I visited the restaurant over the weekend, as it had been on my list for quite some time. Unfortunately, my expereince fell short. There were several reasons for this disappointment. Firstly, the food was not memorable with exception of the morue. However, what truly stood out was the subpar service provided by staff member R___N. It was a truly unpleasant experience, especially when comparing how he treated the other tables in the restaurant versus how he treated me.I mentioned my concerns to the manager, expressing that it felt as if I were dining in a cafeteria, where food was carelessly dropped off and the server promptly disappeared without explanation or any check-ins. I had to personally request another round of wine and even pour my own water. Many of the thank-yous my party and I offered at the beginning of the meal were met with complete silence.While I understand that I should not expect the same level of service as a high-end establishment like 11 Madison, I do believe that basic professionalism should be maintained for all patrons. It is disheartening to think that the color of my skin may have played a role in the differential treatment I received compared to others who were attended to by R____N. It is truly unfortunate for Crown Heights and a disappointment for Brooklyn when individuals with such bigotry are employed and cannot comprehend the concept of serving people of color.I found the entire experience to be astounding and disappointing, and I will be contacting the ownership group to express my concerns. It is one thing for a server to have a bad day and provide subpar service to everyone in their section, but it is an entirely different matter when it appears that everyone except us is receiving good service. Therefore, this review is not about the food but about more the representation and of the particular employee who work for this establishment. The manager did remove a round of drinks which I asked not to be removed after I expressed my dissatisfaction. (TY for the gesture) This is not a blanket statement about the staff as I I am sure the team are good people! But the lack of service was not something I could ignore. While watching those around me get top service from the same chap.I leave this review with the following note:"The most important decision you will ever make is to be in a good mood."-Voltaire
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Anchovy Toast
Tali B. Goldsheft
Mama’s night out
Anthony Venegas
It's overpriced fine with a dish or ingredient that is
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
KB
Great french style food, but please, get an espresso machine, this is the first restaurant I’ve been that I couldn’t have a coffee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Océane
Amazing food spot in Prospect Heights! Even though they are known for their selection of natural wine, LaLou offers a delicious menu you can’t pass on. Their chicken and mushroom vol-au-vent are must try even though it was quite expensive. I would definitely come back another day to try their wine :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roast Chicken
Steve Berger
Had lunch here recently and was super pleased with the experience. The food was good (we had the burger and short rib). The wine list was good and interesting. The service was really great as well - everyone was so nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Andrea Longinott
Nice wine selection. Gets crowded quick, make a reservation.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
Christian Mosi
After a a cold Saturday evening , I stubbled apon this place with my sisters. We were greeted by Elaine she recommended us some wonderful wines and the atmposphere was beautiful and the staff was great ! This is a gem to the Brooklyn Community.
Nice neighborhood spot for a date or wine tasting with friends. The wine list is extensive with intriguing options from Greece, Sicily, etc in addition to the usual suspects. Food is also very good and portion sizes are large. The chicken liver mousse, mushroom vol-au-vent (pictured here) and ribeye (pictured here) stole the show for us. Would definitely return here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Keisha Francis
My friend and I each ordered the burger, which appeared to be fine. However, I was concerned and disappointed to see that one of the chefs/ cooks (chef wearing a red hat) in the kitchen was using his bare hands (hands that he used to touch his phone, a tablet that appeared to to show what orders needed to be made, the counter top, place food into his mouth, and garnish/ plate food. This practice seemed unsanitary for a variety reasons. Additionally, there was a male who appeared to be of latin descent who used his bare hands to sprinkle perhaps salt on some olives that a customer purchased before delivering it to them. I was further surprised to see that the manager who came over to speak with me was someone who was standing at the counter by the kitchen while some of these things were occurring. This led me to assume these actions were not a one off, but a consistent pattern of behavior. While it appears efforts were made to correct the behavior, the chef/ cook began using utensils to prepare customers meals before I left the establishment, I was left very disturbed by dining experience. I paid for my meal, but did not eat the hand prepared dessert I ordered. As a result, I will not be recommending Lalou to anyone unless they don't mind partaking of food topped with a side of saliva and various degrees of cross contamination.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Gab G.
