and gluten free but still looked so rich and delicious that I'm not sure how they magically conjured it up. But I'm trying it next time!

    (4)

  • Jim L.

    Fantastic! Loved the crab beignets to start the meal. Salads are great and really yummy french onion soup.

    (4)

  • John M.

    We got two recommendations to dine at Loulay, one from the front desk at the Paramount and one from a Seattle couple we were chatting with in a downtown pub. I could not recommend this restaurant any higher. The menu is very French in nature, while still using the abundant local products in the Pacific Northwest. We started with the beet salad and Crab Beignets (killer!), followed by Braised Pork Cheeks, Lamb Meatballs & Halibut Croquettes and a Black (squid ink?) risotto. For dessert we had Tapioca Brulee (smoked turbinado sugar, dried tangerine) which was amazing. The smokey sugar was like no other dessert. I had a glass of vintage Tawny recommended by maître d' Michael. Chef and owner Thierry Rautureau came out and spent a few minutes at each table, greeting his guests. Very classy.

    (5)

  • Matt M.

    I know its a French restaurant but arguably the best burger in Seattle. The food is gourmet but not pretentious to the point where you go hungry.

    (5)

  • Diane S.

    I went here recently with my family, and the food is great but the polish of the service does need improvement. The positive get the white polenta (so yummy ) or salmon. The polenta has yummy crispy mushrooms and the salmon is so good it falls apart on your fork. And the desert the crispy caramel apple or cheese plate. so good. Both beautiful to look at. The cheese place they do not skimp out. 4 huge peices and all so good. I was stuffed by the end. The service does need work. Our waitress was new a nervous, and good at address questions or showing us our wine. She also served one drink and for got to serve the wine until we had to remind another serve. It was nice though cause the owner came around and talked to all the guest about the food. overall really good, and plan to go back.

    (4)

  • Nancy T.

    I've eaten here for the past 2 days and EVERYTHING is good. Day 1: French onion soup- deep, rich flavor of caramelized onion. Radish salad- the spiciness of the radishes really go well with the vinaigrette and cheese. Day 2: house salad- delicious light salad with a blueberry vinaigrette. Surprising light and the vinaigrette wasn't overpowering with the blueberry sweetness I assumed there would be. Tapioca brûlée- hard, thin brûlée crust with a custards tapioca. Super dense and rich with vanilla flavor. Get it with some coffee because it's served with pistachio biscotti. Beignets- fluffy beignets served with a deliciously smooth malt flavored ice cream. Goes well with the caramels and the green apple cuts well into the richness. Service has been great both times. I recommend this to everyone.

    (5)

  • Oksana K.

    Extremely overpriced. The food is nothing more than mediocre. The service was really good and the wine was pretty amazing but yeah.... Don't come here if you are planning on eating an amazing 4-5 star meal. The flavors were so bland and plain. I had the steak and my husband had the halibut. The steak was like Applebee's quality. The halibut was ok. Meh place.

    (2)

  • Jan C.

    Great for brunch. Went here for Sunday brunch with a group. All of the food was very well prepared with great flavor. Wait staff was OK, but not anything special. A bit inattentive. Brunch menu is limited and if you're looking for traditional breakfast menu this is really not the place. Atmosphere is upscale.

    (4)

  • Tim M.

    Staying at the hotel next door made this place easy to go to for breakfast. We visited there 3 times due to its location and our need for some food before heading out of the city. Our experience was pretty much the same for all three visits. The Food (good): The food was pretty good (but not amazing). The first day I had croque monsieur which was awesome, I had the additional duck egg which was a little undercooked but I didn't mind. The second day I had the regular breakfast, unfortunately they butterflied the sausage and left one side on the grill so long it was totally charred beyond edibility. I explained to the waiter and he went and got me another sausage. They also forgot the compote that was supposed to be on the plate too. The third day was a bit disappointing, the breakfast menu was severely limited. I had eggs benedict which was fair. The Service (terrible): On the first and second days there we had the same server. The first day our food was taken to the wrong table and we waited a while for our food to finally arrive. Presumably as some kind of compensation (or another mistake), a sticky bun appeared on our table whilst we were just starting our breakfast (which was a little dry but delicious). The second day we came in, ordered coffee and water to drink. No water was poured for us and we waited about 10 minutes before finally asking another server where it was and brought over the coffee immediately. The third day we had a friend with us and sat in a booth. We were constantly interrupted by 3 different servers trying to pour water, ask if everything was ok and clear our plates. Our friend, who is a slow eater, was asked 4 times if she was finished eating in the space of about 10 minutes. The final time she just gave up and let them take it. It's a shame because this place has so much potential. With a little bit of organizing and better front of house it could be awesome.

    (3)

  • Stacie S.

    My husband and I looked forward to dining at Loulay,especially after local magazines and newspapers espoused its charms. We've dined at both Luc and Rovers, and were looking forward to this new Thierry endeavor. Unfortunately, Loulay doesn't live up to the hype, especially if you've dined at his other two restaurants--hence the 2 star/"Meh, I've experienced better"--because we have, from this chef. A quick overview: Pros: Some old favorites from Rovers If you're upstairs, it's doesn't suffer from the Seattle "concrete walls and floor syndrome"--you can hear your tablemate without yelling. Food service pacing was nice--no rush, not too slow Cons: Very limited menu: 5 appetizers, 5 "middle" courses, 5 entrees--no specials Expensive for what you get Impersonal service bordering on irritated when you don't add on Irritating add-ons--$2 for bread? Really? Bar seating or restaurant seating--if you arrive early and the bar is full, there is nowhere to go, especially poor when you're 7+ months pregnant VERY obvious stains on the chair cushions (did someone wet themselves?) and gum under the counter of the bar We made reservations to celebrate my birthday and arrived about 20 minutes early due to the fluke of not much traffic on 520. We were very lucky that 2 seats opened up in the bar right as we arrived--standing around is, unfortunately, not an option for me these days, and if you're someone with a mobility issue (In a wheelchair or on crunches), this is a very tight, claustrophobic space to navigate. The bar, which seats maybe 20-24 people, was bustling--service was quick, but brusque. We were seated a tiny bit late for our reservation--no big deal. We were escorted upstairs. Our server came by and explained the menu, including that there were "no specials". Hmm, ok. The menu is pretty limited, but given our experience with other Thierry dining, we were confident we would be satisfied. We ordered the crab beignets ($10 for 3), and the smoked pork cheeks ($19) to share. I ordered the roasted chicken ($21) and my husband ordered the ribye ($39). The server had clearly read the comments my husband included on our reservation, for example, that we had dined at both Rover's and Luc. No comment on birthday. The beignets were excellent--roughly the size of a golf ball, crunchy on the outside, served with a harissa aioli. Quite honestly, the highlight of our meal. The pork cheeks were delicious, but for $19--almost the same cost as my entree---disappointingly small serving size. It was about 3 bites for each of us--the flavor was good, but this dish mainly suffers from being very overpriced. Our entrees: the roast chicken was excellent, flavorful, and came with wilted arugula and roasted fingerling potatoes. It was a huge portion--a breast, a thigh, and more chicken besides that. The whole grain mustard of the au jus was very subtle and not overwhelming. The ribeye was the most disappointing portion of our meal. The cut was extremely fatty (about 1/4 of the serving). It was extremely thin as well--accounting for maybe 4 ounces of protein total. The "goat cheese crotin" was overwhelming in flavor--definitely not your typical mild goat cheese. It came with a red wine demi-glace--and that's it. It looked a little lonely on the plate, and despite our server's assurances that the kitchen tended to serve on the rare side, despite ordering "medium rare", the meat was barely pink inside (I heard someone in the bar also comment that their steak was not cooked to their order request, and have seen that theme repeated in yelp reviews). After this somewhat underwhelming repast the server came by with dessert menus. We opted out, based on our experience so far--he pushed with "espresso or coffee", and then seemed irked when we declined. One other Yelper commented it was nice to see Thierry walking the floor, chatting with customers--evidently, that only happens if you're not exiled to the top of the tower/second floor. We paid the bill and left--remember it was my birthday? Evidently they didn't--no mention of it whatsoever, not even a "thank you for choosing to celebrate with us". My guess is our server was put out he couldn't ratchet up the bill another $20 with dessert and coffee. Random asides: this is the restaurant you evidently go to when you want to dine by yourself and yap on your cell phone the entire time, which is what the woman seated behind us did. She was also doused in some horrible cologne that could have been used to disguise a corpse. Not sure if it's Loulay's policy to allow customers to talk throughout a meal on their mobile, but if it is--they can do without our business. Loulay may have potential, but it definitely does not live up to the hype of its predecessor, Rover's, or its more affordable brethren, Luc. We might give them a try for brunch or lunch, but there are plenty of other reasonably priced options with better service and greater selection. Rather disappointing, overall.

    (2)

  • Jane L.

    I was sadly disappointed with the food at Loulay. I had high expectation for this place. The ahi was good. I did not like the braised rabbit dish. It lacked some flavor. The beef burger was decent but not wonderful. We sat by the bar and it was one of those cold nights and every time someone opened the door you can feel the cold breeze. They tried to put up curtains but that didn't help.

    (3)

  • Kate F.

    Took my friend here for her 30th birthday and we fell in love with the food and the place. The service was top notch and the waiter was super helpful when suggesting wines with the food we ordered. We started out with the crab salad and also got 1/2 dozen oysters. Both were fabulous. The oysters come with 3 different sauces to use which was fun. Next we ordered the duck confit sliders, braised rabbit pappardelle and the clams. We shared everything and it was all delicious. I would suggest getting extra bread because the sauces that come with the braised rabbit pasta and the clams are out of this world. To finish off the meal we got the beignets and they were good but not amazing. I can't wait to bring more friends back and try more dishes!

    (5)

  • Stacy H.

    Noticed this place pop up by the office and decided to make a girls night out of it. We opted for the bar since we were looking for small bites from the bistro menu. Just a warning, the bar is small so don't count on a spot if you have more than three people. We arrived around 6:30pm and were lucky that a group was leaving to make space for our party of three. We sat at the bar and received outstanding service from the 2 bartenders. Both were fun, engaging, professional and had recommendations ready when asked. We were also able to write comments in a small journal to document our experience when we received our bill. This might be something they are doing for the first few months of opening to gather ideas/thoughts. As for food, we ordered the crab beignets to share, which were very tasty. We each got the beef burger with cheese ordered medium rare. The brioche bun was fluffy and the beef was cooked to our specifications. The fries were also delicious and came with a delectable garlic aioli sauce. My friend asked for salt, pepper and ketchup, and the bartender returned with freshly ground pepper and a tomato jam, which had a curry flavor. I'm not sure they carry Heinz for you ketchup enthusiasts out there. The chef also prepared samples of a parsnip soup for everyone which was very flavorful. We did realize that the items we ordered were offered on the regular dinner menu for the same price, so we could've made reservations and saved the hassle/uncertainty of getting a spot in the bar, but we noted it for next time. Yes - next time - I will be back!

    (4)

  • Jesse P.

    I've been twice for lunch; once just after they opened, and then 4 months down the road. Three common themes arise, slow service, small portions, expensive. Croque Monsieur ($14). Tasted good. I'd challenge anyone to mess up a ham sandwich! Needs to have some crunch, not be soft. Ham was very connective tissue-y. Small portion. Also, if I remember correctly, there was no gruyere (emmentaler ok., swiss as last resort) between ham and bread. This is a faux pas. Quiche ($12). No one should play $12 for quiche, ever, unless quiche contains something very gourmet. Burger ($14) Ok burger, with cheese and an egg, $17. Pastrami-style Sandwich ($10). Dry, which is the mother of all sandwich transgressions, and also boring. Each time visited it took a minimum of 10 minutes for order to be taken, and 20-30+ for food. They messed up the burger order second visit. It happens and they recovered quickly.

    (3)

  • Kellen C.

    Went for a a business drink and ended up having drinks and fries the meeting was so good lasted almost 5hrs. The service was excellent this is a posh place so don't bring a popper friend without giving them a lesson in etiquette. Charlie the bartender is first class. Going to take my wife here soon as she gets a day off and try more of their food. #Seattle #washington

    (5)

  • Mary A.

    Our second visit to Loulay took place on New Year's Eve. We had made reservations awhile ago and then got a phone call about a week prior asking if we would move our reservation to an earlier time. That meant that three courses would be offered instead of four, but as it turned out---it was fine. We arrived at 6:30 PM and were promptly seated. The menu for the New Years Eve dinner was prix fixe so there were three choices for each course. My husband chose celery root soup as the first course, and I had beet root salad with aged chevre, grapefruit sections and hazlenuts. All delicious! Second course was a beef culotte for him and Guinea fowl for me. Both cooked to our liking and nicely seasoned. Desserts were beignets for me with poached apple slices and sorbet. He chose a chocolate torte. Both desserts were excellent and the portions were smaller, so they could be enjoyed without feeling overly stuffed. The highlight of the evening was meeting the Chef in a Hat, Thierry Rautereau, owner of this restaurant and also another on Capital Hill named Luc. He inquired about our dining experience and we were able to ask him questions about his life as a chef. He was very personable and we noticed that he spent the same amount of time at each table as he did with us. Obviously he must have a lot of confidence in his kitchen staff to be able to mingle with the diners. We would definitely return here again and would also like to try Luc. By the way Luc is the name of Chef Thierry's father!

    (5)

  • N H.

    It's good, very good, the lack of the 5th star is only due to the bar being too small in comparison to the resturant. I have had great food but often feel like I can't move at the bar seats.

    (4)

  • Charles K.

    Came here for lunch. Excellent menu all around. I ordered the 2 course lunch. Is $24 with a salad as one of the two but the main was an awesome scallion ravioli with veal and duck fat and mushrooms. Super rich and well blended flavors. Was amazing, and I would certainly recommend. Not a large draft beer selection but enough to get by.

    (4)

  • Mark D.

    Duck confit sliders - 5 bite sized sliders. Duck overcooked. Sauce too bland. Stay away. Crab beignets - 3 bite sized pieces with some pea sprouts. over seasoned, can hardly taste any crab. Would not recommend. Scallop - from small section but not on their online menu. 1 sea scallop some cauliflowers and carrots. This tasted really good. Pricy at $12 though, but would recommend. Seared polenta - the sauce was nice and polenta was not bad. It's not a bad choice but not good enough for me to get again Lamb meatballs and halibut croquette - 3 bite sized pieces of each. Didn't like the lamb. Halibut was not bad. Not sure why it's called a croquette though becaus it's not. Seared fois gras - tasted really good. Would recommend. A fairly good portioned piece. Rib eye - ribeye was nice but not a fan of the goat cheese. French onion soup - cheese too thin, didnt really like. Didn't enjoy much here. Wouldn't come back as I'm not a huge fois gras fan.

