VENUE PROFILE: LOUEY'S BAR

Dance while you dine

Bringing an Italian disco twist to an American inspired diner, Louey's Bar and Kitchen is the latest addition to The Espy.

-By Molly Nicholas

-Images by Pete Dillon

SITUATED INSIDE St. Kilda’s Hotel Esplanade, otherwise known as The Espy, the newly opened Louey’s Bar and Kitchen brings the indulgence of Italian-American dining and nostalgia of Italo-disco to the popular Melbourne institution. Following the closure of the Espy Kitchen, Louey’s swung its doors open with an invitation to dance while you dine at the flamboyant new kitchen and bar.

The Espy, which is now operated by Australian Venue Co following its purchase of eight Sand Hill Road venues, has welcomed the venue-within-a-venue to its diverse space. Chad Kaya, venue manager at The Espy, spoke about the addition of Louey’s to the pub’s many dining options.

“We wanted to offer our customers another reason to visit The Espy! With our Cantonese restaurant Mya Tiger, live music offerings in The Gershwin room, elevated pub dining in our Main Bar and our top floor cocktail bar The Ghost – Louey’s was the perfect addition to an already busy line up.”

Anchored by an open kitchen, the venue is lit with flashes of neon and soft lighting, with red leather diner-style booths and pops of colourful artwork throughout. The descending disco ball, checkerboard floor tiles and central DJ booth also bring a theatrical vibe to the disco themed diner.

“The style and branding is definitely fun and a little bit loud in both the music and the décor. We engaged a fantastic local artist ‘Filthy Ratbag’, also known as Celeste Mountjoy, who did an amazing mural inside the space which merges so well with the neons and bright colours, while the food and drinks menu gives you an authentic Italian diner vibe – what a twist!”

Designed by executive chef Tony Moss, the food menu comprises a combination of both classic and reinvented dishes to create an authentic Italian-American dining experience. The menu lends itself well to sharing, with a collection of lighter bites, such as mini fried lasagna, oozy burrata and meatball pull-a-part silders, paired with four pasta dishes and a selection of larger plates and woodfired pizzas.

Louey’s chicken parmigiana and spaghetti meatballs is among the popular dishes, as well as Tony’s slipper lobster pizza and big rigatoni, Louey’s take on the popular vodka pasta dish that is taking the world by storm. Moss has curated a small menu of desserts for finishing off any meal, giving centre stage to Louey’s signature dessert, a limoncello sorbet served in a whole lemon.

“Guests can expect handmade pastas, woodfired pizzas and some great unique small bites making it a great spot for a special occasion dinner or somewhere to hang for a quick bite with perfectly matched wines or a delicious cocktail,” added Kaya.

THE PARTY DOESN’T STOP

As a late-night destination, the kitchen serves food until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, accompanied by a creative cocktail menu designed to complement the party vibe of the venue. Expect house spins on classic drinks, such as the sbagliato spider, an adult take on the memorable childhood spider with the addition of campari and vermouth. Alongside the two-sip dirty martini and hot pink chihuahua, Louey’s also offers a selection of local beers and wines.

Paying homage to the Espy’s history as a home of live music and arts, Louey’s hosts a weekly line up of entertainment and events, as Kaya explained.

“Louey’s brings an elevated ItalianAmerican dining experience combined with multiple levels of entertainment including Disco Italo, our amazing Louey’s House Band and a new spin on brunch with our ‘Pick of the Brunch’ offering where people get to pick their songs and sing along.”

Embodying the Italo-disco vibe of the venue, the party kicks off on Wednesdays with live music from Louey’s House Band, featuring a rotating group of musicians whose performance brings a twist of funk and jazz to crowd-pleasing classics.

On Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, live DJs spinning disco anthems bring a party energy to the evenings. The weekly entertainment line up culminates every Saturday with ‘Pick of the Brunch’ hosted by a duo vocalist and keyboard player. Taking inspiration from the atmosphere of piano bars, music enthusiasts can choose their own soundtrack, accompanied by fruity cocktails and a brunch item.

“Our house band on Wednesdays has been an absolute hit and we love to see how live music in that space draws guests from all areas of the venue,” added Kaya. “Pick of the Brunch especially has been so much fun, it’s great to see how engaged people get when their song comes on.

“I love that we offer dinner and entertainment in a really fun setting. It’s such a great destination and you can continue throughout the venue afterwards for either a relaxed cocktail up in our cocktail bar, The Ghost, a boogie on one of the dance floors, or see a live band in one of the band rooms,” stated Kaya.

“It’s the ideal space for those wanting a good time and good food, and is the perfect balance between what’s upstairs at Mya Tiger and the casual pub in the main entrance of the building.”