Loulou Bistro opens at Martin Place with a steak frites sandwich and happy-hour snails
Steak frites are having a bigger moment than usual in the CBD, with 24 York opening on July 23 and taking inspiration from Le Relais de l'Entrecote in France, which has successfully leant on the dish for more than half a century. Bouillon l'Entrecote at Circular Quay is another go-to venue for French-style steak and chips.
'Our focus won't be on steak,' says Parker of the opening menu at Loulou Martin Place. However, with steak frites one of the best sellers at the Milsons Point restaurant, it still features on the menu, along with a version encased in a baguette.
'We want to bring that feeling of a neighbourhood restaurant across to the city,' says Parker said. Plans are underway for the brand's further expansion, too. Later this year, a fast version of Loulou Bistro will open at the Qantas Domestic Terminal at Sydney Airport.
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Herald Sun
7 hours ago
- Herald Sun
48 hours in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, the ultimate French beach weekend
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Around two hours from Paris on the train is the French capital's favourite beach resort, Le Touquet-Paris-Plage. On the Opal Coast in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France, the upmarket resort makes the perfect beach break for anyone visiting the city. DAY 1: Morning I live in Kent in southern England, and Le Touquet has become my favourite – and most convenient – beach getaway. Despite being in a different country, it takes half the time to reach, door-to-door, than Cornwall and as such can be a fun bolt-on trip for visitors to the UK. After a short car-train journey on Eurotunnel LeShuttle and an easy drive along France's gloriously-efficient motorways, we arrive in charming Le Touquet. Taking time to orient ourselves, once more, among its neat avenues full of holiday homes, hotels, shops and restaurants, we check in, this time to a chic Airbnb duplex in the centre of town, two streets away from the enormous beach, and two doors down from the all-important boulangerie. My need for good croissants is real. Beachfront holiday apartments in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France. Noon We head to Le Touquet's beach, a vast stretch of sand lined with apartments and peppered with playgrounds, beach clubs and watersports. This is northern France, so it's not famous for its high temperatures, but we've been lucky each time we've visited and even in October – when it's wonderfully free of crowds – we've been able to enjoy time on the beach. The more adventurous types can try kite-surfing and sand-yachting, which Le Touquet is famous for, but we fly kites we bought from Decathlon, on the main street Rue Saint-Jean. We stop in for a croque monsieur at one of the beach clubs, washed down with Orangina (always tastes better in a glass bottle in France) and coffee (always tastes worse than you remember in France). Tourist crowds on the beach at Le Touquet in France Afternoon A century ago, Le Touquet was a ritzy resort, frequented by a who's-who of visitors, including Edward VIII, Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming and Princesses Margaret and Elizabeth – the town even renamed its airport Elizabeth II Le Touquet-Paris-Plage in honour of the late Queen. But it also has a long war history and in World War I its hotels became hospitals for thousands of wounded and displaced soldiers – many of whom were Australian. The Étaples Military Cemetery, the largest Commonwealth cemetery in France, is the final resting place of 10,771 Commonwealth soldiers, including 464 Australians. It's a sobering place to visit and in the 80th anniversary year of VE Day, a reminder we should never forget. The Etaples Military Cemetery contains 10,771 Commonwealth burials of World War I. Evening Eventually, following the occupation during WWII, Le Touquet recovered and once again became a holiday destination and now a centre for gastronomy. It has around 70 restaurants, from takeaway booths to brasseries and fine-dining restaurants, such as Michelin-starred Le Pavillon in Hotel Westminster and double-Michelin-starred La Grenouillère in neighbouring town La Madelaine-sous-Montreuil. We enjoyed dinner at Le Touquet's classic brasserie Jean's Café, followed by an ice-cream, then our kids took a spin on the vintage carousel, which sits in the Place du Centenaire on the seafront. Oriental lamb chops, small vegetables and semolina at Jean's Cafe, Le Touquet, France. DAY 2: Morning You could happily spend all your time in Le Touquet, but if you have a car, it's worth exploring the coast. A 50-minute drive away, you come to the pretty town of Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, on the Baie de Somme estuary. It's a town of two halves – one ancient section of medieval