Restaurant in Paris, France
Reliable Italian with Michelin-flagged consistency.
Loulou is a Michelin Plate Italian on Boulevard Saint-Germain holding consecutive 2024 and 2025 recognitions, priced at €€€ and rated 4.0 across 3,540 Google reviews. Easy to book with a few days' notice, it is a practical choice for a date or business dinner on the Left Bank without the pressure or price of Paris's starred rooms.
Loulou is a reliable Italian at the €€€ price point on Boulevard Saint-Germain, holding a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025 — a signal of consistent quality without the pressure of starred dining. If you want a well-executed Italian meal in a Left Bank setting for a date or a relaxed business dinner, this is a sound choice. It is not the most ambitious Italian in Paris, but it is considerably easier to book than the top-tier competition, and it sits in one of the more pleasant stretches of the 5th arrondissement. Book it when you want the occasion to feel considered without the full ceremony of a tasting menu.
Loulou occupies an address on Boulevard Saint-Germain that carries its own weight — this part of the Left Bank is one of the more composed stretches of central Paris, and the dining room benefits from that context. Italian restaurants at the €€€ level in Paris tend to fall into two camps: those that lean into a convivial trattoria feel and those that pitch for something more polished. Loulou's positioning between the two makes it a practical choice for a range of occasions, from a celebratory dinner for two to a structured business lunch where the setting needs to communicate intention without overwhelming the conversation. The address alone places it close to Saint-Germain-des-Prés and a short walk from the Seine, which means pre- or post-dinner options are plentiful. For context on where this fits among Paris Italian options, see also Il Carpaccio and Le George, which pitch at a higher price tier.
The Michelin Plate designation , awarded in consecutive years , means Michelin's inspectors found the cooking worth flagging as good, if not starred. At the €€€ tier for Italian in Paris, that is a meaningful credential. The Plate sits below a star but above the noise of unremarked restaurants, and holding it across two consecutive cycles suggests the kitchen is consistent rather than having had one good year. For Italian cooking in Paris at this price, the competition includes Armani Ristorante, which pitches at a similar or higher register, and more neighbourhood-focused options like Adami and Baffo at lower price points.
On the wine side, the editorial angle here matters: a Michelin-recognised Italian in Paris at €€€ should, in principle, be running a wine list with genuine depth in Italian regions , Piedmont, Tuscany, and the south are the categories where a serious Italian programme earns its keep. Without specific list data available, the honest guidance is this: ask specifically about Italian producers when you arrive. A restaurant at this price and recognition level that cannot navigate you through at least a few regional Italian options beyond the obvious Barolo and Chianti is underperforming. The 3,540 Google reviews averaging 4.0 suggest the overall experience lands well with a wide audience, though that score also points to a restaurant that is broadly pleasing rather than polarising in the leading sense. For wine-driven Italian dining in Paris with more documented programme depth, Il Carpaccio at the Hôtel Royal Monceau operates at a higher tier and with more formal wine service.
Loulou works leading for: a date dinner where you want a setting that feels deliberate but not stiff; a business lunch where Italian food reduces the risk of polarising preferences; or a two-person celebration where a tasting menu format feels like too much structure. It is less suited to large groups seeking a rowdy dinner or to diners specifically chasing the most technically precise Italian cooking in Paris , for the latter, Il Carpaccio or Armani Ristorante are better targets. For those visiting Paris with broader dining plans, our full Paris restaurants guide covers the range from neighbourhood bistros to starred rooms.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, which is consistent with a Michelin Plate (rather than starred) Italian on a major boulevard. You do not need to plan weeks in advance for most evenings, though weekend dinner slots , particularly on the Boulevard Saint-Germain stretch, where foot traffic is high , are worth securing a few days out. Midweek lunch and early evening are the most accessible windows. The €€€ price range puts it above everyday dining but below the €€€€ tier where most of Paris's starred restaurants operate, which makes it a practical choice when you want a meal that feels like an occasion without the full financial commitment of a starred room. For those planning a wider Paris trip, our guides to Paris hotels, Paris bars, and Paris experiences are useful complements.
For context on what Italian cooking at this recognition level looks like in other global cities, 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong and cenci in Kyoto represent what happens when Italian technique is applied with real ambition in non-Italian cities , useful benchmarks for calibrating expectations. And if you are building a France-wide itinerary, the country's broader dining range runs from Mirazur in Menton and Flocons de Sel in Megève to Troisgros in Ouches, Bras in Laguiole, Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern, and the historic Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or , all on Pearl.
Quick reference: Michelin Plate (2024, 2025) | Italian | €€€ | Boulevard Saint-Germain, 5th arrondissement | Google 4.0 (3,540 reviews) | Booking: Easy, a few days out for weekends.