    (3)

  • Ernie M.

    Sampled a bit of everything here with large group and it was all great. Do anything Beignets! Friendly staff and great food!

    (5)

  • K S.

    Based on one dinner and a few brunches I'd say go somewhere you might get the same quality of food without such high expectations. Or, have the attitude that you're paying to enjoy the atmosphere and aim low on the menu. The high ceilings and windows make it bright and energetic during the day and impressive at night. Try to reserve a booth -- you'll want to stay there all day. At dinner, my collard side with the Butter Poached Cod was so heavily salted that it was inedible. The entree was very heavy. I did enjoy a yummy, lotus flower non-alcoholic cocktail, though. And, the harissa aioli made the crab beignets work. Multiple times, the farmer's breakfast has involved unripe fruit and burnt toast. I get it: grilled bread is supposed to be interesting. The waitstaff wanted me to believe, however, that it wasn't possible, or anyone's goal really, to grill the bread without burning it. It was just kind of embarrassing to have to explain that I didn't need a lot of excess carbon with my bread. And, though it resulted in little "I'm sorry" coupons that made me go back, just seemed sort of disingenuously amateurish. I wouldn't even call myself a home cook and I can grill hamburger buns without burning them, so I'm sure Seattle's "best restaurant" could if it really wanted to -- even if only by request.

    (2)

  • Irvin H.

    They refuse service to African Americans. I would have eaten there, but while I was headed to the table to meet my colleagues, a lady stopped me as I entered. She said, tartly, May I help you? I'm going to meet my party, I replied. Which party is that? she asked. You're talking to me like I'm an intruder, I said. No, I'm just not sure you're in the right place... I would have told her that I'm staying at the hotel, but it was all too clear what was going on: she didn't think a black man should be eating at her establishment. Don't support this business. It's unethical.

    (1)

  • Richard B.

    This was my first time at Loulay, and I met some friends for Sunday brunch. First, top marks to the Loulay Mary, which is a Bloody Mary with beet-infused vodka, a spicy tomato juice mix and pickled veggies. Veeeery nice. The service and food, however, left a lot to be desired. We were given our menus, and then our waitress passed by 4 or 5 times (over the next 5-10 minutes) without even asking if we had any questions (or if we were ready to order). Once we finally did order, I was told that the croque monsieur was sold out (it was only NOON.....how is that possible?) so I opted for the eggs benedict. The benedict looked great. However, it was stone cold. Not just lukewarm -- stone. cold. And one of the eggs was sorely undercooked, and had some nasty, clear, uncooked egg whites coming out of it. The ham and bernaise were great, but the temp and undercooked eggs were a huge disappointment. I love the space and vibe, and the prices were reasonable. I'll probably give them another chance. Hopefully visit #2 will be better.

    (2)

  • Penny F.

    I just wanted something light for dinner tonight, so I went to Loulay's, a French restaurant owned by Chef Thierry Rauturea, better known as the Chef in the Hat. After my experience tonight, it's no surprise that they were named Restaurant of the Year last year. The maitre d' was great at suggesting food choices and the servers were friendly and very attentive. The food was..well...fantastic! I had the Charcuterie plate with seasonal accoutrements, including one of my favorites-duck confit. The meal finished off nicely with one of Chef Thierry's childhood favorites-hot chocolate served with buttered and lightly salted brioche. It all left me feeling very satisfied. You definitely want to try this place if you're ever in downtown.

    (5)

  • A L.

    We came here with high expectations after hearing from reviews and friends the food was excellent, but were disappointed. The fact that we all had gastric distress the next morning was also a lovely take-away. The food: - A few dishes were great: the French onion soup, the cod. - Other dishes were disappointingly mediocre: the radicchio salad, the mussels, the salmon - The steak was very overcooked, which was surprising for a restaurant of this caliber. My sister in law ordered in medium rare and it was medium-well done. The service: - Waitress didn't know basic things about the menu she should have known (what kind of salmon) and the chef didn't let us sub gnocchi for the quinoa, which was disappointing. Again, when I go to a restaurant like this I expect more. There are a lot better restaurants in Seattle to spend an evening in if you want a memorable meal. I feel like you're paying for the atmosphere, not the quality of the food or service.

    (2)

  • Kristina H.

    Delicious! Stopped in here for breakfast and had the Eggs Benedict. Best I've ever had. It was served with pommes lyonnaise. I'm not usually a fan of herbed potatoes, but the seasoning on them was really good. I also had some delicious Apple juice which tasted like they made it themselves. The service was very friendly and the atmosphere was quite pleasant. Overall, I will definitely be coming back here again to check out their lunch or dinner menu.

    (5)

  • Edith R.

    If there was a half star, I'd give this a 2.5. As others have said...it's overpriced, even for the gourmet experience, which it definitely is. But the decor looks like one designer started it, got fired and the 2nd designer tried to patch it up. We sat at a table for 6 and it was awkwardly placed in the middle of the restaurant. Upstairs your view is to the Sheraton lobby which is unfortunate. The crab beignet are good and the salmon is good. The service is just OK and on the slow side. Its well located if you're going to a show and maybe for a drink and appy after shopping. But, for my money, I"d rather go to Luc. Much better atmosphere and service.

    (2)

  • Opal D.

    Wonderful lunch experience. We sat upstairs overlooking the entire restaurant and "The Chef in the Hat" came by and said hello within minutes of me sitting down! We had the trout salad, burger, duck bacon sandwich, and chocolate truffle cake. I especially loved the addition of pear in the duck sandwich, and the (candied?) lemon in the trout salad. Service was good, and the food came out quickly (which is perfect because it was lunch hour after all!). I'm looking forward to coming back for dinner soon.

    (5)

  • David S.

    This is a new Restaurant that will be opening December 4th, 2013 to the public and my wife and I was lucky enough to be invited to a pre-opening dinner because of it's proximity to where I work and it was a wonderful experience. First, this is in Downtown Seattle at a prime location. It is located on 6th and Union Street, next to the Seattle Sheraton Hotel. Recently it was where Alan Goldfarb had his downtown jewelry store located at, and other businesses there were a pizza parlor (Luigi's Pizza), a coffee and desert shop, and now this French Kitchen and Bar by the former owner of Rover's restaurant that was located around Madison Park. Eager staff greeted us at the door, Laulay seats roughly a little over a hundred customers. Beautiful hard wood floors, were what I noticed first after the friendly hostess's smile. Then there is a stairway that goes up a level, where more can be seated, and from that second level is a set of stairs that go up to another level where diners can also eat, and it overlooks the entire eatery. Once seated, the waitress had a pleasant smile and offered us a signature cocktail, which I ordered and it was similar to a Manhattan and tasted wonderful. We had a limited menu that we were able to order our dinner from, because it was a soft opening. This is the second time I had dined in a French restaurant so I was a little nervous at first, but my fears were unfounded, there were no fancy French names on the menu which I could not pronounce correctly, but a nice selection of seafood, meat, and vegetarian selections, making it very easy to order whatever you wanted on the menu without being scared you are not pronouncing it correctly. I wish I could remember the name of the appetizer we had, it was something with crab in it and was delicious. We also shared the cheese sampler, which had four different types of cheeses, that came with bread and accompanying selection of sides. We ordered the mussels, and scallops for our dinner selection. I always watched Gordon Ramsey's Hells Kitchen on TV and the cooks would always mess up on the scallops, well these were big, juicy, and tasted delicious! For dessert I ordered the chocolate torte selection, with de-café coffee, and it tasted wonderful. All in all a great dining experience. The attention was fantastic, service excellent, and we had a five star dining adventure on Thanksgiving Eve. Prices were very reasonable, again I was a little nervous about going to a French restaurant but dining here just throw any apprehension out the door, they make you feel like you are eating at home with the friendliest staff full of smiling faces and eagerness to help. I am so happy to have this in Downtown Seattle, it is what the site needed, They offer an great lunch menu, it would be perfect for those business lunches, or dinners, it is a great place to take friends or relatives from out of town to, or if you want to impress a date, you can't go wrong here. Thanks to the staff, especially to Mr. Anthony Alvarez the Dinning Room Manager, he has done an excellent job in preparing the restaurant to be one of the best in Downtown Seattle. Bravo!

    (5)

  • Connie B.

    Stopped by for breakfast. After being seated we were ignored. The staff was busy with being filmed and interviewed. Apparently that was more important than the customers. We left.

    (1)

  • Tracy T.

    The evening began with the restaurant seating us 40 minutes late. This I was willing to excuse because they were very apologetic and offered us a complimentary beverage from the bar. We asked our server what the best starters there were. She confirmed that the duck sliders were excellent, but they were also out of them. We decided on the crab fritters and the French onion soup to share. The fritters were tasty in a way a fried ball of dough dipped in mayo would be, but there was little to no evidence of crab in any of them. I found them to lack flavor and be a little heavy. The most disappointing part of our meal was the French onion soup. This was surprising as it was singled out on the menu as one of the "Chef's Favorite Dishes". I expected it to be phenomenal. It was mediocre. So mediocre that we left 75% of it in the bowl. I will say that our 2 entrees redeemed the restaurant. Our favorite plate was the butter poached cod with spaghetti squash. The cod was cooked to perfection, the braised greens were seasonally balanced and the baked spaghetti squash was a seamless marriage of salty and sweet. I will definitely return for that cod and (hopefully) the duck sliders.

    (3)

  • Marcia A.

    The ambiance, décor, buzz was fantastic, it felt unique for Seattle, plus people were dressed as if they were downtown -- instead of super, normal Seattle wear....but.....the food was a huge disappointment. My friend and I went the small plate route.....so 6 in total....when we eat out, there is sometimes 1 that isn't great but at Loulay, there was simply nothing that was beyond mediocre. I was so surprised because Luc is great. I just had dinner last night at another highly regarded $$$$ Seattle restaurant in Madison Valley and that was simply spectacular....night in day in terms of food. Loulay' service was exceptional, décor but the food is a big driver of where to choose to eat out.......

    (3)

  • Anne M.

    I got back to actually try lunch at Loulay and was sadly underwhelmed. My friend had the French Onion soup which she said was okay but nothing special. I was looking forward to trying the Trout Salad but they were out of it. I decided to try the duck bacon sandwich. We found out from the server that this was duck which was cured like bacon. The sandwich upon arrival looked good but when we picked it up to take a bite, all of the duck bacon fell out. I don't know why it wasn't served in slices but the duck bacon was chopped up in small 1" pieces that wouldn't stay in the bread. We ended up just eating the insides like a salad. The duck bacon was so salty that my friend couldn't eat all of hers. I found it really salty too but mixing it with the little side salad seemed to help. I understand that bacon is salty but when you can only taste the salt I think that's too much. I don't think I'd go out of my way to go back for lunch. I plan on taking my mom before a show at ACT in March so I'll have to see how dinner is. Keeping my fingers crossed! PS The service was tons better this time around!

    (2)

  • Lilly L.

    Friendly host started the evening out right! Gave us a hi top table next to window so we had a very nice street view. We weren't too hungry (good thing because they are not kidding when they say small plates here) so we ordered small and medium plates to share. We came here specifically because they had foie gras on the menu. It was $19 under the small plate section so we ordered one just to see how small. It came out with one thin slice of foie and a fig pastry. Rich and delicious foie goodness. Just wish it were a more generous slice for this price! I had squab and it was cooked perfectly with crispy skin and slightly pink in the breast. They leg displayed with claw still intact was. A Bit scary but looked past it and chewed on the crispy meat. Duck sliders overrated. They were too sweet for me and the puff pastry bun didn't feel right to me. My daughter loved them though. Burger was big and tasty. Black rice risotto was strange. I was expecting a savory dish but it was room Temp and has a tart kind if salad dressing. Not worth that cost. Over all meal was tasty but pricey for sure!

    (4)

  • Patricia W.

    Dropped in for our anniversary dinner before a play at ACT. Despite no reservations, the hostess was very accommodating. We were seated at a counter with a view of the kitchen. Quite fun to watch! Started with crab beignets: crispy with just a little spicy heat. My husband loved them. They tasted a little pasty to me. Next, I had the polenta with wild mushrooms. Fabulous with rich mushroom flavor and filling! My husband had the cod and lamb meatballs. Just to warn you: the meatballs are alone on the plate. Delicious, but alone. Profiteroles ice cream sandwiches and truffle cake for dessert. They both need some oomph so we combined them.

    (4)

  • Jim N.

    The average of 3 1/2 stars is flat-out grade deflation. This is a spectacular restaurant. The menu is creative without being flashy. The preparation quality is pluperfect. The service is knowledgeable and attentive, but never smarmy. The bar is sneaky-good - some creative cocktails in addition to a solid wine list. I've eaten here a number of times. It's always excellent. To the reviewers who think otherwise, I just don't get it.

    (5)

  • HAL M.

    Always excellent food and service, in general. However, I downgraded from 5* to 4* for two issues. The house salad was either too lightly dressed or insufficiently tossed, however, on the other hand, I would not want them drenched in dressing like some places make their salads - it's a fine balance. I was especially disappointed with the soggy French fries in in the Mussels dish. The mussels and the sauce were great, but I sure don't think the fries, put into the bowl with the mussels and excellent sauce, is a very good preparation. However, when I complained to the server, she brought me a nice helping of Loulay's side of fries which were excellent. On the good side, the Crab Beignets were a most tasty preparation.as was the Seared Polenta with wonderful wild mushrooms. For dessert we shared the Portuguese Beignets which is an interesting dish but not one we likely will order again. We will return to Loulay, especially prior to attending a performance at ACT Theatre, just a block away.

    (4)

  • Jojo S.

    With a reputation that precedes him, the "Chef in the Hat" Thierry Rautureau had to have known that he has expectations to meet! Longtime Seattleites wax poetic about Rover's, the french haute cuisine restaurant he owned and ran for decades in Madison Park. When he closed that, he opened Luc, a smaller, less haute version, which was definitely a step down. Unfortunately, Loulay is stepping yet further away from his lauded reputation. The menu at Loulay reads like it's trying to please the tourists staying at the Sheraton Hotel, where the restaurant is located. It's NOT trying to please local gourmands who demand high quality, excellent flavor, creative execution, and seasoned service. Looking at the menu, my husband was not tempted by anything except the burger! It was a fine burger: thick and juicy. It came with fries and aioli. But really, where CAN'T you get that these days? I thought about the pork cheeks (a "medium" plate), but the waitress informed that it's 4 oz. of pork in a broth. "Like a soup," she said. No where on the menu would you have divined that pork cheeks are a soup. I got the duck instead (a "large" plate at $25). What a disappointment. 4 small slices of duck that were chewy and not terribly flavorful on a bed of creamy polenta. The wine menu is huge, but if you're ordering wine by the glass, you pay for the privilege. Glasses come in 3 oz. pours ($8-18) and 6 oz. pours (around $14-25), and trust me, their pours are exact. Not a drop extra despite the big tab. Cocktails (about $14) are french style: served in water glasses with no ice. They were okay, not amazing. The one plus: Loulay did a great job with the space. Tall windows overlooking 6th Avenue, beautiful booths and chandeliers, a top floor that overlooks the bottom. The bar is also attractive. Happy hour, served only in the bar, seems a better option. At least the prices will better match your expectation with happy hour bar food -- again, the burger and frites!