LaLou has been on my list for ages and it didn't disappoint. Made a reservation in the back garden, which is heated and covered, and had a great dinner before a show at Barclays. Amazing wines (duh) but the food was just as good! My boyfriend and I shared the Jamon de Bayonne, leeks, bass, vol-au-vent and chocolate rum cake. The vol-au-vent and cake were the highlights, followed by the bass.Perfect spot for a pre-Barclays or BAM dinner!
Michelle S.
My consensus: it's on the border of okay/good. We were early for our reservation but they were able to seat us right away in the garden. The staff was friendly and you could tell they all liked their jobs (genuine smiles all around). Service was not too fast and not too slow; just right.The interior is pretty, with an airy light vibe with low lighting. The ambiance is great for a date night.I had the Weird Sisters cocktail which was okay. It had a bitter aftertaste that wasn't really to my liking, but if that's your thing, go for it. My boyfriend had the Dead Beat Summer which was more to my liking - watermelon paired with licorice (from the absinthe) was an interesting combination that worked well.I shared the pecuri in i vigne and honeycomb appetizer with my boyfriend and wish there was more cheese served, or at least a less crusty and large bread to balance out the ratios. As it was, the ratio of cheese to bread was off and there wasn't enough cheese to spread to my liking. The flavors were good, however.For dinner, I got the roast chicken. There were two medium sized cuts of chicken on the plate, with a crispy skin on both. I don't usually order chicken because of the very easy potential of making it dry, but the chicken was moist. It is laid on a bed of sauce you can dip the chicken in. On the side were two small portions of (I believe were) baby romaine with a vinaigrette on top. Weirdly there were about 6 green beans and 4 broccolini served with this dish. So the star of the dish was the chicken, with the sides a bit of an afterthought. I would have liked a few more of the baby romaine, and less salt on the broccolini and green beans. I think charging $33 for this dish is a bit much for what you get.Would I come here again? Yes, but only for drinks.
veek n.
Full disclosure: I knew the head chef when he was a kid. And now he is all grown up and boy oh boy has he mastered some mad skills.We recently spent a weekend in Brooklyn and my daughter (Chef Ian's childhood classmate) made us reservations at LaLou. I intentionally did not google-stalk LaLou before we arrived because I wanted to be surprised. And everything was delightful!To start, our train was late getting us in to Penn so no way did we have enough time to race from the station to LaLou to make our reservation. I was worried about fancy NY restaurants with strictly enforced grace periods but I called to let them know and they could not have been more accommodating. When we got there, we had suitcases in tow and despite being a small establishment, it was no big deal for the hostess to find a safe spot for the bags to hang out while we indulged. We were 2-for-2! Super impressed with LaLou's front of house! Next we were walked back to a beautiful little outdoor space that was cozy and welcoming. Fresh herbs growing in window boxes separated us from our neighbors and we loved the intimate and fragrant atmosphere. Definitely request outdoor seating if Mother Nature is having a good day. From there, we began our culinary adventure delivered by a most friendly and professional wait staff.The menu is both small and overwhelming. In a good way. There were about a dozen small dishes to choose from - all so artfully presented - and we wanted them all! We enjoyed such creations as - jambon de bayonne, comté, purple mustard, with sourdough (yes the mustard was really purple and the jambon was thinly sliced and flavorful)- endive, orange, castelvetrano olive, and hazelnut salad (deliciously fresh and delicately dressed)- bigeye tuna, cucumber, mache, with herbes de provence (so very fresh and seasoned to perfection)- leeks, quail egg, potato chips, and pedro ximénez vinaigrette (this was a wonderful surprise and such an interesting mix of flavors and textures)And to top off our meal, the vol au vent. An outstanding flaky pastry shell filled with tomato confit and cipollini onion. This was probably my favorite dish - but as you can imagine it was pretty hard to choose. How could it be so delicate and flakey and yet so creamy and satisfying all at once?We also enjoyed a great orange wine from LaLou's vast wine list. It is really quite stunningly large and varied. There is also a full bar, but we didn't get there.I obviously highly recommend LaLou. And not just because cute little Ian has grown up to be a masterful chef - that's just a bonus. I would equally rave if he had chosen another line of work. But he didn't! And that's good news for all of us.
