The spirit of Chez Lui is right there in the name. “We really want the guests to feel like they are invited into someone’s home,” pastry chef Manon Santini tells Broadsheet.
Chez Lui, which is French for “at his place”, is an intimate neighbourhood bistro tucked behind Portobello Road in Notting Hill. It’s the debut opening from La Bistrot Collection, a new family of London restaurants by French hospitality brand Bagatelle Group, which has hotels and restaurants in Europe, North America, Mexico and Dubai.
The restaurant is inspired by Paris’s timeless bistros – with a few tweaks for contemporary London diners. “[It’s] emblematic of a bistro and the elegance of the French kitchen, energised for the city of London,” Rocco Seminara, Bagatelle Group’s executive chef, tells Broadsheet.
Chez Lui’s exterior has all the classic French trimmings: a burgundy facade, an awning, half-drawn curtains at the windows, and a cluster of tables and chairs for al fresco dining. Inside, the fit-out by Dior Maison collaborator Sam Baron transports diners into a recognisably Parisian bohemian luxury setting.
Velvet banquettes line ivory-washed walls, which are hung with a mixture of oil paintings, sepia-toned landscapes and antique botanical prints. Lush green plants dot the space and vintage shelves overflow with objets d’art: candlesticks, ceramic vases and collectors’ books. A jewel-toned cocktail bar with low lighting and cushy banquettes will open downstairs in September.
While it’s plush, it remains unpretentious. “We really wanted to create this [cosy] ambience,” says Santini. “When [guests] arrive at the restaurant, they [should] feel really good.”
The menu features modern, unexpected takes on familiar French cooking. “We have some classic dishes, but we’re creating something different with the ingredients, the techniques, the form, the visual, the colours,” Santini says.
This means Espelette peppers, a specialty of the Basque region, feature in the butter that comes with the baguettes. The oeuf mayonnaise has two kinds of mayo: one with black garlic, the other with tarragon. The crème brûlée hides a layer of dulce de leche at the base. But the juicy poulet roti – roast chicken with baked potatoes and jus – and the gratin dauphinois lean more traditional.
The drinks list is a succinct selection of French wines and classic cocktails with a playful twist. The La Parisienne blends gin, peach and elderflower, while the Notting Hill Spritz combines gin, Aperol, prosecco, rosemary and nocellara olives.
Every part of the venue – from the design to the cooking – has been brought together carefully. “It’s not just about food, it’s not only about [the] service,” says Santini. “For me, it’s the full experience … a place to create memories.”
Chez Lui
184A Kensington Park Road, W11 2ES
020 4625 7391
Hours:
Mon to Sun midday–11pm