    (2)

  • Judith J.

    Loulay is beautifully decorated and feels decadently luxe. I was greeted warmly and seated in a lovely booth. Hot delicious coffee was delivered, followed shortly thereafter by a delightful glass of champagne. The waiter was charming and solicitous. I ordered Croque Monsieur. It arrived in all its cheesy, hammy, eggy glory. It looked so splendid I took its picture - and I hate people who photograph their food. I was so happy....until I took the first bite and IT WAS COLD! WHY? So cranky and disappointed. I do, however, plan to give The Chef In The Hat another chance. Please make it hot next time.

    (3)

  • Megan B.

    This was a random find for my group and I. We were wandering the street without a reservation anywhere and we stumbled upon Loulay. They were very accommodating with making a table for us and we had excellent service the whole time. I also found their menu pretty affordable considering the quality of food they were putting out. Although we spent quite a bit on wine so our bill was slightly larger than usual. The chef even came to our table to see how things were for us. I definitely will be back!

    (4)

  • Rohan N.

    Food was great, service was inconsistent and definitely can stand to be improved. Came for dinner with 4 colleagues. We ended up ordering 4 small plates and then ordering medium plates for entrees, as well as a bottle of champagne (and later a bottle of wine). The "appetizers" (small plates) came out at different times which was awkward... but were absolutely delicious. In particular, the ducks sliders and crab beignets were outstanding. However, the champagne came out slightly warm. In addition, we had literally 4 different people come by to pour refills in about 5 minutes... even though no one's glasses were empty. Not sure if the service is not well coordinated or they're just trying to sell more alcohol... Then we moved onto the entree round with a bottle of red wine. The sommelier made a great recommendation for a local wine, and the entrees were exceptional as well. However, we had the same pour issues as before, as well as the waiter having a little mix up between the decanted wine and what was left in the bottle. The waiter also brought the wrong entree and looked stunned when we told him that. For dessert, 3 of the 4 of us had the hot chocolate per Yelp's recommendation. It was absolutely delicious - I would not have associated bread and butter with hot chocolate, but it worked absolutely. Overall, the food was great, service was middling, and the price was very reasonable (seriously, for a hotel restaurant - this is a good price). In addition, the space is beautiful and HUGE - much more space than I thought. Given I'm going to be traveling to Seattle for months and staying at the Sheraton, I'm sure I'll be back - hope they improve the service by then.

    (4)

  • Dembe N.

    Tried this place cause saw good reviews on Urbanspoon but this place can't be a talk of the town. Yes, nice place, nice decor, presentation of the food is good bit the food is average.

    (3)

  • Julie L.

    The service alone makes this gem in the midst of downtown food lameness worth visiting. Terrific, unpretentious sommelier, attentive wait staff, friendly hostess, charming chef who stops by and actually shows interest in his customers. Highly recommend the duck sliders (although really should be called duck profiteroles), the cheese plate (on the desert menu, but you can request as a starter), the duck three ways and the salmon. Avoid the polenta - it's bizarre and really closer to a savory cream of wheat.

    (4)

  • Barry L.

    Cool hip bar and grille great location downtown. I sat in the bar.. Service was excellent. Be prepared, the prices are decent but like other have said the proportions are small for the $$. Food was excellent, service was awesome. Great place for drinks.

    (2)

  • Paul S.

    this has Great potential - as soon as Thierry gets his staff fully up to speed. Food was great! Service was not at the level I expect, having dined at Luc and Rovers which was impeccable. I am confident that it will get better, and plan to return in a few months to see how it improves.

    (4)

  • Guin V.

    I will never go back.... You want an experience with Parishioners in Paris -- you got it -- they treat you very cold and unfeeling, in a hurry, loud and don't care. Would not seat us at 4:50 -- dinner begins at 5:00 - you can sit in the Bar--- I don't want the bar scene... Finally they seat us -- and no we can't have a booth -- they are reserved -- all but one remained empty the whole time we were there... Food is only okay -- I was excited to have the French Onion soup -- the worst I've had -- tried to get it to go earlier in the afternoon -- NO - they could not do that... The way it was made - I have no idea why not -- they only had to pour it in cup -- not much in there, only veal broth - hardly any cheese or crouton.... Just like in Paris! The Owner, chatted with the people at the table next to ours -- never even gave us a smile!

    (1)

  • Bethany M.

    This place, like Luc, hits the casual bistro "spot" -- especially when compared to its peers (e.g., Cafe Campagne, Bastille, et al). Some items are tastier than others, and the dessert beignets aren't the greatest. I would come here for lunch on a work day. It's right around the corner from my office. The decor is generic, high-ceilinged, cavernous -- exactly what you would expect for a hotel restaurant. Sigh. I miss the intimacy of the house, and the finesse of the food and service at Rover's. All the same: you couldn't bring a baby with you to Rover's, and we did just fine with our little guy at Loulay.

    (3)

  • J B.

    Loulay for the holidays. It happened somewhat by surprise and we loved it. The host was very accommodating and the staff was friendly. The small bar looked inviting and I would like to come back and experience it but this is only a review of our dining experience. The atmosphere was elegant but festive. Our waitress was very friendly and our table had a good view of the kitchen and also the lighted trees along Sixth Avenue. We were served quickly and well attended to. I had the burger and opted for the duck egg and cheese since that's Thierry's preference. I am now ruined for hamburgers. The desserts looked great but we had to leave for a show. I can't wait to go back and dig deeper into the excellent menu. I'd like to try the Ribeye but I'll have a hard time not getting that burger again.

    (5)

  • Connor B.

    Nice flavors, soup was too salty, overall it felt like a commercialized version of its predecessaor.

    (3)

  • Francois W.

    Awesome diner experience ! Great location, warm ambiance, friendly and top notch staff. Sublime & creative food with small size portions at reasonable prices. Very eclectic wine list with very fair pricing. A must.

    (5)

  • Charles M.

    Erica, the sommelier made the night! She was so welcoming we thought she was the hostess. GREAT oysters. Mussels were good but served ON the frites which made them soggy. Smallish quantity of mussels. Good foie gras if you're feeling politically incorrect. Profiterole dessert was non-conventional.

    (4)

  • Jade D.

    we stumbled in here because we just needed somewhere to eat after wandering around on this Sunday morning where every place else was packed. well, you know what they say: "one wrong turn"... Don't waste your time or appetite. I can only comment on a somewhat limited food experience as I just got 2 eggs scrambled and a mimosa. The eggs were fair, not hot enough, and a little on the runnier side (not runny persay but not fluffy and delightful). As an aside, I asked for ketchup and hot sauce, both of which seemed homemade as hot sauce was delicious but on the flip side the ketchup was overly sweet and terrible. The Fincy got coffee which was fair at best, and the two eggs platter, which came with extra hard, borderline burnt toast that was SOAKING in butter, a few grapes, worst bacon ever cooked to a crisp cardboard consistency; and potatoes which were actually good and the highlight of this dismal experience. it also took super long for this simple order to arrive. i think there are definite problems in someone's kitchen. the restaurant was busy (it was Sunday a.m.) but actually not even slammed! pah. i'd eat nothing rather than do this place ever again.

    (1)

  • Alice H.

    Great food and great service. We had the scallops and seafood stew entrees and both were delicious. For dessert we had the hot chocolate and the profiteroles and those were the perfect ending. Others in our party had the burgers and pastrami sandwiches, as well as the beignets, and everyone was very happy overall with our dining experience.

    (4)

  • Scott S.

    Sat at the bar. Had a beat salad and the pork cheeks entree. Good bartender. Good cocktails. Pork wasn't as tender as I would have expected but I enjoyed my time here. A great addition to the Sheraton.

    (4)

  • Pedro F.

    I tried the two vegetarian options in the menu (a polenta and a risotto) and they were just great! The staff was also lovely.

    (5)

  • Laura T.

    Service was attentive and the food was incredible! The aioli was so rich and delicious. My bf had the burger and I had the lamb. We ended with profiteroles with salted caramel. Yum, yum, yum. Staff was very friendly. This was our first meal after an Alaskan cruise which had so-so food, so this was a real treat!

    (5)

  • Tomalia C.

    Very disappointed. We came here for our holiday dinner on 12/21/14. They were out of crab beignets. How could they let that happen? The lamb meatballs were dry and overcooked. The seafood stew did not have any crab in it. I will say dessert was the best part. The beignets and profiteroles were delicious, but it was not enough for us to return. I think this restaurant is very overrated.

    (2)

  • Cathie S.

    Just returned from a wonderful evening at Loulay. This is the kind of restaurant where you know you're going to receive wonderful service and fabulous food, and you'll never be disappointed. We were there to celebrate a friends birthday and went early to have drinks in the bar before dinner. The bar is small and there is no Happy Hour, which was a bit disappointing, but the drinks were reasonably priced and the bistro menu was available also. I had the crab beignets as a first course and they were incredible. The harissa aioli that came with them was just spicy enough to give the dish a bite, but not overpower it. I'd definitely have them again. My main course was the butter poached cod with spaghetti squash and chard. The dijon sauce over top was absolutely to die for. I loved every bite. My dessert course was the chocolate cake and I loved the presentation - very playful and it sure tasted great too. My friend had the creme caramel and I think I would order it next time. As good as the chocolate cake was, her dessert was even better. The ladies restroom is beautifully decorated and smelled divine - a mixture of fresh star gazer lilies and Antica Farmasista reed diffuser. Fresh flowers and beautiful decor in the restroom are such a nice touch of luxury and made the evening that much more enjoyable. Chef Thierry stopped by our table and he's just delightful. We are so blessed to have his caliber of cooking in Seattle. He's charming and fun and having him stop by to visit during our meal was very, very nice. I highly recommend this restaurant. Great food, great ambience, great service and an absolute gem in ththe city.

    (5)

  • Priyanka M.

    We wanted to try Loulay ever since Chef Thierry announced he was opening a new restaurant! It just didn't work out for the longest time until one random Friday evening we called them and got a reservation for 8:45pm. I had to give them props for accommodating us on the same day as the call but when we did come in, we had to wait for half an hour to be seated!!! It was refreshing to see a good chef open a restaurant in downtown instead of same old capitol hill, belltown or Ballard area! The size is very impressive and so is the décor and bar! Unfortunately, these were the highlights of Loulay along with the Chef coming out to have a word with us. After an unbelievably unique and delicious experience at Rovers, I came here for the food and yes the food disappointed!!! Its unfair to compare it but I was expecting a certain level of surprise along with a "AHA" moment! My husband and I ordered the CRAB BEIGNETS, HALIBUT WITH WATERCRESS PUREE AND SALMON which was the special of the day!!! The crab beignets disappointed severely, just lacked flavor! I was confused as to what I was having and its not the first time I'm having beignets!!!! I thought the Salmon had good flavor and seasoning to it and worked really well with the quinoa. I'd definitely order that again but my husband didn't enjoy it as much. On the other hand my halibut was very chewy and hard on the edges. The watercress puree was pretty tasty and would've worked well if my protein was as well done!! The mistake I did was to not let Chef Thierry know about the disappointments when he came to chat with us in person. I'd try to go back to Loulay if they were having a special for restaurant week or happy hr to give it another shot!

    (3)

  • Megan s.

    OMG is all I can say after dining at Loulay last night!! The food reminded me of Rovers...everything was cooked to perfection and presented beautifully. I don't understand some of these other reviews. Of course when you go to a brand new restaurant there will be kinks within the first couple of weeks but you should try it again b/c last night was amazing. Our server Dan (who we remembered as being one of the best servers at Rovers) was still incredibly attentive and knowledgable on everything that we asked about and gave great suggestions plus he chose fantastic wines to go with each dish! The french onion soup was excellent, perfectly seasoned, perfect temperature and the gruyere cheese was so creamy and delicious (I will crave this soup everyday). We then had clams and oysters...so fresh and paired with really unique dipping sauces like the pomegranate seeds...amazing. For our main course we order the duck, the cod and a ribeye. The duck is insane. Cooked perfectly...just like it always was at Rovers but now you get more and we couldn't have been happier! this was our tables favorite dish but the cod was to die for too. Like butter it just melts in your mouth and is so fluffy and yummy! The ribeye, of course, was stunning and perfect. We all left so happy, so satisfied and had a really top notch experience. This place reminds me of some of my favorite five stars restaurants in NYC! The ambiance is definitely sexy and sophisticated and transports you to another place. Well done and Thank you for an amazing evening Chef Thierry and Chef Rob, you guys made our night when you came to say hello!! Our new favorite place and we live in Queen Anne...it was a ten minute car ride. Perfect!

    (5)

  • Tammy H.

    Convenient location before heading to the theatre. Service was very good. Seated promptly. Server was attentive and answered our questions about the various dishes and made some recommendations. The issue was the portion size and value for money - small and not so much. I ordered the scallops. The menu read scallops. We asked the server if this was a dish we could share - and she said it is small. So, I ordered the scallops and my husband ordered the lamb croquettes - both medium dishes (per their menu configuration). My scallops - one slightly larger than small scallop. If the menu reads scallops - correct me if I'm wrong - but shouldn't that mean more than one? Thank goodness we ordered the beet salad to share at the table (each of the four of us got one bite of beet) - because I would have been starving during the play. As it was I left this restaurant hungry. Not that one needs to leave stuffed - but I felt like I had a couple bites of appetizers. And the bill was hefty. So, I know its French, but really, super tiny portions. Just know if you are looking for a filling meal you will need to order multiple dishes.

    (2)

  • AG L.

    My wife said this was supposed to be one of the best new restaurants in 2014, but it was a disappointing meal. Decor was nice, but it was loud (that might have been the fault of the people at the next table). And the food was mediocre. Crab beignets were too heavy and doughy. Steak was soggy and over salted. Steak should not be soggy. My wife's cod was nice. The chef came by to ask about our meal, and when I explained the steak was disappointing, he promptly took it off the bill. I appreciate the personal touch and concern - we may give it another try.

    (3)

  • Paul S.