Sabina birthday :)
I visited the restaurant over the weekend, as it had been on my list for quite some time. Unfortunately, my expereince fell short. There were several reasons for this disappointment. Firstly, the food was not memorable with exception of the morue. However, what truly stood out was the subpar service provided by staff member R___N. It was a truly unpleasant experience, especially when comparing how he treated the other tables in the restaurant versus how he treated me.I mentioned my concerns to the manager, expressing that it felt as if I were dining in a cafeteria, where food was carelessly dropped off and the server promptly disappeared without explanation or any check-ins. I had to personally request another round of wine and even pour my own water. Many of the thank-yous my party and I offered at the beginning of the meal were met with complete silence.While I understand that I should not expect the same level of service as a high-end establishment like 11 Madison, I do believe that basic professionalism should be maintained for all patrons. It is disheartening to think that the color of my skin may have played a role in the differential treatment I received compared to others who were attended to by R____N. It is truly unfortunate for Crown Heights and a disappointment for Brooklyn when individuals with such bigotry are employed and cannot comprehend the concept of serving people of color.I found the entire experience to be astounding and disappointing, and I will be contacting the ownership group to express my concerns. It is one thing for a server to have a bad day and provide subpar service to everyone in their section, but it is an entirely different matter when it appears that everyone except us is receiving good service. Therefore, this review is not about the food but about more the representation and of the particular employee who work for this establishment. The manager did remove a round of drinks which I asked not to be removed after I expressed my dissatisfaction. (TY for the gesture) This is not a blanket statement about the staff as I I am sure the team are good people! But the lack of service was not something I could ignore. While watching those around me get top service from the same chap.I leave this review with the following note:"The most important decision you will ever make is to be in a good mood."-Voltaire
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Anchovy Toast
Mama’s night out
It's overpriced fine with a dish or ingredient that is
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 2
Great french style food, but please, get an espresso machine, this is the first restaurant I’ve been that I couldn’t have a coffee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Amazing food spot in Prospect Heights! Even though they are known for their selection of natural wine, LaLou offers a delicious menu you can’t pass on. Their chicken and mushroom vol-au-vent are must try even though it was quite expensive. I would definitely come back another day to try their wine :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Roast Chicken
Had lunch here recently and was super pleased with the experience. The food was good (we had the burger and short rib). The wine list was good and interesting. The service was really great as well - everyone was so nice.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nice wine selection. Gets crowded quick, make a reservation.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
After a a cold Saturday evening , I stubbled apon this place with my sisters. We were greeted by Elaine she recommended us some wonderful wines and the atmposphere was beautiful and the staff was great ! This is a gem to the Brooklyn Community.
Food is good, but a tad bit pricey for what it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Nice neighborhood spot for a date or wine tasting with friends. The wine list is extensive with intriguing options from Greece, Sicily, etc in addition to the usual suspects. Food is also very good and portion sizes are large. The chicken liver mousse, mushroom vol-au-vent (pictured here) and ribeye (pictured here) stole the show for us. Would definitely return here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My friend and I each ordered the burger, which appeared to be fine. However, I was concerned and disappointed to see that one of the chefs/ cooks (chef wearing a red hat) in the kitchen was using his bare hands (hands that he used to touch his phone, a tablet that appeared to to show what orders needed to be made, the counter top, place food into his mouth, and garnish/ plate food. This practice seemed unsanitary for a variety reasons. Additionally, there was a male who appeared to be of latin descent who used his bare hands to sprinkle perhaps salt on some olives that a customer purchased before delivering it to them. I was further surprised to see that the manager who came over to speak with me was someone who was standing at the counter by the kitchen while some of these things were occurring. This led me to assume these actions were not a one off, but a consistent pattern of behavior. While it appears efforts were made to correct the behavior, the chef/ cook began using utensils to prepare customers meals before I left the establishment, I was left very disturbed by dining experience. I paid for my meal, but did not eat the hand prepared dessert I ordered. As a result, I will not be recommending Lalou to anyone unless they don't mind partaking of food topped with a side of saliva and various degrees of cross contamination.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
LaLou has been on my list for ages and it didn't disappoint. Made a reservation in the back garden, which is heated and covered, and had a great dinner before a show at Barclays. Amazing wines (duh) but the food was just as good! My boyfriend and I shared the Jamon de Bayonne, leeks, bass, vol-au-vent and chocolate rum cake. The vol-au-vent and cake were the highlights, followed by the bass.Perfect spot for a pre-Barclays or BAM dinner!
