Guillaume Glipa, a name synonymous with some of London’s most celebrated restaurants including Chiltern Firehouse has announced his latest restaurant venture, Louie, opening in London’s Covent Garden this March.
Covent Garden by DiliffA joint venture with Paris hospitality group ‘Paris Society’, this will be Glipa and Paris Society’s first London location. Open for lunch, dinner and late night drinks, and brunch at weekends, Louie is already piquing interest across the hospitality industry.
Louie will accommodate 150 covers and operate with a rare late licence until 2.30am, closing at 11pm on Sundays.
Slade Rushing will be joining the project as Executive Head Chef. Hailing from New Orleans, Slade’s most recent position at Brennan’s restaurant saw him establish the location as New Orlean’s, ‘Restaurant of the Year, 2019’.
Mississippi born Slade has curated a menu that embraces classic French gastronomy, New Orleans revisited Creole dishes, and New York culinary heritage. From Po-Boys to classical French fare, the menu will allow for both light bites and substantial options depending on the mood of the diners.
Occupying 11,000 square feet the venue will be spread over multiple floors in a townhouse that previously played home to Joel Robuchon at 15 West Street.
The dining room will occupy two floors, with the restaurant boasting clean, light décor and a stunning oyster bar on the ground floor with an old jukebox, and a wood burning oven, carpeted floor and velvet banquettes on the first floor.
Above the restaurant floors, guests will find the bar level and roof terrace complete with retractable roof to best manage London’s varied weather and ensure that Louie is a location for all seasons. On winter nights, guests will be invited to cosy up by the fire in the bar, and for balmy summer nights, to take a step onto this secret rooftop spot. For late night bites guests will be able to order bar snacks including New York style pizza slices. Live music will be provided, New Orlean’s style, on a classical, restored jazz piano and Brass Bands.
French design duo Dion et Arles will be creating the space, sourcing fabrics from Pierre Frey. Neutral tones will dominate the space with antiques, tribal masks and curios set to create intrigue and play to the cultural and historical references of the prohibition of alcohol, jazz and voodoo.
Glipa and Rushing first met in New York while working at Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar and they will reunite for the first time for this ambitious project that takes inspiration from four cities, that represent their own personal journeys. Louie will take its aesthetic, musical and culinary references from Paris, New York and New Orleans and even the name, Louie is reflective of these locations nodding to both Louis XIV and Louis Armstrong.
Guests will feel the combined references of The Great Gatsby for energy and Coco Chanel for style (the uniforms will be created by designer Racil), all the while listening to sound scape inspired by Duke Ellington in New Orleans’ French Quarter.
Born in France, Glipa begin his career in Paris learning the basics of the industry and true French style, then, moving to New York he met Slade and learnt an American style of hospitality, where he befriended his future Head Chef. Finally, landing in London, Glipa created the food and beverage offering at Chiltern Firehouse alongside hospitality legend André Balaz.