    Great dining experience here with a group of friends. We were promptly seated and had a friendly waitress. They didn't have the bottle of wine we wanted to share (bummer), but we decided to each order a glass of what we wanted instead. It seemed to take about ten minutes to get our wine, but we were fine with the conversation. The best way to go is to order from each of the three plate options which is what we did. The beet carpaccio is quite nice..cool, smooth beet slices with nice dabs of Northwest smoked salmon. The crab beignets were decadent though a few of us thought the aioli was a bit too tangy. The polenta was rich and delightful. I had the cod for the main course and ate it in about five bites..it was that good. I heard good things from my table mates about the chicken and salmon that they ordered. Dessert was a little uneven. We all sampled each other's choices and mine seemed to be the best: a wonderful coriander cake with pumpkin puree and brown butter ice cream. The honey tart was kind of bland and the beignets nothing special. The four of us, with three courses each and dessert plus a glass of wine, all under $400. Not bad.

    (4)

  • Brad H.

    I wish I could give 5 stars! 2 reasons "why not 5" first: 1. Service was great in the beginning, and became below average towards the end. Very slow at clearing plates and bringing the check etc. 2. My entree was frankly not very good. The Halibut was cooked beautifully but was not seasoned (incredibly under-seasoned?), and there was not enough of the lovely marigold-colored sauce to compensate. Now I sing Loulay's praises. 1. Chef Thierry made his way around 3 times and was wonderful to have conversation with. He is funny, down-to-earth, frank, and very open about sharing information about dishes and the restaurant. 2. The foie gras as a side was one of the most incredible things I have ever tasted. Everyone in our group swooned. I didn't think the foie gras from Bookbindery would be topped, but this was better. 3. The Halibut croquets were like crabcake-meet-smoked salmon. I loved them! 4. Sommelier was excellent, as was the wine list 5. The duck sliders were to-die-for 6. I tired the pork cheeks which were very, very good. Rich and flavorful like a great Beef bourguignon, but more refined. 7. The polenta was also very good. 8. The desserts were excellent. I had the chocolate sorbet which was very different and delicious. 9. The prices were excellent. 10. Everyone else might have given it 5 stars, but I got the one "meh" entree.

    (4)

  • T G.

    Ate there during Christmas season and was underwhelmed. I ordered the pork cheeks and they were boring--underseasoned and in a dull sauce. Really you can do a lot better in Seattle than this overpriced place.

    (2)

  • Thom W.

    An excellent experience. The food was phenomenal across the board. My only complaints would be some slow service on spent plate pick-ups and a rather awkward, loud and crowded main floor layout. And one solo men's room for the entire place? I saw more than a few discomfited patrons upset about this. Overall, though, highly recommended.

    (4)

  • Erin P.

    I had brunch here on my birthday and could not hav been happier with the atmosphere, service, and especially the food, exceeded my expectations. It is a very happy place for brunch and I can't wait to try lunch and dinner. I was with my sister and 2 year old nephew, and although they are not a kid-friendly, family accommodating type of restaurant in that they don't have crayons or kid activities, we brought plenty to keep him occupied and they were very kind about the number of objects that were thrown on the floor. I went all out ordering since it was my birthday, starting with their absolutely perfect Bloody Mary, except that I wish it had included a cornichon. I ordered the omelette with fine herbs and it was the level of perfection I haven't been able to find since I lived in France. The potatoes with carmelized onions were served with a peach compote and the sweet and savory element was brilliance. I followed with espresso with Baileys and the greatest french toast ever made. Seriously the best ever. Everything was perfection and I will be back as frequently as possible. Loulay is my new happy place :)

    (5)

  • Katherine S.

    Arriving in Seattle kind of late and too tired to stray from my hotel for Yelp-fueled exploration (a rarity for me) I stopped in for a light bite at the bar. Crab beignets were maybe just not my thing, though no complaints, good enough. Dozen assorted oysters were tasty but picky gripe for $25 don't count in a little baby one that is the size of my pinky nail! I do want to shout out appreciation for a really nice mocktail in a martini glass - Lotus Flower - sophisticated herbal infusion and minimally sweet. It's really nice to have a grown up non alcoholic drink when for whatever reason you just don't want to indulge but don't like sugary soda/juice. So that made my visit worth it, along with a very nice ambiance and very friendly fast service, it was just what I needed as a convenient yet upscale antidote to my overdose of airplane time.

    (4)

  • Eric M.

    This is my new favorite. I like the location: along a busy downtown street, next to a popular hotel. I like the layout, it has lots of interesting areas, the bar, the cozy corner, the upstairs balcony, the booths, the back booths.....it has a lot going on. I also like the decor, it feels New York-like to me. Did you notice the 2 hats adorning the top of the huge mirror in the main dining room? The chef in the hat, get it?? Anyway, the food was awesome. The grilled endive salad was like a crispy carmelized savory dessert. The salmon was perfectly cooked and a nice portion. The bed of lentils that it came upon were nicely seasoned and tasty. Can I just say that I thought the way they broke up the menu into small plates and larger plates made it very easy to compose a dinner that was affordable and still filling. My gal had the duck breast which was done with a confit leg as well, the best of both worlds! I had the coco sorbet for dessert and it was so rich, it was like "sipping" chocolate rich. I would get that again. The chef in the hat, Thierry, stopped by at the end of the meal to see if everything was up to par, a nice touch. See you soon I hope Thierry.

    (5)

  • Seattle C.

    Disappointing - lukewarm food and coffee, tiny grande plats. The best thing was the wine list, but you can't live on wine alone. I expected much better from a proprietor who was a Top Chef Master contestant.

    (2)

  • Brissa S.

    Happy hour bistro menu is okay. We ordered the beef burger and the hot chocolate. The beef burger is very light and the aioli works great adding the necessary creaminess to the good charcoal taste of the beef. The hot chocolate was average,uneventful, the brioche and the butter were very plain and the flavored don't work with the hot chocolate for my taste. One thing about service, I really don't like when the staff is not flexible or doesn't think outside the box in order to make the customer more comfortable. I was on crutches and they still made us sit at the bar with the high stools. I understand the service hours,etc, however, I do believe a great restaurant should have great staff and service as well as food.

    (3)

  • Ly T.

    Like the rating states: Meh. I've experienced better. I don't really want to write much about this place, but nothing really that negative too. It's a beautiful restaurant. Service was ok. If you must go here, the perfect egg is awesome and pricey. But everything else we had there was hit with salt by a heavy handed chef. I love salt, but even I have my limits.

    (2)

  • Zelabeth C.

    All has been made right with me & Loulay - they called me back about my unfortunate burger incident and my sister & I went last night and were super-dooper happy and treated so very well. We both ordered the halibut w/Potato, watercress puree, caramelized fennel, split the beet salad and house salad (house salad wins the contest hands-down) and the Sancerre - all quite tasty. So, now I will be a fan again - my next time I will try the seared polenta, order the house salad again and def. another glass of Sancerre. Great service and lovely atmosphere.

    (4)

  • Danielle H.

    Very excited to try this restaurant having tried Rovers, decadent, and a frequent patron of Luc, lovely. I was anticipating unbelievable food. I was pleasantly surprised with some of the menu. The cocktail list: delicious Wine list: happy with the wine list (the house wine is very good) Appetizer : we tried the grilled endive salad and french onion soup. The salad was delicious but the soup was a bit cold and congealed. I love French onion soup and have had much better elsewhere. Dinner: steak and the chicken. The steak with the reduction sauce was very good. Steak was thin but cooked well. The chicken was very good but not as good, moist or juicy as I have elsewhere. Server: Mickey - the best server I have had in a long time. Everyone, from being greeted to seated were very friendly, welcoming an appreciative of us coming in.

    (4)

  • Tom J.

    I had so much fun and such a great meal here opening night. We wanted to go specifically to share in the excitement and also the scrambling that happens on that first night. Loved how varied the menu was, with options in several price ranges. The amuse-bouche was perfect, a poached quail egg topped with creme fraiche and roe, and my ribeye was completely to die for, with a perfect sauce. Staff were clearly having opening night vibes, but everyone was extremely hard working, affable, and knowledgeable. Chef came by three times to chat and be sure we were happy. And mercy, the space itself is so sweet. Luxurious but somehow down to earth at the same time, with the crowd generating a happy buzz that was never loud-seeming. I can't wait to go back, as I live just a few blocks away.

    (5)

  • John M.

    Went here with a mate of mine for lunch. Having head about the Crab Beignets which were tasty but seemed heavy on the oil. For the main I had the burger, which was very good. It wasn't huge which was a refreshing experience too. The burger was juicy and tender. Loulays has a nice ambience, and certainly ample staff. Overall it seems like a good lunch place.

    (4)

  • Carolyn P.

    Terrific evening with colleagues. So glad they picked Loulay since I'd wanted to give it a try. Patient albeit a bit condescending service, But on the whole a great dinner. Lovely sweetbreads, onion soup, and foie gras. Everyone else's looked good too. Why not five stars... just a touch condescending. Nothing over the top... but enough to note. I will try, try again...

    (4)

  • Jessica J.

    Went in for lunch. Food was was fantastic, had a delicious brandy based cocktail, and the lady bartender was so genuine and friendly. I will return.

    (5)

  • Gail H.

    Stopped in for lunch, my husband had a burger and fries, I had soup and a salad it was all delicious. The service was professional and the atmosphere pleasant. The tables were a little too close together which was actually a bit awkward, when someone was seated next to us I felt like they were joining our table. Other than that it was a great experience and I would love to visit again.

    (4)

  • Jayne H.

    Eating the French farmers breakfast. Phenomenal. I can't believe this is a Hotel restaurant! Would eat here anytime.

    (5)

  • Mary P.

    This restaurant is beautifully designed and has a thoughtful, creative menu that really impressed a experienced foodie like me. The atmosphere is elegant, the service was superior. I enjoyed lunch there with a friend on a busy Saturday, but did not have to wait long for table or food. We ordered the Cauliflower Soup with picked Apple. Exquisit, perfect balance flavors, temperture, and texture. The lunch duo for $22 was a great value and the scallops served on that special were cooked perfectly with a nice crust. True to French form the sizes are delicate, but savory sauces have sensational flavor notes that make the food beyond satisfying. I tried a bite of my friends Halibut which was also very yummy. For desert we had a Tapioca Brulee and Chefs Hot Chocolate. My favorite was the Tapioca Brulee. So inovative I wanted to stand up and applaud. The texture was brilliant twist to a classically made Brulee. I loved the little details that make this resturant a must have experience. The black salted butter, the smoked sugar crust on the Brulee, and well I won' t give it all away...

    (5)

  • Sarah L.

    Three hours later....we had eaten an appetizer and main course. Went home hungry. Food was pretty good, but definitely not spectacular. +1 for a beautiful restaurant, +1 for delicious gin cocktails.

    (2)

  • Kt B.

    French onion soup awful. Bread cold and awful. Overpriced. Skip it. Ambiance was ok for drinks

    (1)

  • Megan V.

    My croque madam was cold and the cheese had not melted. The servers kept trying to give duplicate salads and soups to different members of our table. Our food took very long to arrive. The floors were very slippery. The bathroom situation was confusing - is it a man & women's restroom or a unisex restroom?

    (2)

  • Amanda R.

    Really love this place. The food was amazing and interesting without being too douchey. We got the duck confit and the parpadelle noodles and both were amazing. The broth was simple and perfect. One of my favorite restaurants in Seattle!

    (5)

  • Kevin M.

    Visited Loulay while in Seattle for the holidays after reading a glowing article in the Seattle Times. The restaurant is attractive, upscale and reminiscent of Paris, so I think its design accomplishes those goals. Unfortunately, however, the main floor has several side-by-side, two-person tables smack dab in the center of the room. Not only are you cheek-to-cheek with other guests at those tables but you have a massive amount of foot traffic on all sides of you as well. Fortunately, we were seated upstairs on the mezzanine which afforded a wonderful view but we quickly realized there was yet another level to the restaurant above us and the only ingress and egress to that area (apparently for large parties) flowed past our table! Dozens of waitstaff passed by us on their way upstairs (along with a gentleman diner wearing a Kilt) and down through the course of our meal. It was like Grand Central. I feel sorry for the waiters as this three-story climb must get old by the end of a night. It certainly was for us! Rather than go through each dish, I'll simply provide an overall impression of the meal. I will mention, however that you should skip the House salad; you might as well just grab some raw greens from your garden and stuff them in your mouth - no flavor or dressing....just raw with some dabs of goat cheese. Not satisfying. As for the balance of the meal, all I can say was that it was 'adequate'. I've had so much better that while it was good, it was not memorable. I will mention the deserts which are unique and perhaps the most compelling food available here. The overall feeling I was left with was that the meal was good, expensive and the restaurant attractive. For truly flavorful food, I'd walk down the street to Mina's RN 74.

    (3)

  • Salina L.

    Just had lunch at Loulay with coworkers and it was severely underwhelming. Server was Lani who was nice enough but not too attentive nor did she seem informed about the menu. The Poultry Confit Salad she swore was duck but it didn't appear to be duck and it sure didn't taste like duck. I would buy that it was a mixture of duck and chicken but that's as far I would go. The salad was extremely bland, the "poultry confit" was a mystery quenelle mash, the sheep cheese may have been still grazing in the field somewhere, and I had to special request fresh cracked pepper to give it flavor. I expect a restaurant owned by Thierry Rautureau to be much higher quality than I just experienced. Of course, I am willing to consider that the rejects in the kitchen are staffed for lunch and the real talent is reserved for dinner service but even that feels like an excuse. Perhaps I will try dinner if I found a coupon deal but otherwise, I won't be going back anytime soon.

    (2)

  • Atina T.