My consensus: it's on the border of okay/good. We were early for our reservation but they were able to seat us right away in the garden. The staff was friendly and you could tell they all liked their jobs (genuine smiles all around). Service was not too fast and not too slow; just right.The interior is pretty, with an airy light vibe with low lighting. The ambiance is great for a date night.I had the Weird Sisters cocktail which was okay. It had a bitter aftertaste that wasn't really to my liking, but if that's your thing, go for it. My boyfriend had the Dead Beat Summer which was more to my liking - watermelon paired with licorice (from the absinthe) was an interesting combination that worked well.I shared the pecuri in i vigne and honeycomb appetizer with my boyfriend and wish there was more cheese served, or at least a less crusty and large bread to balance out the ratios. As it was, the ratio of cheese to bread was off and there wasn't enough cheese to spread to my liking. The flavors were good, however.For dinner, I got the roast chicken. There were two medium sized cuts of chicken on the plate, with a crispy skin on both. I don't usually order chicken because of the very easy potential of making it dry, but the chicken was moist. It is laid on a bed of sauce you can dip the chicken in. On the side were two small portions of (I believe were) baby romaine with a vinaigrette on top. Weirdly there were about 6 green beans and 4 broccolini served with this dish. So the star of the dish was the chicken, with the sides a bit of an afterthought. I would have liked a few more of the baby romaine, and less salt on the broccolini and green beans. I think charging $33 for this dish is a bit much for what you get.Would I come here again? Yes, but only for drinks.
Full disclosure: I knew the head chef when he was a kid. And now he is all grown up and boy oh boy has he mastered some mad skills.We recently spent a weekend in Brooklyn and my daughter (Chef Ian's childhood classmate) made us reservations at LaLou. I intentionally did not google-stalk LaLou before we arrived because I wanted to be surprised. And everything was delightful!To start, our train was late getting us in to Penn so no way did we have enough time to race from the station to LaLou to make our reservation. I was worried about fancy NY restaurants with strictly enforced grace periods but I called to let them know and they could not have been more accommodating. When we got there, we had suitcases in tow and despite being a small establishment, it was no big deal for the hostess to find a safe spot for the bags to hang out while we indulged. We were 2-for-2! Super impressed with LaLou's front of house! Next we were walked back to a beautiful little outdoor space that was cozy and welcoming. Fresh herbs growing in window boxes separated us from our neighbors and we loved the intimate and fragrant atmosphere. Definitely request outdoor seating if Mother Nature is having a good day. From there, we began our culinary adventure delivered by a most friendly and professional wait staff.The menu is both small and overwhelming. In a good way. There were about a dozen small dishes to choose from - all so artfully presented - and we wanted them all! We enjoyed such creations as - jambon de bayonne, comté, purple mustard, with sourdough (yes the mustard was really purple and the jambon was thinly sliced and flavorful)- endive, orange, castelvetrano olive, and hazelnut salad (deliciously fresh and delicately dressed)- bigeye tuna, cucumber, mache, with herbes de provence (so very fresh and seasoned to perfection)- leeks, quail egg, potato chips, and pedro ximénez vinaigrette (this was a wonderful surprise and such an interesting mix of flavors and textures)And to top off our meal, the vol au vent. An outstanding flaky pastry shell filled with tomato confit and cipollini onion. This was probably my favorite dish - but as you can imagine it was pretty hard to choose. How could it be so delicate and flakey and yet so creamy and satisfying all at once?We also enjoyed a great orange wine from LaLou's vast wine list. It is really quite stunningly large and varied. There is also a full bar, but we didn't get there.I obviously highly recommend LaLou. And not just because cute little Ian has grown up to be a masterful chef - that's just a bonus. I would equally rave if he had chosen another line of work. But he didn't! And that's good news for all of us.