Yes, with caveats. At the €€€ price point on Boulevard Saint-Germain, Loulou is a reasonable solo choice if you want a proper sit-down Italian rather than a quick meal. The Google rating of 4.0 across 3,540 reviews suggests a room that handles a range of guest types. Whether there is counter or bar seating suitable for solo diners is not confirmed in available data, so call ahead if that matters to you. For solo dining with more guaranteed bar seating options, Paris's more casual Italian spots at €€ will be more flexible.
Bar seating availability is not confirmed in the data we have for Loulou. Given its Boulevard Saint-Germain address and Michelin Plate status, it likely operates as a full-service restaurant rather than a bar-dining format. Contact the venue directly to confirm before planning around that option.
No dress code is specified, but the combination of €€€ pricing, a Michelin Plate, and a prominent Left Bank address points to smart casual at minimum. Turning up in beachwear or very casual clothing would be out of place. For Paris dining at this tier, treat it the way you would treat a well-regarded neighbourhood restaurant in the 6th or 5th , neat, put-together, no need for black tie.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, so you are not looking at the multi-week lead times required for Paris's starred rooms. A few days in advance is typically sufficient for midweek. For weekend dinner, book at least 3 to 5 days out to avoid missing your preferred slot. This is considerably more accessible than starred competitors like Plénitude or Le Cinq, where weeks-out booking is standard.
Group capacity details are not in the available data. At a €€€ Italian on a major Paris boulevard, small groups of 4 to 6 are usually accommodatable, but larger parties should contact the restaurant directly to ask about table configuration or private dining options. Phone and website details are not publicly available in our record, so approach via their reservation platform or in person.
The two most useful things: it holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025, which means consistent quality is documented , this is not a gamble. And at €€€, it is pitched below the starred tier, so the experience is more relaxed than a formal tasting menu evening. Come for the occasion feel of a well-positioned Left Bank Italian without the full ceremony. Check our Paris restaurants guide to see how it fits into a broader dining plan.
Specific dishes are not available in our data, and we do not fabricate menu descriptions. What the Michelin Plate tells you is that the cooking has been recognised as good by Michelin's inspectors across two consecutive years , a useful quality signal. For Italian at this tier in Paris, pasta and secondi (mains) are where a kitchen earns its Plate recognition. Ask the server what is leading that day rather than anchoring to a fixed recommendation.
No specific dietary information is available in our data. Italian cuisine at this level in Paris typically accommodates common restrictions , vegetarian options are almost always present, and gluten-free requests are increasingly standard at Michelin-recognised venues. For specific allergies or strict dietary requirements, contact Loulou directly before booking rather than assuming on the night.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Loulou | €€€ | — |
| Plénitude | €€€€ | — |
| Pierre Gagnaire | €€€€ | — |
| Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen | €€€€ | — |
| Kei | €€€€ | — |
| Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V | €€€€ | — |
Comparing your options in Paris for this tier.
Loulou works for solo diners at the €€€ price point if you want a composed Left Bank setting without a full group commitment. Boulevard Saint-Germain restaurants at this level tend to have counter or bar seating that suits singles, though the room is set up to accommodate pairs and small groups equally well. Booking difficulty is rated Easy, so there's no pressure to plan far ahead for a solo seat.
Bar dining availability at Loulou is not confirmed in current records. For a guaranteed seat at the €€€ price point, book a table rather than relying on bar availability. If a casual drop-in is your preference, a quick call ahead will clarify the format on any given night.
A Michelin Plate Italian on Boulevard Saint-Germain at €€€ sits in smart casual territory — not a jacket requirement, but not jeans and trainers either. The Left Bank crowd at this price point tends toward polished casual: clean trousers, a collared shirt or neat blouse. You won't be turned away for dressing down slightly, but you'll feel underdressed.
Booking difficulty at Loulou is rated Easy, which means a few days' notice is usually enough rather than weeks. A Michelin Plate designation without a star keeps demand at a manageable level. For Friday or Saturday dinner, a week ahead is a reasonable buffer — for weekday lunch, 48 hours is likely fine.
Loulou on Boulevard Saint-Germain can handle small groups at the €€€ price point, but larger parties should call ahead to confirm table configuration. For a business dinner of four to six, this kind of Michelin Plate Italian works well — the format is familiar enough to keep the conversation central. Groups of eight or more should check private dining options directly with the restaurant.
Loulou holds a Michelin Plate for both 2024 and 2025, which signals cooking that Michelin's inspectors consider worth noting — competent and consistent rather than boundary-pushing. At €€€ on Boulevard Saint-Germain, you're paying partly for the address and the room, not just the plate. First-timers should treat it as a reliable date or business dinner venue rather than a destination meal.
Specific dishes are not listed in current records, so ordering advice based on the menu isn't available. At a Michelin Plate Italian in this price bracket, pasta and secondi tend to be where the kitchen demonstrates its range — ask your server what the kitchen is running well that day. Avoid ordering the safest option on the menu; the Plate designation suggests there's more to the cooking than crowd-pleasers.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
