The Only Place To Be Seen Post-Lockdown
In 1918 legendary jazz musician Louis Armstrong was hiding from the dreaded Spanish Flu which was ravaging the globe and his hometown of New Orleans. As recorded in his autobiography “Satchmo: My Life in New Orleans”, he spent the time perfecting his craft and working – so much so that by the release of national quarantine in 1920, he was well on his way to becoming one of the most famous and important figures in American music.
As his music gained popularity, so did his native city of New Orleans, leading to a boom in tourism when the pandemic quarantine was released in 1920. Jazz music and creole cuisine were celebrated the world over, bringing a whole new chapter for the Big Easy.
One hundred years later this legacy lives on and restaurateurs Guillaume Glipa and Laurent de Gourcuff are bringing it to London. With a laundry list of successes under their belt (Glipa spearheaded the phenomenally successful and uber-chic Chiltern Firehouse and Annabel’s Club while de Gourcuff is the president and founder of the fashionable Paris Society hospitality group) their new restaurant ‘Louie’ (named after Armstrong and the French king Louis XIV) will undoubtedly be the hottest ticket in town.
Bringing the ‘Crescent City’s atmosphere to the West End is an easy fit for Glipa and de Gourcuff who boast impeccable taste and love for the city’s music and food. For the kitchen, the pair recruited top American chef Slade Rushing (who, being from Mississippi, is very familiar with creole and soul food) to lead the charge. On the music front; they have dedicated a floor of the four story venue to its enjoyment, with a vintage jukebox and a piano on offer. The interior design is by Maxime Dion (of renowned design studio Dion & Arles) and boasts a warm, charming feel, dedicated to embracing style with substance.
Louie opens its doors as soon as lockdown finishes and we couldn’t be more excited!
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