Rotgut.org Blog: #2507 #S1241 - Loulay, Seattle

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

#2507 #S1241 - Loulay, Seattle - 4/20/2014

Update: Already closed for a year due to COVID, Loulay announced their permanent closure Aug 9, 2021.

I had only a light meal on this trip to Loulay, but it is owned and run by Seattle's trademarked "Chef in the Hat," Thierry Rautureau, who has a trail of awards from James Beard to Chevalier de l’Ordre Du Mérite Agricole to various Seattle restaurant/chef of the years blah-dy, blah-dy, blah, so you already know the food is good. This blog is here to tell you that it is also a fine stop in downtown Seattle for a good cocktail. Bartender Justin told us stories about lining up drinks at Rautureau's Luc, with bartenders contesting to make the cocktail menu of the new place.

Loulay, Seattle, WA

Rautureau apparently tired of the intimate locations on shady, neighborhoody streets, and moved into this huge, shiny space in a hotel in the middle of downtown, complete with massive mirrors to admire itself. It is named for his hometown in the Muscadet region of France. From there Thierry plied his trade in Normandy and the French Alps, before moving on to the quaint little American villages of Chicago and Los Angeles. Seattleites know him mostly for the highly regarded Rover's, which he closed a few years ago, and of course for the hat. There isn't a whole lot of bar here, but if you're waiting for a fine French meal or just nearby, it's one of your best options in the area for an interesting, nicely crafted cocktail.