The Verdict
LOULOU occupies the ground-floor space and terrace of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs — the decorative arts museum that occupies the Louvre's Rivoli wing facing the Tuileries garden — and serves Italian food in what is arguably the most scenically positioned restaurant terrace in central Paris: the Tuileries garden visible through the terrace's arches, the Louvre's Rivoli façade above, and the specific afternoon light that the garden's alignment with the setting sun produces across the plane trees.
The Italian menu at Loulou reflects the specific aesthetic of its setting: the Musée des Arts Décoratifs connection communicates that the restaurant is as much about the visual experience as the culinary one, and the kitchen responds with food that communicates the same appreciation for beauty without pretension. Seasonal pastas, fresh Italian preparations, and a wine list built around Italian producers whose bottles complement the garden view's specific register.
The Tuileries terrace at Loulou provides what no other Paris Italian restaurant can offer: the royal garden of French landscape architecture as the dining room's outdoor extension, the Louvre as the backdrop, and the specific experience of eating Italian food in the most formally designed public space in France. For visitors whose Paris itinerary includes the Louvre museums, the Loulou terrace is the most scenically accomplished available lunch.
Why It Works for a First Date
A terrace lunch at Loulou — the Tuileries garden visible through the arches, the Italian pasta arriving in the most scenically constructed dining position in central Paris — creates the first date that communicates Paris at its most compositionally perfect. The Louvre museum visit before or after is the natural extension of an afternoon that the setting frames as a cultural experience rather than simply a meal.
Also in Paris
Explore the full Paris restaurant guide. See our Impress Clients, First Date, and Close a Deal occasion guides for curated picks across Asia.