Loulou

Loulou proves there’s a vast world of French cuisine beyond the cream and sauce-heavy stereotypes of Gallic cooking, with three distinct venues rolled into one.

From breakfast right through to dinner, the restaurant serves a menu of unapologetically French fare, made with techniques and classic recipes from various regions of France, executed with local produce.

For breakfast, it’s all about stuff you’d find in a Parisian hotel: croissants, a croque monsieur, eggs Florentine and a decadent omelet filled with spanner crab and Gruyere cheese. Later, it might be Sydney rock oysters with mignonette, salade niçoise updated with Tasmanian octopus and hand-cut steak tartare. Both menus are complemented by St Ali coffee, breakfast cocktails and a wine list spanning regions including Champagne, Burgundy and beyond.

Over in the traiteur there are fresh salads and home-style meals such as ratatouille and summer cassoulet. You can also pick up charcuterie, rotisserie chickens, condiments and cook-at-home sausages to be enjoyed in nearby Wendy Whiteley garden or once you get home.

Last but not least is the boulangerie, which bakes four times a day. That means a constant supply of fresh bread – even on your way home from work. Pain au levain (sourdough) is used to make classic baguettes, miche loaves and weekend specials such as fruit and muesli sourdough. Viennoiseries include savoury danishes, kouign-amanns and proper French croissants.

With its mosaic-tiled arches, brass fittings and Parisian cafe-style chairs and tables, Loulou effortlessly recreates French ambience in a quintessential harbourside location.