buildings where William the Conqueror departed from for the UK, and where Joan of Arc was imprisoned, and a second half of old fishermen's cottages. It's a lovely place to explore on foot or to take the steam train which runs around the coast to neighbouring Le Crotoy with its long stretch of sandy beach. Street view in Saint Valery Sur Somme. Picture: Kerry Parnell Noon We walk along the Quai Jeanne d'Arc alongside the River Somme, then through the medieval part of town to the headland, where there's a pretty church, Chapelle des Marins. Back in town, we eat at Brasserie Le Courtgain,where you're reminded that steak frites are so much more sophisticated in French. Brasserie Le Courtgain in Saint Valery Sur Somme. Afternoon Halfway between Saint-Valery and Le Touquet, we call in at another small beach resort, called Fort-Mahon-Plage. With another vast sandy beach (they're huge on this coast), it's a popular family resort and its extremely long main street, at right angles to the seafront, is lined with restaurants and shops. Low tide and beach of Fort-Mahon-Plage. Evening Finally, you can't leave Le Touquet without a spot of shopping, along its sparkling-clean avenues (you can see shop owners wash the street front every morning). There's a mix of clothes shops, chocolatiers (Au Chat Bleu is a must) and eateries, while on Avenue Saint-Jean you find the designer boutiques. After splurging on souvenirs, we save cash by having galettes (regional savoury pancakes) for dinner. Outdoor dining in the beach town of Le Touquet-Paris-Plage. How to get to Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France It's two hours by train from Paris to Étaples-Le-Touquet, or three hours by car. If combining with a trip to the UK, it's around 45 minutes' drive from the Channel Tunnel at Calais. Where to stay in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage The five-star Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster celebrated its centenary in 2024 and is on my wishlist. We have previously enjoyed a family stay at The Holiday Inn Resort Le Touquet, set in a quiet spot, and the Airbnb duplex at 48 Rue de Paris, which I recommend. Cyclists pass Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France. Best way to get around Le Touquet-Paris-Plage Two great ways of seeing Le Touquet are in the saddle – you can either rent a bike from one of the town's many hire shops, such as Bike4You, or go for a horse-ride at the equestrian centre. You can also zip along the seafront on a Segway. Best food to try when you visit Hauts-de-France You'll see 'Le Welsh' in lots of restaurants in Hauts-de-France – the dish is the regional spin on Welsh rarebit and so much more than cheese on toast. The French version is unsurprisingly heavy on the cheese, with Dijon mustard, ham, beer and bread. Originally published as 48 hours in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, the ultimate French beach weekend
Sydney Morning Herald
12 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Rebel rugby raid on stars as real as a PNG corruption scandal
His agent Bruce Sharrock confirmed the story was correct, but had one detail wrong - the million dollar figure we floated was 'unders'. R360 is believed to be offering deals up to $US2m a season, more than double Kalyn Ponga's $1.4m a year at the Knights which makes him the highest-paid player in the NRL. If they're throwing well over a million at Tuivasa-Sheck in the twilight of his career, how much will be thrown at other known targets in Ponga and Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen? And how much will be thrown at as yet unknown targets? For R360 to pull off its grand plan of eight franchises bouncing around the world F1 and LIV Golf-style between June and September next year and beyond, it needs at least 200 players - or 25 per team. The competition will primarily interest a northern hemisphere audience, and will target players currently in the Investec Champions Cup (formerly Heineken Cup), the premier European competition. If you want to sell a new competition to European rugby fans you need players known to them. But they will want international players to boost interest and television rights in other parts of the world in this global-based sports economy. There's even talk of a pacific-based team. Finding proper answers about exactly where R360 is at is like trying to catch air, but a few things are known. By September, organisers need three things to secure the proposed Saudi Investment Fund and other private equity funding. It needs the eight franchises purchased and formalised as legal entities, a broadcast partner on board and the two hundred players signed. It is believed they have the commitment of 140 players. While this is a huge problem for rugby, with the World Cup looming in 2027, it's also a big problem for the NRL. With the Perth Bears entering in 2027 and PNG scheduled for 2028, the