    Loulay Loulay Loulay! How do I count the ways? Yes, I could say that Chef Thierry, Rob, Katie, Tyler and Corina have brought their attention to detail and meticulously high standards and taste from Rover's to downtown. Yes, I could say that anything you get from the kitchen (burger with seared foie, braised rabbit, sweetbreads, tuna, etc) will make your mouth so happy that you will want to start dancing. Yes, I could say that the décor and ambiance is something that Seattle hasn't seen and definitely deserves. Yes, I could say that the service is attentive and friendly. But today, I want to talk about the desserts or more specifically one dessert in particular. First, I must say that everything I've had from Chef Corina Johnson is simply divine. Not only are they almost too beautiful to eat but they make you want to cry because they are that good. But for me, the dessert that quite literally takes the cake is her tapioca brulée with smoked turbinado sugar and preserved citrus zest. If given a choice between Cedric (boyfriend) and her tapioca, I would have a very hard choice to make! How to enjoy the tapioca: The best part of any brulée is cracking through the burned sugar. But this sugar isn't just any ordinary granulated sugar. This is the raw, or turbinado, sugar that has been smoked in house. The smoky aroma is faint, but it's reminiscent of the dying embers of a camp fire. The tapioca pudding itself is warm and inviting. It's like walking into grandma's house and getting the biggest and best hug from her and knowing that all is right with the world. It's the perfect amount of sweetness to satisfy. Your first bite should be of the tapioca. This will immediately put a smile on your face as you slowly work it around in your mouth savoring each pearl. Follow this immediately with a sliver of the smoked sugar brulée so you can have a contrasting texture to crunch on. If you're anything like me, you will get little bits of this caramel stuck in your back teeth. That's ok, because the smokiness should linger. The preserved citrus zest helps to balance everything out and adds a lovely brightness. Now take a bite with a little bit of everything on your spoon; tapioca, brulée and citrus. Everything is in perfect harmony, nothing over powers anything else. Now repeat that over and over again until you unwittingly have reached the bottom of the bowl. The sound your spoon makes when it strikes an empty dish should bring about feelings of sadness but in this case, you are so happy and contented (grinning like the Cheshire Cat) that you feel nothing but bliss. The worst part about this dessert is sharing it but that's also the best part because you want others to experience it as well. Thank you, Corina, for this masterpiece. You are truly a genius!

    (5)

  • Jennifer L.

    We had a great dinner. The duck was perfect. The sommelier was also really helpful. Reasonable prices.

    (4)

  • David P.

    I am staying at the Sheraton and Loulay is a great option for breakfast. Good food, quick service and reasonably priced for the quality of good.

    (4)

  • William G.

    Terrible. Business dinner. Ribeye ordered medium rare arrived well done. Steak was low grade piece of beef. Desert was also over done or somehow burnt. Good wait staff. Good martini. Food sucked.

    (1)

  • Mike L.

    Convenient location, attentive wait staff, nice atmosphere. Our waitress took the time to explain the portion sizes, which are clearly marked small, medium and large. We tried the crab beignets, and got three small bites that had a nice flavor and light breading. My wife had the mussels (medium plate) and a salad which was plenty for her. I ordered the chicken which was perfectly cooked and the mustard sauce was not over-powering. We split a tapioca brûlée - interesting texture with the tapioca and burnt sugar together - my wife thought the sugar tasted too smoky. With a half carafe of house wine, our bill was around $80 before tip. I did not feel that was over-priced for downtown bistro. The main drawback I noticed is that, with all the flat surfaces, it got very loud. It's not the spot for an intimate dinner.

    (4)

  • Litedreamer A.

    Loulay is a bright spot in an otherwise dim downtown culinary scene. If tourist traps and steak houses aren't your thing, this is the place to be. Forget that it's attached to a hotel. It took me a while to get over that myself. I've had an excellent experience every time I've been here. Thank you Loulay. Consistency, quality, and class are very much appreciated.

    (5)

  • Maria S.

    The atmosphere was very noisy on the main floor. The oysters were good. I had the French onion soup but the bread tasted like it was burnt and it gave a bitter flavor to the soup. I had the lamb meatballs and halibut croquets. I could not eat past one bite. The meat tasted off. I had the panna cotta for desert and that was good. Overall, I was disappointed in the experience and will not return.

    (2)

  • Adrienne D.

    My friend and I met for our annual girls holiday dinner date here the week before Christmas. I had some reservations about what we might encounter given some of the early reviews and the fact that they had only been open a couple of weeks, but we were delighted with our experience at Loulay. The food was delicious. Not incredibly inventive, but rock solid ingredients prepared very well and presented quite beautifully. I am a gluten free eater, and had no issue working with the server to find several options that worked for me. The sommelier was excellent and helped us find a reasonable bottle that we both loved. The server was almost too attentive, but the service was excellent overall. I loved the setting too! Being in a hotel can sometimes be a snooze-fest, but I loved how close this fine dining option was to the downtown shops and really liked the view from the window seat. The decor felt very European - a nice addition to the city.

    (4)

  • E J.

    We arrived at 5 pm to an empty restaurant. When we asked for a table, we we're told none were available despite us being the only customers. The hostess was not friendly and in fact, none of the staff were. Good luck - you'll need it with such terrible customer service.

    (1)

  • Nancy V.

    We were looking forward to dinner here for two main reasons - we'd enjoyed Rover's years before and had just read an excellent review of Loulay's in The Seattle Times. It was a Thursday night and we had tickets for the Fifth Ave at 8, but not being sure of the traffic we decided to be conservative and make a reservation for later than we thought we might be able to be there. Traffic turned out to be light so we arrived at 6 instead if 6:15. The host firmly let us know that they were running on time so we would have to wait, perhaps with drinks at the bar. We were fine with waiting since we knew we were early. It was surprising when he returned and told us he was seating us...at a table in the bar area so we could continue to wait for our table. We ordered wine (the Piccolo red in a carafe is well-priced and decent wine). After a while we wondered if we should forget about dinner and just order from the bistro bar menu since it was taking so long to get a table and we needed to make our play. Finally, at about 6:45, we were led to our table (we had a 6:15 reservation, and they clearly were not running on time). We had a nice table by the window, but as it's crowded in some restaurants in Seattle, we were inches away from another couple who was seated at the table next to us just after we got ours. The menu offered small, medium, and large plates, which can be good for sharing. Since we had an hour to get our meal and make it to our play, we didn't have time for a leisurely meal, I chose a beet and radish salad and a medium plate of pork cheeks. My husband had French onion soup, and a large plate of lamb. My salad was ok and definitely petite. The pork was pretty good, but not spectacular. I was disappointed that it wasn't much better than a dish I had at the Purple Cafe in Kirkland. My husband enjoyed his lamb enough to continue on to dessert, which he tells me were profiteroles even though I did not recognize them as such. He finished this while I stood on line for one of the two bathrooms. We did make it to our play a block away, but didn't get there early enough to even glance at the program for the play. To add insult to injury, I got an email from Open Table a day later accusing me of not showing up for my reservation...I certainly was there, but likely won't be again!

    (3)

  • Jermaine D.

    food was good but not great. I expected much more with all of the hype it's been getting. Service was dismissive and stuffy. Portions were really small and expensive.

    (2)

  • James G.

    Slow, awkward service, small (read: french) portions, weak flavors. The Ribeye was so-so, and the Braised Rabbit was basically 8 small chunks of rabbit meat placed inside a bowl of French Onion Soup. The drinks and bread were the best parts of the meal. Won't be returning or recommending.

    (2)

  • Wendy W.

    Food was quite good (especially the duck dishes), but the waiter was sooooo arrogant, from beginning to end. He actually was the most arrogant wait staff person I've come across in all my years of dining. We were with good friends so we just commented about it a bit and enjoyed our meal. If you head to Loulay, try not to sit in the section of the waiter who is about 5'6 , in his 40's, with black rimmed plastic eyeglasses and dark hair.

    (2)

  • Katie K.

    I have to say, I am a bit surprised by the amount of gushing reviews for Loulay. We came here for my birthday, and both my husband and I left feeling underwhelmed. To start: we were seated in the upper part of the restaurant, which is beautiful and cozy. The server (no introduction, no name given, no welcoming remarks) stopped by, shoved two menus at us and said she'd be back to take drink orders. Um, ok. Nice to see you, too. It was Friday night, so maybe she resented having to work. Maybe her feet hurt. I don't know, but a smile would have been nice. Sommolier comes by, asks if we needed assistance with the wine list. I tell him I was considering a glass of red. He proceeds to recommend a few wines (all white wines). Fine. He's the sommolier. He must know a good wine, so I order a glass of something that was fine (I can't remember what it was, except for that I wished I had insisted on a glass of red since that was what I wanted). What wasn't fine was the fact that it was brought to me, and poured tableside from a little carafe (about half of the carafe was poured into my glass initially). This wasn't the problem. The problem was this: Every. Single. Time. someone walked by the table (a busboy, the server, the sommolier) they felt the urge to reach over me and pour another splash of wine into my glass. I would barely take a sip and "bing!" there would be someone there to pour more wine into my glass. Leave my wine alone, thanks, or maybe just pour the rest in and walk away so as to not interrupt my dinner 5-6 times. There is "attentive service" and there is over-kill, and this was most definitely over-kill. Dinner now: to start, we ordered the Crab Beignets and the French Onion Soup. The beignets were good, with a yummy aioli. The soup was... whomp whomp. I don't know. It was just ok. Maybe it was the veal broth, but I just didn't love it. Entrees: My husband had the Duck Trio, which he said was just ok. I had the Amaranth Seed Risotto, which I notice no longer seems to be on the menu, which is for good reason. This was back in January, so I can't remember what exactly was in it, but it just tasted weird. It wasn't that it wasn't a traditional risotto (a fact the server warned me about when I ordered it) which was fine- it's just that something in it had a very odd flavor, sort of sour. I kept taking bites hoping that it would get better, but it never did. What was super awesome was that our server was no where to be found after our plates were dropped. I don't need a lot of attention, but a check in once a few bites were had would have been nice, particularly since neither one of us liked our entrees. I don't know that we would have sent anything back, but it would have been nice to provide some feedback. I can't say I'm surprised though- our server's lack of enthusiasm for her job was apparent from the moment she walked up to our table. Dessert for both of us was the Chef's Hot Chocolate, which was nice. Needless to say, we won't come back- ever- and I kind of want a birthday dinner do-over.

    (2)

  • Serena E.

    So - I got some flack for not providing more details on this one star review. Here's my edited version - We stopped into Loulay (excited to try the new place across from our office). The interior is nice, although the bar area is small. We didn't have intentions on eating, just in grabbing a drink or two after work. Service was slow and the staff was extremely rude. Our couple of drinks turned to less than 1 drink apiece and then we were out of there. Co-workers have said the food is OK, but if Loulay's would find it acceptable to be as rude as they were to our group- there are plenty of other great places in the area to attend for our after work functions.

    (1)

  • Lei S.

    When I heard there was a new restaurant opening right across the street from where I work, I couldn't wait to try it. My husband had the endive salad and salmon. He said the endive salad was OK but the salmon was overcooked. It seems like any decent restaurant would know how to cook a salmon properly. I had the foie gras and ribeye. The foie gras was very undercooked and had some serious veins. I understand how foie gras is supposed to be cooked but this piece was very off-putting. I ordered my ribeye medium-rare and it was cooked perfectly. I was a bit surprised to see a pile of spinach, cheese and potato "chips" on my steak as it took away from the flavor of the beef. Overall, a bit disappointed on the food. As far as service goes, everyone was very professional and helpful with the exception of our server. I ordered a glass of wine which cost $16 (they do offer more affordable glasses of wine which is always nice) and as a sat there with an empty glass for quite some time, the server finally came by and asked me if I wanted another. I said yes and as I was about to tell her what I wanted, she said "OK" and walked away. Everyone at our table started laughing because it was so bizarre. One would think that when someone orders a $16 glass of wine, letting them order another would only increase their tip. I'm glad I tried this place out but don't think I will be coming back.

    (2)

  • Marice P.

    excellent food! service was a little rushed.

    (4)

  • Linda E.

    We just had a fabulous lunch. Great service, wonderful onion soup, split a duck sandwich, and shared a cocoa sorbet that was the perfect ending. I can picture coming again soon!

    (5)

  • Finerthings L.

    Dinner here last night was a bit hit or miss. The highlights: wait service was great and attentive. Lamb meatballs were delicious. Loved the beingets with apples. The decent but not memorable: french onion soup (would have loved some remaining crispness in the bread vs long soaked). The eh: smoked pork. The tenderness was there but the smokiness I wanted to be balanced out with something sweet or tangy; it was a bit overwhelmingly smokey. The crab croquettes were also just blah. As was beet carpaccio. And the cod was cold. Our amuse bouche was delicious (squash soup) but served room temp, which made me think it, like the cod, had sat out a while.

    (3)

  • Mark B.

    Came back for second time before show at the Fifth. Had the Seafood Stew which was tasty and imaginative. Enjoyed the carrots appetizer (yes carrots) and we also enjoyed mussels and frites. Not a huge fan of the 3rd level seating area would definitiely need to be on floors 1-2 if i came outside of show night but the food was well prepared.

    (4)

  • Joy Z.

    I must say I had the best egg benedict I have ever had here. They got great services, but still too expensive. That's why I take one star off.

    (4)

  • M H.

    We visited on day 4 after opening so I realize there are many kinks still being worked out. We had reservations. Unfortunately it was an all around disappointing experience. The service was slow, and inattentive. At two different times we thought we might order more drinks, and our server could not be located, she rarely checked in. We were going to order dessert, but it took forever for her to return to our table after she dropped off the menus. We were seated by the kitchen which was extremely loud and our table was extremely close to another 2 top. It should really be a 4 top, not 2 two tops. The space is way too tight and I prefer not hearing the details of my neighbor's conversation never mind having servers lean into me as they serve the table next to me. I ordered one of their specialty cocktails and they didn't have one of the key ingredients so they came back to apologize....out of a specialty syrup in 4 days? The simple greens and goat cheese salad was tasty, my husband thought the endive salad was just ok. They had mussels on the menu which were not available and instead offered clams. I ordered the clams and they were served dry with just a little bit of broth. The two pieces of toasted bread were soaked in some kind of uninviting topping. The broth should be enough. Even the sausage in the broth was dry and chewy. My husband thought his entree was just ok. I wasn't impressed with the decor, it feels very sporadic. The large mirror is very handsome, but there isn't a flow or cohesiveness to the space. Maybe a former jewelry store is a challenging place to decorate? The candles on the tables, which were beautiful at Rovers don't work at all in this space. IF we come back we'll visit the bar, it felt like the most comfortable space in the restaurant and wasn't as loud or as visually choppy. I know my review sounds like worlds apart from the other reviewers, we just didn't feel the vibe or experience a good meal.

    (2)

  • James F.

    YESSSSS. finally a good restaurant in this otherwise depressing (culinary wise) part of downtown!!!!! What can you say about a restaurant from Chef Rautureau? of course it was tasty and solid. Started with the seasonal oysters, which were fresh and tasty. Then the crab salad (lots of crab, but not mind blowing), French onion soup (fantastic) and the crab beignets (ive never met a beignet i didn't like). Then i had the braised rabbit with papperdelle. SO TASTY. Then ended the night with the pear tartan and MORE BEIGNETS. Plus the kind of cheesy french decor was so delightful!

    (4)

  • Tai C.

    A bit expensive for a French "bistro", especially when the portions are quiet small. This is a very upscale bistro. Service was mixed as wait staff did not smile and seemed uninterested in the diners. Flavours were good and dishes like the beignets and foie gras were good.

    (2)

  • Ayako I.

