Yahoo Finance LVMH Has Gobbled Up Legendary Paris Bistrot L’Ami Louis
Topping up its far-flung hospitality holdings with a Paris institution, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has acquired Chez L’Ami Louis, a tiny bistrot with an outsized reputation, portions and prices.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but it is understood LVMH plans to preserve its unique character as the eatery marks its centenary this year.
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Once described by The New York Times as a “small, shabby place with peeling brown walls and shaky chairs,” L’Ami Louis has fed many famous diners over the years, including Marlene Dietrich, who used to show up at noon on Sundays before it opened so she could enjoy a quiet, if filling, lunch.
French President Jacques Chirac hosted his American counterpart Bill Clinton there in 1999, while Hollywood habitués included Tim Burton, Francis Ford Coppola, Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp.
More recently, Spanish singer Rosalía tried out the restaurant’s burgundy snails, which swim in garlic butter, and plopped raspberries on her fingertips for an Instagram op.
It also seems to be a place where rivalries evaporate: Luxury titans Bernard Arnault and François Pinault are among local regulars.
Famous for its thick slabs of foie gras, roast chicken finished with goose fat and butter, and other French classics, L’Ami Louis also boasts a cellar of almost 20,000 bottles.
The restaurant falls under the LVMH Hospitality Excellence division, which recently added the Orient Express brand to its portfolio, and announced ambitious plans to add more trains, sailing ships and hotels under that iconic brand.
In recent years, LVMH has significantly widened its footprint in the hospitality sector with its acquisition of luxury travel operator Belmond Ltd., owner of the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express train and hotels including the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro and the Hotel Cipriani in Venice, for $2.6 billion in cash. Cheval Blanc hotels and Cova cafés are among its other properties.
Its flagship fashion and leather goods brands Dior and Louis Vuitton have also added more eateries to their flagship stores in key metropolitan cities.
In a brief release, LVMH called L’Ami Louis an “authentic Parisian gem” that “built its reputation around the generosity of its dishes and the exceptional quality of its ingredients. Produce is sourced from small breeders and market gardeners who have been loyal to the restaurant for several generations.”
The French group said it would “work alongside the existing teams to preserve the unique character and family identity of the restaurant and continue to support its French savoir-faire and expertise.”
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