Why do foodies love Paris so? The French capital’s bistros are legendary, combining candlelight, good wine, and classic cooking, with simple, fresh produce and, hopefully, plenty of butter. You’ll find replicas all over the UK but while not many get the trifecta right, Chez Lui in Notting Hill gets pretty close.
First off, the ambience: step in from bustling Kensington Park Road and you’ll feel instantly wooed by the soft glow and cafe curtains. Chez Lui looks the part with a richly-toned colour scheme, quirky artworks and artfully-placed plants, all bathed in a generous flicker of candlelight - a pre-requisite to any Parisian-style dining experience.
French waiters might get a bad rep for being un peu rude, but you won’t find any of that here at Chez Lui. Service is bursting with charm and couldn’t be more helpful, offering honest recommendations and fielding questions knowledgeably.
Moving onto the food menu, the options are just varied enough with plenty of well-loved dishes that you’ll recognise. We started with a classic French lettuce heart salad, chopped at the table and drizzled with mustard vinaigrette. Fresh, flavourful and surprisingly large, the tangy dressing and chomp-able leaves had just the right amount of bite. But, for those interested, the tarragon devilled eggs with black garlic looked delicious (and trendy), as well.
For mains, the peppercorn crusted beef steak is unapologetically indulgent. We requested ours on the rare side, and it arrived perfectly pink, resting in a glossy pool of brandy sauce. The peppercorn crust delivers just enough bite to cut through the richness, in between handfuls of salty, crispy fries. It’s crowd-pleasing stuff, but exceptionally well executed.
We were a little disappointed to find prosecco as the house fizz, especially given the abundance of excellent, affordable crémant available. The suggested alternative was a little on the sweet side and didn’t quite sit right, especially alongside Chez Lui’s classic bistro cooking.
Aside from that, even on a Tuesday evening Chez Lui was packed with bookings and walk-ins were practically tussling to get in so one thing isn’t up for debate - this West London take on a Parisian bistro is the place to be.