    My new favorite spot. I've tried a few things from their drink menu and love them all. My favorite is the tea toddy. As for food, you can't go wrong with ordering a bunch and then sharing. The charcuterie plate is my favorite. All the meats melt in your mouth!

    (5)

  • Tod H.

    Loulay is the second restaurant Terry Rautureau has opened since closing the iconic Rover's in Madison Park. It's an interesting mixture of high cuisine and comfort basics that sometimes misses, but is magic when it hits. Because of the misses, I give it 4 1/2 start right now, but there's every indication it will be five by the time it opens officially. Also, the hot chocolate is now one of the single best culinary treats in Seattle (read to the end for more on that). We stumbled into Loulay's soft opening on Sunday. At first we were just excited that there was a new restaurant by the convention center, but when we found out it was Rautureau's new place, we were really stoked, as Rover's was one of our favorite "special occasion" spots. Overall, the new place is an interesting combination of high-end dinner spot, bar, and lunch counter. The food, like the name "Loulay" is inspired by Rutureau's childhood home and a re-examination of the food he ate growing up. As you might expect from a soft opening, there were more misses than we liked, but where it hit, it hit big. For example, the french fries were no better than we could get at a fast food joint (if you are going to serve fries at these prices, they'd better be top notch), but the garlic aioli they came with was phenomenal, and saw us asking for more bread just so we had something other than the fries to get at it with. The house salad was meh, but the grilled endive was luscious, with a mustard dressing I still can't quite describe. The single scallop was overpriced and the spinach it came on tasted like soylent green, but the grilled polenta with wild mushrooms hit with deep, complex flavors that seemed to last all the way down to my stomach. We couldn't try the meats, but the rabbit and roast pork did look really really good. I'm eager to get back after they open officially on December 4, to try the full menu, including the 4-course tasting menus that were so excellent at Rover's. Dessert was perhaps the most interesting part. The truffle cake and beignets (hey, it was hanukkah) were fine, but I wouldn't tell anyone to rush to this place to have them. However, the hot chocolate (based on Terry's childhood favorite dessert and the dish he described as the one he'd want as his last meal) is worth coming to Seattle for. Semi-sweet and nearly pudding thick, it's served with salted butter and toasted brioche. You swipe up some butter with the brioche, then dip both into the chocolate. And while I think it's most appropriate spot is at the end of a long, satisfying meal, you should duck into the bar or counter and try to order this the next time you're downtown, even if you're not in the mood for a full lunch or dinner. At $5, it just became one of the best singular culinary treats in town. So for now, 4 stars, but as it comes together, 5 is a definite possibility.

    (4)

  • Brett L.

    Nice, but appeals to the convention crowd. Cocktails not spirit forward. Food a little bland. If you're here for work great, if you're not than go somewhere else that won't disappoint - RN74 or Barolo.

    (3)

  • Jim O.

    My overall synopsis is a little complicated. I have eaten here 3 times in 3 days, so one must presume that I truly enjoy the experience--this would have been unreservedly true until yesterday evening. The first few days were fine and without incident. The foie gras is excellent and the Chef's hot chocolate is to die for. The food preparation in general is quite good, and has a strong flair. The cocktail list is also quite creative The crux of the issue revolves around certain portions being EXTREMELY small and full priced ($25 or up for appetizer size, although the price itself is not the core issue), and what is either a genuine but protracted misunderstanding with our server, or a severely passive aggressive experience. Since I am genuinely unsure, I am "splitting the difference" with the stars. Yesterday evening's meal was with my mother, both of us visiting from the Portland area. Our server was initially a little slow, but still attentive and polite. We had both lived in the Boston area so we initially had a fun rapport. When it came time for my main course, the seafood stew, I was a little dismayed to find it was basically 90% mussels (about 9), a very small stack of crab, and next to no fish. The broth itself was minimal. The overall amount was significant less in content than a regular bowl of clam chowder, and this was supposed to be an entree, and was missing ANY notable amount of fish or broth. (we had also ordered the foie gras, which was significantly more substantial in quantity-actually, the portion of this "rarer" item I was quite satisfied with). She asked how we were liking everything, and I responded that while everything was delicious, I was a "little surprised" at the size of the dish, but that I still enjoyed it and might order something else as a supplement. (I did NOT ask for something else, this would have been rude, and would have clarified the following issue). There was no way my tone could have been construed as angry or abrasive. She did not offer me anything or double check to see if I was okay with it (this was still forgivable). HOWEVER, for the entire rest of the meal--about 50 minutes--she proceeded to ONLY engage with my mother, and consistently avoided any form of inquiry into whether I liked my desert (but she made a point of asking my mother, and not looking at me), avoiding all eye contact/conversation with me/engagement with me, with the single exception of when I asked her directly for the cocktail menu, and it came time to order dessert. No follow ups of any kind on the rest of my meal. I do not know if she was merely embarrassed/shy that I had expressed mild dissatisfaction with one part of the meal but the effect was that i was systematically ignored//snubbed for my comment, or that she was being passive aggressive because she felt personally affronted. The effect was palpable and basically ruined the end of the meal for me, which was a genuine disappointment, as my previous experiences were fine. I really hope there was a misunderstanding on my part, because I would like to think it is a "one time thing" and that I can go back without suffering a repeat issue. But I digress. In summary: 1) Certain items are EXTREMELY small and should not be advertised as entrees, or at least should come with all the items mentioned in marginally visible quantities (if necessary, raise the price a little-no one expects such an institution to be cheap, but do not have the appetizers be significantly larger than the entrees) and 2) train staff not to "hide/ shun customers if they are not certain of how to handle a situation. I truly hope the young lady was merely having an "off day", and the effect was *somehow* not intentional.

    (3)

  • Peter R.

    With alI the incredible places to eat in Seattle, I somehow ended up here one night. I guess if you like fu-fu type, haute "French" cuisine with minuscule portions washed down with overpriced booze - you can't go wrong w/ this place. I started out with the crab beignets and the dish consisted (literally) of three-tater sized crab balls presented on a large elongated plate that only served to accent the paucity of the actual sustenance contained there on. Taste-wise they were fine but, seriously, maybe a starving, refugee camp inhabitant would have felt like chewing was worth the effort but . . . Also had the French Onion Soup and, while admittedly rich and tasty, (hence the two stars) still amounted to what passes for a "cup" of soup at any less pretentious restaurant. Had a couple drinks at the bar and the same booze available everywhere else is priced higher and poured like the supply is critically limited. If you really feel the need to waste your hard earned money, go to the waterfront and at least waste it while enjoying a decent view.

    (2)

  • Leonard T.

    We were here a couple of weeks ago with friends from Riverside, CA, and Seattle and had a wonderful time. We started with the raw oysters and my wife had the crab beignets. Three of us had the veal sweetbreads, one had the wild salmon and I had the black cod. Everything was wonderful, and the salmon was cooked perfectly. Had to ask what kind of wild salmon as it didn't taste like an Alaskan salmon. It was a black-mouthed salmon. For desserts we tried the tapioca pudding creme brulee and the creme caramel. The desserts were really great. We will definitely be going back on another trip to Seattle.

    (4)

  • Ashley Y.

    Per a friend's suggestion, we made reservations at Loulay for Saturday evening. After we were seated and ready to order, we were told that the roasted chicken my husband wanted to order was sold out for the night. We started with the crab beignets and french onion soup, both which were very tasty. I ordered the salmon and my husband the ribeye. We do not eat red meat much and prefer a little leaner cut of meat, but the flavors were still good. The salmon was pretty good but the hollandaise sauce, which had a foamy texture was favorite part of the dish. I was a bit disappointed that I found a few small bones in my fish, but it did not change the flavors. We were clearly too stuffed to have dessert, but I would definitely come back for those beignets and to try a few other menu items! Also Chef Theirry was interacting with some of the tables and we even had a chance to chat with him. I thought that was a great touch and you could see he was passionate about his food and your experience.

    (4)

  • Simone B.

    So delightfully delicious. At first I wasn't sure I liked the two-tier floor plan and the mix of some neon and a giant ornate mirror. But as I sat there enjoying my meal throughout the evening, I grew to absolutely love it. There were three of us dining and we all ordered 3 courses and really liked all of them. The cheese plate for dessert and the polenta with mushrooms were the highlights...oh, and the duck trio. Very knowledgable staff as well

    (5)

  • Jay Y.

    I went to Loulay on a very busy Tuesday evening at 7, party of 14 seated in a long row in front of the kitchen. The ambience was very lively and casual. We were presented with a tasting menu which included the following first course choicesCrab Beignets, French onion soup, endive salad. I shared some soup with a fellow diner who ordered the crab beignets. Both were selections were top notch but I will definitely order the beignets next time...delicious! Main Entrees included choices of cod, ribeye steak and something else. I loved the beef ribeye steak I ordered with the bone marrow sauce. Perfectly cooked med. rare, generous portion with a beautiful presentation. Fabulous. For our dessert selections, we had hot chocolate with brioche, and I ordered the crème caramel. The presentation was over the top! As much as I savored every precious morsel, I HAD to share it with my fellow guests who ordered the hot chocolate. They about DIED when they tried the crème caramel. The bill came and since it was a tasting menu with a fixe prix price, I was blown away by the value. Lets just say we got a bargain versus ordering off the menu. Chef Thierry was his usual gracious self spending quality time with us posing for pictures and signing our special menus. He has always been a very congenial host and truly down to earth. LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!

    (5)

  • Paul M.

    The taster menu was simply amazing, the staff was simply amazing. Anthony and Robert the two managers were more then anything they took care of everything. My two waiters Thomas and Scott were something else, they went out of there way to check on the status of the other portions of the other orders that were placed. Seating was comfortable and made it feel like something different.

    (5)

  • Aram M.

    Loulay continues in a great tradition of Rover's. Absolutely phenomenal place. Food is amazing as well as the selection of drinks. This place is for those who value quality over quantity. Remember, this is a French restaurant, not a buffet. Was very happy that Chef in the Hat opened new restaurant and continues to deliver great experience. Thank you!

    (5)

  • Europa S.

    Terrific food and good service. I ordered the french onion soup, the quiche and finally hot chocolate for dessert. We came in for lunch, but the dinner menu looks exceptional. The only downside was as an exceptionally odd interaction with the manager (Rob?). I went to lunch with two male business contacts. As we were leaving, the manager came up to chat us up - thank us for coming in, ask us where we work (across the street), etc. He talked to us for about 2 minutes. During that entire interaction, he NEVER ONCE looked or addressed me IN ANY WAY. He spoke solely to my male contacts. It was as if I wasn't even there. It was truly the oddest experience I've had in many years.

    (4)

  • J P.

    I had two sucessful business lunches during the first month after Loulay's opening. Food was excellent and service the right mix of knowledgable and restrained. I'd like to sample the dinner menu, as the abbreviated lunch offerings were made more so by several items unavailable on both visits. A favorite was the seafood soup. Loulay is a welcome addition to the 6th & Union corridor. Tres bien!

    (4)

  • A S.

    I was really excited to try out Loulay after hearing such wonderful things about it! We were going mid-day during the week, but had heard how busy they have been so made a reservation. When we arrived, we were walked through the incredibly beautiful restaurant all the way to a small top floor room that appears to be for private parties. The room was dim and cramped with no view of the restaurant, limited view of the outside world and a dishwasher/serving bar that was ominously near our table. Because of the small size and closed in nature, the voices of the other diners boomed louder than they would in an open area. While I'm sure it would be suitable for a small, private party, being seated in this area was disappointing, particularly because the restaurant was virtually empty when we arrived. All in all, the food was good and the servers were nice and attentive, but the lack of ambience put a damper on the experience. If you decide to give Loulay a try, I might suggest specifying you do not want to sit in the 3rd floor room.

    (2)

  • Danielle B.

    The food here is so not good and what makes it worse is how much they charge for it. We went as a group of three for lunch and all shared food and it seems like nobody's meal was that great. No need to come back when there are so many other great eateries in Seattle.

    (1)

  • Melissa C.

    I loved, loved, loved Loulay. A girlfriend and I grabbed dinner and it was such a lovely experience. From the ambiance and food to the service - all were on point. Our meals included the Grilled Endive Salad, Braised Rabbit and a side of greens, Beef Burger, Crème Caramel, and Hot Chocolate. The Grilled Endive Salad was quite good - a little sweet with the apples, a little tart with the vinaigrette. My friend really enjoyed her rabbit, though she didn't see any pasta in the dish. The greens she ordered on the side were okay - I can't remember if it was spinach or kale. The burger was smaller than I expected, but a good size given all the other food we ordered and was cut in half for sharing. It was cooked perfectly, was super juicy, and was a perfect mix of sweet (from the becon shallot jam) and savory. The fries were perfect and the aioli was divine, as others have mentioned. My friend got the Crème Caramel and it was lovely. It was a flan-like texture, plus some crunch from melted sugar added as a decoration. It was not like a crème brulee - it lacked a toasted sugar coating atop the crème. I opted for the Hot Chocolate, which was good, but the bread had been toasted on the grill and had the same flavors as the Grilled Endive Salad which threw me off a bit. I felt like I was restarting my meal. I think if the brioche was toasted in a different manner, it would improve the dish's flavor. Our entrees took an inordinate amount of time to arrive following our appetizer, but the staff took amazing care of us and addressed the issue to our satisfaction. I will definitely be back and am raving about Loulay to all my friends!

    (5)

  • Jessen M.

    Alright overall. Most 3 because it was severely overpriced for what it was. The portions were small, but that was to be expected. Nothing amazing, but definitely not bad!

    (3)

  • Daisy K.

    My friend and I started by splitting several small plates: Rainbow carrot: My favorite dish!! Very flavorful carrots, very light and refreshing. Beet carpaccio: My second favorite! Small bits of salty-crunchy plus smooth soft sweetness and finished off with chevre. Mmmmm. There was salmon but I was indifferent to that part. Duck confit sliders: Alright. Lots of duck meat in cute little airy, flakey creampuff-like shells. I think I would've liked more breadiness to the bun and/or fresh greens or something citrusy at the end. Smoked pork cheeks: Disappointed. All elements were soft and bland. There was a smokiness for a quick second, but that was about it. The pork cheeks actually went well with the duck confit slider sauce though. Crab beignets: Yummy fried crab balls. Loud, uncomplicated, spicy and hot. I haven't figured out if this drowned out the pork cheeks. I think it would've helped if they served these two at different times. My friend enjoyed his beef rib-eye. There was an initial concern about it being so thin, but it turned out very tender. My cod was interesting-- different flavors and textures. I really liked the almond bits but for whatever reason I couldn't stop thinking "bananas foster" while eating this dish. We finished by ordering way too many desserts-- beignets, chocolate truffle cake, creme caramel and lemon tart. ALL YUMMY. Get the truffle cake for a solid finish or the lemon tart with the airy chantilly cream for a light, airy finish! The lotus flower drink would not have put me off if it were served cold. I was a little confused and annoyed when I asked about the wines by the glass because the server said "they're all kind of similar". Uh...? I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be, or at least SHOULDN'T be-- why would a restaurant only offer similar reds if someone just wanted to order by the glass..? Other tidbits: we appreciated the amuse bouche; I like the emphasis on keeping things local (would be good for out-of-towners staying in Downtown); parking was a pain of course. The bill was great for the amount of food we got at this level of restaurant-- about $110 each for 4 small plates, 2 entrees and 4 desserts (omg yes we are indecisive pigs). Most dishes were fine-- it seems that the focus is on being reliable rather than pushing boundaries. Overall, it was alright-- I just think I've missed what makes this the best restaurant in Seattle (according to Seattle Met).

