Louie

An Amalfi Coast holiday feel just steps from Coogee Beach.

November 11, 2024

1 / 8Bucatini amatriciana with stracciatella.James Brickwood

2 / 8Louie is a 100-seat neighbourhood favourite.supplied

3 / 8House-baked sourdough bread arrives free of charge.James Brickwood

4 / 8Char grilled lamb skewers.James Brickwood

5 / 8Calamari fritti with saffron aioli.James Brickwood

6 / 8Panna cotta, strawberries, rose water.James Brickwood

7 / 8Inside Louie in Coogee.James Brickwood

8 / 8Seafood platter: fish, mussels vongole, prawns, squid.James Brickwood

14.5/20

Italian$$

Forget the dusting of parmesan, the kitchen’s hand-crafted pasta and seafood-led share plates are finished with a sprinkling of sea air from nearby Coogee Beach at this bright, terracotta-floored neighbourhood favourite.

Campanelle is warmed with sweet nubs of prawn, crustacean butter and chilli, while the bucatini all’amatriciana hums with cheesiness thanks to a cap of stracciatella set to stir through. Swordfish cotoletta is a perfect foil to the pasta party, sitting on a jumble of crushed fagioli beans flanked by a rich beef jus that ups the meatiness without dominating the crumbed fish.

A natural-leaning wine list and enthusiastic service add to the excitement, culminating in the obligatory house sundae – a scoop of salted caramel gelato enrobed in airy whipped cream, topped with sliced fig and finished with a blast of salt air.