Review:
There is something Dickensian about Lou's. People of all conditions and classes wandering in and out. The sense of plots, sub-plots and the life of the town. Lots of table hopping, lots of chatty waiters, all male. One was Lou's son - Lou's not Italian, but Samoan, worked in upmarket kitchens for ages till he saved enough to start his own place. The food is outstanding, the kind of thing you'd expect in far more formal and expensive surroundings. My roast lamb was pink & tender, loads of thick slices arranged on a mound of mashed potatoes, with gorgeous gravy. Can't recall much about the rest of the food, but it was good and moderately priced. The restaurant was full, mostly family groups, and although the waiters seemed to know everyone, we didn't feel excluded because they seemed to be really interested in us, where we came from, where we'd been. The young blond barman squatted beside our table for ages, asking about our travels. The German waiter dropped a magnificent dessert on the stairs and left it there, it remained intact all evening. People just stepped round it. Several children left and returned with packets of crisps, which they put on the table for the family and any passing waiter to share. Two short men stood at the bar, in formal suits, drinking swiftly and seriously, but they remained gentlemen right up to the moment they lost consciousness, bless 'em. The barman knew exactly who to call and they were collected and taken home as a matter of little remark. At about 9.30pm, Lou appeared. Splendid in his chef's whites, unmistakably Samoan, he toured all the tables, asking if people had enjoyed their food. He obviously knows most of the diners, loves cooking, loves Apollo Bay and Apollo Bay loves him. He may even have got a round of applause when he came in, or I may have had too much wine and imagined it. Sorry I can't give better directions, but it's on a side street and you can see it from the Great Ocean Rd as you stroll through Apollo Bay. It's in none of the tourist guides, caters almost exclusively to locals, and I'm sorry I can't give better directions. If I lived in Apollo Bay I'd be there most nights. Recommended DM November 2005