    (3)

  • Sheena T.

    Food: I got the Eggs Benedict and it was amazing. the hollandaise sauce was creamy and just right! Customer Service: Excellent, the waiter was attentive and was always making sure everything was just right Would love to go here again~~ location was fantastic!!

    (5)

  • Brian L.

    Loulay is a great spot. Very convenient to the downtown theater district and our server was mindful of the fact we were going to a show. Overall, the food was solid. The menu was very balanced, the flavors strong, and the portions quite nice. Nothing super standout, though. Chef Thierry came out to our table, greeted us, and spent several minutes chatting. It really made the experience. If I have one major gripe, it's that our server was so-so. A member of our party asked for "her favorite" and she basically said "everything is good." I would prefer that a server pick their favorite and have confidence in that choice. I would recommend going here!

    (4)

  • Lawrence B.

    Our experience at Loulay deserves more than 3 stars but not quite a fourth. The atmosphere is great and the service is by far some of the best we have ever had. As a matter of fact the service deserves 5 stars. Everyone we encountered made us feel welcome, thank you, Loulay! The food on the other hand was a mixed bag. While the flavors were very nice, most of the dishes seemed to be swimming in oil. First off, the crab beignets, tasted great, but almost dough-y inside and the greasy crust was not appealing. Second, the mussels, while in a flavorful sauce, it seemed like they were swimming in oil. My main dish was the black rice risotto. It was fantastic! While not an arborio rice or inked-rice, the taste was fantastic. My partner had the salmon with a butter sauce. While the salmon was prepared great, the sauce again was overly 'oily'. When I tried the salmon with the risotto though, I was in my happy-spot. The profiles worked perfect together! I wanted the two dishes again, paired-up. Lastly, dessert... I love profiteroles! While these were good, they aren't the same without even the smallest touch of chocolate. Needless to say we finished them with a smile, but craving chocolate. Overall, AMAZING service, but the food left us just bummed about the oily textures. I would give it another try next time I'm in that neighborhood of Seattle, if only for the atmosphere and service.

    (3)

  • Terri V.

    First visit here for lunch. Tables are literally on TOP of each other. Ordered Pastrami sandwich...Yuck. Was a shred of pastrami with dry roast beef underneath! Really and for $14.00 ? Not OK. Service was fine. Food not even mediocre. Loud loud loud. Will not return. Seattle has much better food elsewhere. Setting lovely, and that is all.

    (1)

  • Cemarie D.

    Unfortunately our experience was not as great as expected! We dine around every Friday trying the newest, latest, and greatest and sadly did not enjoy Loulay. I would give one star but truly enjoyed our server, the egg, and the Duck entree. Maybe they're still working out kinks? We ordered: Egg w/ caviar- great, best of all we ate. If anything just order this and leave. Duck confit sliders-Tiny slivers of duck, overpowered by too much bun Crab beignets-too spicy couldn't taste the crab...was it in there at all? Braised rabbit with pappardelle-3 pasta noodles and 5 small sized pieces of overdone rabbit...the rest was a bunch of mushrooms. When Thierry came by our table, I made mention that there were only 3, he said there should at least be 5 and then walked away? Duck 3 Ways-good flavors, all distinct but too salty overall would say order this. Dessert cheese plate- can't mess up a cheese plate:) Everything was ok but the portions of things were not what we expected and things were not worth the price. You might be reading this saying these people don't know what fine dining is...but be careful, we drop hundreds at Altura once a month. We weren't charged for our corkage fee- maybe they did this because I only had 3 pappardelle noodles? Who knows...if you're contemplating coming here, you are better off trying Altura, Millers Guild, Matts in the Market, Le Petit Cochon, Aragona, or Restaurant Roux. So sad to give this review:(

    (2)

  • Becky P.

    We really enjoyed our dining experience here, but my first piece of advice is to avoid the pre-theatre rush time. Even with a reservation at 6:45 on a Tuesday, we were seated a bit late -- if you can go 7:30 or later, it will be a ghost town and then you can get a nice, more private booth. We thought the prices were actually quite reasonable, as I somehow always seem to find French restaurants to be on the pricier side for comparable food. We had the crab beignets (amazing - you must get), duck sliders (good to try once) and French onion soup (very delicious but rather dense so you might want to share). For our entrée, we had the roast chicken, which was good, but the apps stuck out to us a little more in terms of taste/quality. We'll definitely try to come back, as long as we have a reservation or show up later in the evening.

    (4)

  • Aimee B.

    This place had a nice ambience inside. It was intimate and not very loud but busy. We didn't have a reservation but the hostess was very accommodating and seated us at a little table in the bar area. It would've been nicer to be in the dining room but I was with my grandmother who didn't want to wait half an hour for a table. Our table was tiny but we made due. Our waiter was really nice and helped us make wine selections. I asked him if they were able to accommodate for vegans. He went and asked the chef immediately and came back saying they could definitely whip something up. It would be a cous cous based dish. I was like okay great! I was so excited that I didn't have to order some lame salad bc the restaurant didn't have any vegan friendly options. My grandmother got the lamb and her husband got the salmon. The food came out quickly and the presentation of food was beautiful. The portions are on the smaller side but I don't mind. Usually in a nicer place that's expected. I prefer it to a huge portion anyway. My food was very good!! They made me this great cous cous dish with beets and mushrooms and peas. It was well seasoned and great. I was hungry so I wish I had even more! My grandmother said her lamb was pretty good but a little chewy and her husbands salmon was very good as well. All in all a very good dinner. We then ordered coffee and dessert. I saw they had a sorbet on the menu and asked if it happened to be vegan which it was! Jackpot! Dinner AND dessert at a place that does not openly have any vegan options? The sorbet was chocolate and had a citrus marmalade with hazelnuts on top. The citrus and chocolate combo was so good. It felt more like a pudding than a sorbet but I wasn't complaining! And my grandma got the chocolate truffle which she loved. It was so beautifully plated too! They also had very good espresso mmmm. Overall a really great and surprisingly vegan meal!! Excellent service. The server checked on us often enough that we felt taken care of but not constantly bothered.

    (4)

  • Mike K.

    Very Disappointed! We are a big fan of the chef, but we had an awful experience. Our favorite restaurant of all time was Rover's, the original restaurant by the "Chef in the Hat" but this is definitely not Rover's. Originally, we wanted a reservation for 9 people but were told they wanted a $25 PER PERSON reservation fee on a credit card which would be charged if we did not cancel within 24 hours. So the person in our group who was making the reservation decided not to make the reservation and said they would not go there did to the attitude of the person answering the phone. Despite this, several of us still wanted to go, so we called back later to make a reservation for 7 people, and there was no mention of the reservation fee. Also, we specifically asked if the chef would be there when we dined, and we were told he would be there, but then of course, he was not in when we arrived and "normally doesn't come in on this day". Some of the food was good but not great. Some things were better than others. The Scallop Carpaccio was really great, as were the Braised Pork Cheeks. The Lamb and Halibut meatballs (why these two together?) were dry and chalky. The Charcuterie Plate was nothing special overall, but had some nice side sauces. The halibut was overcooked and dry, the Rib Eye Steak was marginal. The wine list was extensive and exceptional, but very pricey. We ordered a wine "Suite" (like a wine flight) but it was a tad overpriced for the selections contained therein, and the best wine in the suite was not available when that round came, so they substituted a less appealing wine. We also noticed that portion sizes were different for the same dish for different people in our group For instance, one person got the Crab Beignets and it came with six Beignets, but another person at our table got only three Beignets for the same order. A similar problem with the seared polenta, which was twice the size on one person's plate. It was like Russian roulette, seeing who would get the bigger servings. Our waiter was super friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. However, the biggest disappointment was that our meal took NEARLY SIX HOURS. Yes, we were just shy of six hours! The wait staff apologized several times, and knew that each course was taking at least a half hour or more, but no adjustments or any apologies from (or any site of) management. (Total bill over $1000.) We noticed that many tables were coming and finishing before us. Because of this delay in dining our valet parking special price of only $10 for three hours because we went to the restaurant jumped to nearly $40. The bottom line is that we would never go back, except for two things. They brought over two menu items from the original menu at Rover's to this restaurant. The Scrambled Egg with White Sturgeon Caviar and the Seared Foie Gras are arguably some of the best items from the old restaurant and (thankfully) they offer it here at Loulay. These two items are once-in-a-lifetime dishes that everyone should try at least once. So next time, we will go in, order just these to items, and leave (hopefully in less than six hours). As long as they keep those two items on the menu, we would sit on nails just to get our fix. If not, well it was good while it lasted....

    (2)

  • Jenn N.

    Fantastic restaurant with prime location. The downtown core needs another dependable restaurant. Our group had drinks and snacks at the bar and fully enjoyed the experience. The drinks were solid and the food went perfectly with our drinks. We had beautiful Shigoku oysters on the half-shell and plenty of fries with aioli. The atmosphere promoted conversation and we all had a lively fun experience. We'll be back for a sit-down dinner.

    (4)

  • Ken B.

    Loulay is right at the edge of great, but not quite there. I've eaten at this French bistro twice now, on a business trip to Seattle. Location is fantastic and the restaurant is very creative with slight twists on classic French dishes. For example the scrambled egg with caviar (the one every single person mentions) is sensational. But I also felt that little things were off. My seared Ahi Tuna needed more seasoning (just a good coarse salt and pepper). The seared fois gras was great, but overcooked (ideally seared fois gras should be quite rare; if some clients prefer it well done, fine, but the waiter really needs to ask). The quinoa bed under my poached salmon again was underspiced and a bit mushy. And the Sancerre by the glass was really not worthy of being on a wine-by-the-glass menu (in contrast the rose champagne was great, and the gigondas red was fantastic too). As a by-myself customer I was placed (twice) in an upstairs corner table. The chairs are too deep; one sinks and the table then seems oddly high. The dishes are literally hard to deal with: I urge the chef to sit at that table and sample his own seared fois gras in that deep bowl he uses; you feel as if your elbows need to be pointed upward in order to cut the chunks into small pieces (this wouldn't be such an issue with normal chairs and is triggered by the deep, soft, cushioned ones he uses up there). And the view, which should be good, is mostly of a mirror angled to reflect the ceiling and opposite wall, so instead of watching people you see little except the pastry chef, now and then. And thus a 5-star restaurant knocks itself down to 4! But do try the place.

    (4)

  • Rebeca B.

    My server became defensive when I asked if the side of vegetables contained sauteed onions. That doesn't make any sense. It's like getting defensive because someone like the color blue. Hostess was great. Meal was ok. Decor horrible.

    (2)

  • Peter R.

    My expectations may have been a bit too high. Overall the place, food and experience were fine, but no more than fine. One order of halibut was chewy and over cooked, the fancy sodas are a really nice idea but the mix-them-yourself presentation is cumbersome and ultimately not very tasty, the ice cream flavors lacked any real punch or flavor....the whole experience just fell flat. A busboy came to pull a plate and asked if we were done with our clams while reaching for a half dozen oysters. Good hotel restaurant, sure. Rover's or Luc? Not even close.

    (2)

  • Jen W.

    We came here after a 5th Ave matinee. Sadly they don't serve dinner until 5pm so we hung out at the bar and had some crab beignets (good but not much crab flavor, very spicy but had the beignet texture). House white wine is a Pinot Gris which was quite good. Moving to dinner we shared 3 plates; beet salad (not very impressive, not a lot of different flavors), polenta (AMAZING), and the roasted chicken. The skin on the chicken was light and crisp and the meat was tender. The polenta was our favorite (and I don't usually eat mushrooms). Very happy with service and food and would go back if given the chance.

    (4)

  • D D.

    Had breakfast here then went back for a night cap. The ambience is wonderful. And the food is classic. Not a place to go for coffee drinks, however their evening drinks are great! I'll have to go back for dinner on my next visit.

    (3)

  • Kelly L.

    Upon arriving I wasn't very impressed. While it's a beautiful building they sat five of us at a table that was really meant for 4. So we felt a little crowded and uncomfortable. The menu seemed a little confusing and we weren't quite sure how to order. And they have multiple men use wish they did not bring out until we asked. So if you want a different wine then what is listed on their main menu ask them for the larger wine menu. But wow, once we started eating we were in for an amazing dining experience! Every plates had unique flavors and textures. And while you may not have known what was in a lot of the dishes they were all amazingly flavorful. Our party chose to eat it tapas style and ordered a whole bunch of plates and shared them all. The Sunchoke dish and the whole entire dish were unbelievably tasty. But honestly everything we had somebody really enjoyed. And we were smart enough to save room for dessert and boy am I glad that we did. After dessert the chef came by and probably spent 5 minutes chatting with us about anything and everything. He was really charming and topped off a lovely evening. We couldn't believe that we have been sitting there for 3 hours. The time just flew by we all had so much fun!

    (4)

  • Amy C.

    This is my favorite of the Chef's dining options in the city. Light, bright and unstuffy, it feels like the perfect blend of the city and the Chef.

    (5)

  • Anthony M.

    Brunch food was decent, but had to ask for our drinks three times. The host was also rude when we walked in.

    (1)

  • Barnaby D.

    We had a fantastic dining experience here before going to the 5th Ave Theatre. I absolutely love the space. It's open, airy and beautifully decorated. Though large and open, we were in a booth that also felt cozy. The food stayed with me for days. In particular, the sweetbreads, a personal favorite, were some of the best I've ever had. I was very close to ordering a second plate! Finally, the service was incredibly warm and caring. Thierry, the owner/chef, checked in on us personally and we recognized several other staff members as favorites from other restaurants from around Seattle.

    (5)

  • H S.

    Good starters but took over an hour to get our meal (burgers) Service was polite but they seemed overwhelmed (mixed up our order, forgot parts of it) The burgers were ok... Good quality but that was it.