NRL needs players. As many as it can get. With 17 teams right now the playing ranks are already thin, and some positions are desperately short such as halves. When it grows to 19 teams, a further 70-odd players are needed. Even ten players signing with R360 would hurt. The live example is LIV Golf. In Australia, many think it's a success because the Adelaide event is so popular. But, it's a rarity and is about the only one. In the United States, it is an absolute disaster. Poor crowds are an issue, but the bigger issue is television viewing numbers. On Fox Sports in the US, the average number tuning in is about 175,000. Some Sundays have drawn about 400,000. That's compared to an average PGA Tour audience of about three million on CBS and NBC. The LIV number is beyond disastrous and tanking worse than the careers of many who signed their careers-away to play. Luckily for them, they were paid up front as for many their form and relevance has disappeared without a trace. Cam Smith anyone? Loading Whether LIV is working or not doesn't matter - what matters is they signed great players such as Phil Mickelson, our own Smith and Marc Leishman, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau etc and took them out of the PGA Tour and the Tour is now weaker for it. Threats to the NRL have come and gone before, and it has survived. It always will. But right now, times are delicate. Some teams, such as the Wests Tigers have been appalling for years and new teams are coming.
The Age
12 hours ago
- The Age
Rebel rugby raid on stars as real as a PNG corruption scandal
His agent Bruce Sharrock confirmed the story was correct, but had one detail wrong - the million dollar figure we floated was 'unders'. R360 is believed to be offering deals up to $US2m a season, more than double Kalyn Ponga's $1.4m a year at the Knights which makes him the highest-paid player in the NRL. If they're throwing well over a million at Tuivasa-Sheck in the twilight of his career, how much will be thrown at other known targets in Ponga and Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen? And how much will be thrown at as yet unknown targets? For R360 to pull off its grand plan of eight franchises bouncing around the world F1 and LIV Golf-style between June and September next year and beyond, it needs at least 200 players - or 25 per team. The competition will primarily interest a northern hemisphere audience, and will target players currently in the Investec Champions Cup (formerly Heineken Cup), the premier European competition. If you want to sell a new competition to European rugby fans you need players known to them. But they will want international players to boost interest and television rights in other parts of the world in this global-based sports economy. There's even talk of a pacific-based team. Finding proper answers about exactly where R360 is at is like trying to catch air, but a few things are known. By September, organisers need three things to secure the proposed Saudi Investment Fund and other private equity funding. It needs the eight franchises purchased and formalised as legal entities, a broadcast partner on board and the two hundred players signed. It is believed they have the commitment of 140 players. While this is a huge problem for rugby, with the World Cup looming in 2027, it's also a big problem for the NRL. With the Perth Bears entering in 2027 and PNG scheduled for 2028, the NRL needs players. As many as it can get. With 17 teams right now the playing ranks are already thin, and some positions are desperately short such as halves. When it grows to 19 teams, a further 70-odd players are needed. Even ten players signing with R360 would hurt. The live example is LIV Golf. In Australia, many think it's a success because the Adelaide event is so popular. But, it's a rarity and is about the only one. In the United States, it is an absolute disaster. Poor crowds are an issue, but the bigger issue is television viewing numbers. On Fox Sports in the US, the average number tuning in is about 175,000. Some Sundays have drawn about 400,000. That's compared to an average PGA Tour audience of about three million on CBS and NBC. The LIV number is beyond disastrous and tanking worse than the careers of many who signed their careers-away to play. Luckily for them, they were paid up front as for many their form and relevance has disappeared without a trace. Cam Smith anyone? Loading Whether LIV is working or not doesn't matter - what matters is they signed great players such as Phil Mickelson, our own Smith and Marc Leishman, Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau etc and took them out of the PGA Tour and the Tour is now weaker for it. Threats to the NRL have come and gone before, and it has survived. It always will. But right now, times are delicate. Some teams, such as the Wests Tigers have been appalling for years and new teams are coming.
