“ I heard this week that LaLou is closing after December 31st! I came here tonight (Monday 12/16) for their happy hour. Having half a dozen oysters ($12) with their sparkling PetNat. I will miss this place. It was mine and my friends go-to place for a drink. The staff were always friendly, especially Eric and Elaine. And the atmosphere is so chill. The bar situated in such an airy open way to be inviting. I will miss the place. ”

“ I just love coming here. LaLou is a neighborhood staple, fresh with seasonal sharing plates and wine recommendations that always knock my socks off. The service makes you feel super at ease- like you're catching up with old friends in your Japandi-style living room. It's the perfect place to catch up with an old friend or to celebrate in a down-to-earth sort of way. Also, don't underestimate the 1hr happy hour they have on weekdays - if you're an oyster fanatic like me, you'll love it. ”

“ I enjoyed my solo venture to LaLou. I was seeking good wine that wasn't those chilled wine spots that have been popping around my neighborhood lately. I had some dry full bodied red wine and a charcuterie board plus olives and I was quite satisfied. I will definitely be back. ”

“ Girls dinner Friday night. Back covered garden. Wine, chats and laughs. The appetizers were small but I guess that's what it is. All the dishes ordered we loved the flavors. Started with tomatoes espelette, she wolf sourdough and summer squash. Then for entrees we got the roasted chicken ratatouille and the sea bass with lentils and verte sauce. I loved my chicken entree as the skin of the chicken was crispy and paired well with the ratatouille vegetables and sauce. It seemed like our server was overwhelmed so we had to repeat our order to him a few times. Would definitely come here again and try it for lunch! ”

“ Really wanted some wine and cheese in the area and this is the place that popped up. I understand this spot is on the nicer end, but I was expecting a bit more for $16 than a small wedge of cheese. It was accompanied by toasted almonds which I enjoyed but the small pile of grapes included on the plate seemed mushy and close to expiration. I found the combo also a bit odd to try and pile all together in a cohesive bite. Trying to get the almonds on the same bite was a challenge. That being said, the cheese itself was very good. The bread was really tasty as well, though it is a very durable rustic piece of bread paired with the dainty cheese and almonds. I got a light orange wine that I really enjoyed. The star of my meal (snack) and a last minute edition I ordered was the summer squash, brown butter, lemon, capers, almonds. This was a small bowl of happiness. I used some of the bread to sop up the rest of the sauce. This has led me to believe I need to branch out and try some of their other small plates. I think that is the way to go here. Service was friendly and helpful. Interior is clean, minimalist, airy. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating. ”

“ This restaurant has a little something for everyone. There's inside and outside seating and the staff were very nice. We ate the crudo, chicken and Bass. And we really liked the chocolate torte with a bit of a salty crust. ”

“ We had an amazing experience at LaLou! Everything from the comforting environment, incredibly thoughtful menu to the friendly staff hit on our every need. Each dish was beautifully paired with a glass of wine that perfectly complimented the plate. We started off with the she wolf sourdough bread with normandy butter, the leeks dish with quail egg, house-made potato chips and Pedro Ximenez vin. Although it was only a winter special, the large format cassoulet and pork cheek rillettes with mandeira jelly what I think about on a regular basis. The duck in the cassoulet was so tender with it sitting in the brothy beans. If you can envision the perfect comfort meal in New York during the winter, the cassoulet is it. 12/10 dish. Lastly, the staff was beyond accomodating with excellent N/A wines, great smiles and tasty dessert options! We can't wait to visit NYC again this summer and see whats on the menu! ”

“ LaLou has been on my list for ages and it didn't disappoint. Made a reservation in the back garden, which is heated and covered, and had a great dinner before a show at Barclays. Amazing wines (duh) but the food was just as good! My boyfriend and I shared the Jamon de Bayonne, leeks, bass, vol-au-vent and chocolate rum cake. The vol-au-vent and cake were the highlights, followed by the bass. Perfect spot for a pre-Barclays or BAM dinner! ”

“ Full disclosure: I knew the head chef when he was a kid. And now he is all grown up and boy oh boy has he mastered some mad skills. We recently spent a weekend in Brooklyn and my daughter (Chef Ian's childhood classmate) made us reservations at LaLou. I intentionally did not google-stalk LaLou before we arrived because I wanted to be surprised. And everything was delightful! To start, our train was late getting us in to Penn so no way did we have enough time to race from the station to LaLou to make our reservation. I was worried about fancy NY restaurants with strictly enforced grace periods but I called to let them know and they could not have been more accommodating. When we got there, we had suitcases in tow and despite being a small establishment, it was no big deal for the hostess to find a safe spot for the bags to hang out while we indulged. We were 2-for-2! Super impressed with LaLou's front of house! Next we were walked back to a beautiful little outdoor space that was cozy and welcoming. Fresh herbs growing in window boxes separated us from our neighbors and we loved the intimate and fragrant atmosphere. Definitely request outdoor seating if Mother Nature is having a good day. From there, we began our culinary adventure delivered by a most friendly and professional wait staff. The menu is both small and overwhelming. In a good way. There were about a dozen small dishes to choose from - all so artfully presented - and we wanted them all! We enjoyed such creations as - jambon de bayonne, comté, purple mustard, with sourdough (yes the mustard was really purple and the jambon was thinly sliced and flavorful) - endive, orange, castelvetrano olive, and hazelnut salad (deliciously fresh and delicately dressed) - bigeye tuna, cucumber, mache, with herbes de provence (so very fresh and seasoned to perfection) - leeks, quail egg, potato chips, and pedro ximénez vinaigrette (this was a wonderful surprise and such an interesting mix of flavors and textures) And to top off our meal, the vol au vent. An outstanding flaky pastry shell filled with tomato confit and cipollini onion. This was probably my favorite dish - but as you can imagine it was pretty hard to choose. How could it be so delicate and flakey and yet so creamy and satisfying all at once? We also enjoyed a great orange wine from LaLou's vast wine list. It is really quite stunningly large and varied. There is also a full bar, but we didn't get there. I obviously highly recommend LaLou. And not just because cute little Ian has grown up to be a masterful chef - that's just a bonus. I would equally rave if he had chosen another line of work. But he didn't! And that's good news for all of us. ”