    (2)

  • Andrey P.

    This restaurant is fantastic. The ambiance is classy and intimate. The food is creative and delicious. My girlfriend and I spent our engagement dinner there and the manager without even asking, just seeing how happy we were, offered us two complimentary glasses of champagne and a complimentary ice wine for desert. Excellent service, excellent decor, excellent food. Highly recommend for a quiet dinner with a date.

    (5)

  • Susan S.

    Not a lot of bang for your buck. If not for the bread we would of left still hungry. The portions are very small almost to the point of being ridiculous (and I'm not a big eater). Service was okay. Just not impressed.

    (2)

  • Ashley L.

    Greatly disappointed by our overall experience at this establishment. To make a long story short, I was served a cold burger and cold fries. The waiter promised that he would ensure that it does not happen again. Having to wait twice for a burger and fries was a complete waste of time. When the "medium" burger reappeared, it was overcooked and all of the fries were unacceptable--most of them were thin, dry and crispy. The waiter apologized again. The chef never came to apologize. I could not get an explanation for why the quality was worse that fast food joints. The manager came and offered to comp my burger. What a joke! As if I was going to pay for food that I could not eat. They should have comped our entire meal because it was a complete waste of time. This waste of time does not even include the hostess allowing a couple to bust through to a bar area table that we were waiting for. That caused us to wait additional time to finally get an offer of a table. The staff of this place, excluding our waited, had an air of arrogance and clearly thought more of themselves that they should. I am not convinced that the second appearance of my burger was not retaliation for daring to point out that the food was unacceptably cold.

    (1)

  • Yeelin T.

    I'm a huge fan of Rovers and had high hopes for this place, but I was let down. My first visit last Thursday was very mediocre. Granted we went for restaurant week but, still, restaurants shouldn't let their quality slide because of the $28 price tag. As usual, we ordered different things between my husband and I. For the most part, we were equally disappointed. Appetizers: 1. Beet soup - Be warned, this is a cold soup. If you are not in the mood for cold soup, don't order it! If you can get past the cold part, the soup in general was quite good. The beet was sweet with an earthy touch. Not bad, but I felt like it was too early in the year for cold soup. We're talking April 10th here; summer doesn't officially begin until July in Seattle! 2. Pork pate and bread - The pate was so-so. We didn't think very much of the bread or the rhubarb compote either. Entrees: 1. Bourride - Halibut and clams in saffron broth. Delicate and quite tasty, but this dish didn't really impress. 2. Braised Oyster mushrooms - Sauce was quite tasty, but, again, it failed to impress. This dish was also exceptionally tiny. Desserts: 1. Profiteroles - This was the highlight of the meal. The crunch in the pastry was excellent (don't think I ever had crunchy profiteroles before). The butter pecan ice cream and salted caramel were good to. 2. Chocolate Truffle cake - very mediocre. The lemon creme stood out (in a bad way). I'm not sure if the food was bad because we ordered from the Restaurant Week menu, or if it's generally not as good as Rovers. Although not an apples to apples comparison, in my opinion, Luc is better than Loulay. I may come back sometime in the future once this less than stellar experience fades from my memory. For now, I'll continue my search for a Rovers replacement.

    (3)

  • Gregory M.

    Very average lunch. Lyonnaise salad without gross and instead with mushy spinach and arugula because they were out of frisée and didn't bother telling us. I had work to do and asked if I could sit in the lounge and drink coffee and if they had wifi. I've now been waiting about twenty minutes as the bartender and bar maid spend all their time with employees who have dropped in to get their paycheck a. No one had even spoken to me. I was going to order a cognac and espresso but it looks instead like I will take up the seating and drink water instead. This is pretty incredibly bad service.

    (1)

  • Erin P.

    Had a great night at Loulay last weekend! To be honest, I was very sad about Rover's closing and was not really too excited about Loulay as I was hoping the Chef in the Hat would open another fine dining restaurant. With that said, the service was impeccable and all of the dishes we got were very good. Our favorites were the scrambled egg with caviar and the foie gras, which were our favorites at Rover's as well and they did not disappoint. We almost wanted to order another order of the foie for dessert it was that delicious!...but that would have been weird so we didn't. The other highlight was the crab beignets. Somehow light yet full of crab at the same time. The burger was good, if a tad salty for me and the rabbit was fine as well. Dessert was good, I am not a huge dessert person though. I will definitely come back, most likely for a glass of champagne and the egg and foie gras at the bar when I am feeling nostalgic for Rover's.

    (4)

  • Cindy O.

    Loulay is the Chef in the Hats newest restaurant, this one in the guise of a classy French bistro. Located next to the Sheridan, the site was previously a jewelers shop, but one would not know that from the decor. Thierry Rautureau once again provides contemporary French fare with flare using the wonderful products from the Pacific Northwest. Three of us ate here on a busy Friday night. It seems this is the place to be and be seen in Seattle! The service was good, although we could tell the staff was focused and had their hands full. We had the French Onion Soup (this is NOT liptons. It is in a rich veal stock with a slightly bitter flavor. Very interesting), Crab Beignets (they were delish. Puffy with sweet crab filling), Seared Foie Gras (the char on the top, how did they get that and still have the center rich and creamy? And the bread pudding was a piece of art. We discussed all the way home how they might of made it. Very very tasty dish), Veal Sweetbreads (husband ate them so fast I didn't get a chance to taste them. I think he groaned once though), Duck Trio (this was similar to a dish we had at Rovers. The duck leg .. the duck leg... I may dream of the duck leg. And the creamy beans were delightful. The breast was a tad too done for our taste, though), and the Scrambled egg with white sturgeon caviar- (which I heard was good as again, I didn't get a taste. I think orgasmic was mentioned as an adjective for the dish) For dessert we had the Beignets (Our son Inhaled these.) Hot Chocolate ( not too sweet, slightly salty, rich and thick. It was a joy to drink), and the Chocolate Truffle Cake (which was beautiful and tasty. This was a true masterpiece) The place was noisy but the seating we had (one of the rounded booths) allowed us to converse with each other with ease. But, as any noisy restaurant, it is not a relaxing place when it is so busy. All in all, this isn't Rovers, but it is still very good.

    (5)

  • Sandi R.

    Worst experience for a top rated restaurant ever! Thought we would celebrate our son's 27th birthday at what we believed would be a great restaurant. Food was unremarkable and the service was dismal. As a party of five we were sat in a booth meant for four with no leg room. (Yes we had made reservations in advance) Asked for bread twice--never saw it. It took forever between courses and forever to get our plates cleared. As a party of five asked for a second bottle of wine and after 15 minutes finally received one that was warm rather than asking if we would prefer one that was already chilled. Second and main courses arrived cool. Do not go! Not worth it at a third of the price and its not cheap.

    (1)

  • Krista S.

    We usually like to wait a little longer before trying a new restaurant to give it time to work out the kinks. However, we were excited to try Loulay and had a perfect opportunity to go for dinner before a show at the 5th Ave. The interior is beautifully redone. There is a downstairs bar and seating area, as well as an upstairs with a few additional tables. Originally, they seated us at a 2 top about 6 inches away from another couple, when there were only a couple other tables in the whole restaurant with people. When we requested another table with slightly more room, they reseated us upstairs. The restaurant was never full during our whole dinner, so I'm not sure what the thinking was on that, but we appreciated accommodating our request. Since we were working with a little time constraint, we mentioned this to our waitress, who did a great job making sure we were out of there on time. We started with the french onion soup, crab beignets, and foie gras. The french onion soup was just all right, the beignets were yummy and had a lot of crab in them, and you can never go wrong with foie gras! (side note: we had the bearskin rug cocktail, which went nicely with the flavors of the foie gras) For the next course, we had the braised rabbit. The sauce was delicious, albeit a bit thin, and there were only a couple noodles. Overall, the dish had excellent flavor, but almost was more of a soup than a pasta dish. Other reviewers had recommended the duck trio, so we tried that and were not disappointed. For dessert, we got the hot chocolate that had been recommended, and the financier. The financier had excellent presentation and my boyfriend really liked the taste. I had the hot chocolate, which was good little finish... I guess I was expecting something more after hearing the recommendations? But all was good. As for the drinks, we enjoyed the cocktails and found several others on the list we'd try next time. We ordered a bottle of wine to go with the food, but the cocktails arrived after our starters (by a good 5+ minutes... we were almost halfway done before we got drinks) so we didn't get to enjoy the wine until our mains. Most of the bottles were at the higher end, but we chose a lower priced bottle and were still pleased. For a restaurant that's not supposed to be as high end as Rover's, I would have expected a bit more price range in the wine list. Overall, seemed like there were still a few things to work out with the dishes and service, but it was a good experience and I'd come back in another couple months!

    (4)

  • Cindy L.

    My husband and I went on a Monday night-- first the positives - the decor is lovely, their menu is really creative and their fries are excellent. On the negative side, our waitress was very inattentive and she didn't bother to tell us that we were getting an appetizer that was repeated with our entrees. The food we had was disappointing - My husband's salad was full of sand, and both of our main courses were uninspiring. It might have been the night of the week- but we certainly didn't get the a-team in the front or the back of the house.

    (2)

  • Capt k.

    I was anxiously awaiting Loulay to open since June and I was a little bit disappointed when I visited Loulay a week after it open. The welcome changes are the menu pricing is more affordable now and restaurant is bigger. The not so welcome changes are 1. The finesse and presentation of the food is gone way down. I know this is not Rover and I need to dial down on my expectation. However, the wait staff should have look at the plate before it was served. The sauce on my foie plate is caked dry and salmon is a bit over done. I think the dishes maybe sitting on the heat lamp for too long. 2. We made the a specific request on the waiter when we made the reservation a week ago. We asked the hostess if the section she sat us is his section. The hostess went back and work with the manager for about 10 minutes and the manager sit us down at the same seat without an apology. I will go back again in few months to work out the kinks and they added new items on the menu.

    (3)

  • Giancarlo C.

    This is my #1 destination when I crave foie-gras. Menu is relatively small but all the dishes are tasty. The soft boiled egg with caviar is interesting and worth a try. Decent cocktail menu. Nice ambiance. Excellent service.

    (5)

  • Dan B.

    Decided to give Loulay a try on Friday evening for our monthly dinner group get together. I feel the 3.5 stars overall is pretty spot on. There were parts of the meal that were great and some that were really a miss. The champagne selection was awesome - got a nice bottle of Demi-sec - Taittinger and it was great with everything throughout. The menu is divided by small | medium | large plates which is a nice idea if you plan to share or just trying to gauge how hungry you are. I had the beet salad (basically 1 beet chopped in quarters with a bit of lettuce - bit disappointing overall. Followed up by the seared ahi for my main. Fish was fresh which i appreciated, however it was quite overcooked. the sauce that came with the dish made the whole thing enjoyable however. The "Chef-In-The-Hat" came to visit and make sure everything was alright with our table - quite a cool experience! Very neat to hear his take on the style/ design of the restaurant and after hearing it - it all came together. I had the Creme Caramel for dessert on the chef's recommendation - quite delicious and I would go back just for that! Price was fair even though we had a bottle - I think I will wait a few months before I go back, I would like the new kitchen staff to have a bit more time getting their dishes complete

    (3)

  • Paul J.

    I am undecided between 3 or 4 stars. i can't say that I am a fan...yet. I dropped in for a mid-afternoon lunch after scouring the downtown area for something simple and elegant. And, simple and elegant was Loulay. The atmosphere and decor was pleasant with background lounge jazz music. That's means Sinatra, Satchmo, Ertha Kitt for those not in the know. My meal was good but not spectacular. I ordered from the bistro menu which I believe was the menu available at the bar. I had the burger with duck egg on a butter lettuce leaf. But alas, the duck had not laid any eggs so a chicken egg had to stand in as a substitute. I was slightly disappointed. Duck egg is so much more delicious than chicken egg. Putting together a spectacular burger requires time and effort otherwise you just have a good to very good burger. The meat must speak for itself but it is the pairings of condiments that make a burger. The pairing of a chicken egg and butter leaf lettuce resulted in a good burger. It did not detract from the burger but it certainly did enhance the burger in any significant way. As a result, my socks remained on my feet. On the other hand, the cocktail menu was quite interesting - I had a Lazerac (rye whiskey, lavender simple syrup, bitters and chartreuse). As a bourbon and whiskey drinker, I found this drink refreshing. A similar concept to a straight rye witch. I certainly would have liked to have tried most of the drinks on the cocktail menu. I intend to give Loulay a second look for dinner sometime soon. Dinner may earn a 4 star rating. Until then...

    (3)

  • Sarah S.

    I've had lunch here twice and loved it. However, dinner was just so-so, with the "large" and "medium" plates so small, it left my dining companion and I quite hungry and rushing to leave. A $77 meal with drinks, starters, and mains and we were still hungry. (For portion size, imagine you order a polenta fish and a massive plate arrives, but with just on small square of polenta--smaller than a deck of cards--and two mushrooms on it.) Lunch portions are much more generous and drinks are more well-executed, so, 5 stars for lunch, 3 for dinner.

    (3)

  • Nancy Z.

    For lunch it is as good as it gets in Seattle. Service, and menu options excellent. Maybe its my age, but noise level in all restaurants seems to be higher - and Loulay is no exception.

    (4)

  • John H.

    Alright. The chicken is unreal. Phenomenal. I like me some chicken, but this was the moistest, sweetest, most incredible chicken I have ever had. Chicken to die for. Chicken to kill for! So that's the chicken. My friend had the chicken, and I was envious the entire time. I had the burger, which is purportedly one of the 15 best burgers in the COUNTRY. Was it really THAT good? Hard to say, but it was delicious. And for $12 ($15 with a duck egg on it, and why would you not want that?) it is remarkably economically priced for a Seattle gourmet burger. Our starters though, not so amazing. The beets in the eponymously named beet salad were tender, but the whole salad was par for the course as beet salads go. The dungeness crab appetizer was relatively bland. Lame. And the entree size was large enough that we didn't need to get apps. That said, overall, the chicken won out. Service was very good, and the space itself is beautiful and complex. Would love to return. Just avoid the crab starter and the beet salad unless you cannot live without them.

    (5)

Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.

Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.

Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :7:00 am - 10:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Brunch, Dinner
    Parking : Valet, Garage, Street
    Bike Parking : No
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : No
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Romantic
    Noise Level : Average
    Music : Background
    Good For Dancing : No
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Happy Hour : No
    Best Nights : Fri, Sat, Sun
    Coat Check : Yes
    Smoking : No
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : Yes
    Dogs Allowed : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Loulay Kitchen & Bar

Share with your social network

WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES

Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online

Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.

© 2024 Restaurant Listings. All rights reserved.