Chez Lui

The upstairs dining room at Chez Lui feels like a deliberate exercise in Parisian nostalgia, where warm wood, painted brick, and brass mirrors frame a space that is polished but intimate. While the name translates to “at his place” – implying a casual dinner at a friend’s home – the operation is slicker than that suggests. Backed by the Bagatelle Group and designed by Sam Baron, the restaurant balances the aesthetic of a neighborhood fixture with the precision of a high-end hospitality venture. The menu sticks rigidly to the classics. You see plates of beef tartare, steak au poivre, and roast chicken moving through the room, followed by theatrically served chocolate mousse or tarte tatin. The kitchen is run by Rocco Seminara, whose background includes training under Alain Ducasse, ensuring the execution matches the setting. Tables are dressed in white linens and lit by candles, making the dining room a frequent choice for dates or quiet conversations where the atmosphere needs to do some of the heavy lifting. The energy shifts significantly if you head downstairs. Below the main dining floor lies a cocktail bar and lounge finished in jewel tones and velvet banquettes. It operates on a walk-in basis, often catching the overflow from upstairs or locals looking for a drink without the commitment of full dinner service. While the street-level terrace offers pavement dining under a burgundy awning, the basement provides a lower-lit, enclosed escape from the Notting Hill foot traffic.