In the new wine bar GLOU which has just opened in the city center of Luxembourg, precisely rue des Capucins, you don’t only drink wine but you also eat. The concept? Natural wines and a small bistro menu. Attractive.
Lucas Ney, the owner, may be a novice in the restaurant business, but absolutely not when it comes to wine. As the manager of a wine import company, he specialises in importing organic, biodynamic and natural wines to Luxembourg, i.e. wines that are grown without pesticides and made without any artificial means. “This approach is part of a logic of awareness. Eating locally is necessary, but if we continue to drink wines full of chemicals, it doesn’t make sense. We have to be coherent” explains the owner clearly.
During his numerous trips to Europe, he noticed the growing trend of so-called “natural” wine bars, especially in the Nordic countries. “I realised that this offer was missing in Luxembourg!” This is how the story of GLOU began.
His mission is very clear: a friendly and intimate wine bar, offering a large selection of wines by the glass (about ten) and bottles, coming from environmentally friendly wineries located in Europe. “Here again, I want to be consistent and not import wines from the other side of the world! We have enough very good wines in Europe to satisfy the greatest number of people.”
On the menu, you will find, among others, French, Italian, Spanish, German and of course Luxembourgish wines. “Out of 250 references, about 20 come from Luxembourg.”
Red, white and rosé wines, but also natural sparkling wines and orange wines can be found on the menu. The good news is that natural wines generally have a lower alcohol content and are much easier to digest. “It’s often the sulfites that give you a headache the next day,” says the manager with a smile. That being said, all alcoholic beverages should be consumed in moderation and with pleasure above all! To preserve the bottles in the best possible way, the wine bar has a specially equipped cellar, maintained at a temperature of 13-14 degrees maximum. “This is the ideal temperature for preserving wines without sulfites because beyond that, a risk of alteration exists” explains the owner.
But at GLOU, it’s not just about drinking good wine. “We also offer a short food menu, made with seasonal products and carefully selected products.” At the moment, the Luxembourg boletus is in the spotlight, cooked with fresh pasta (from La Casa della Pasta) but also in carpaccio or even a simple pan-fried dish! You can also enjoy a beef tartar served with a millefeuille of potatoes (Luxembourgish) and seasonal vegetables, or an Angus beef entrecote. The indisputable “wine, meat and cheese ” combo is of course possible at GLOU with platter of different cheeses, Pata Negra Bellota and organic bread from Pain & Tradition (Bascharage).
Soon, the truffle will be in the spotlight, and then oysters. “We will set up a Christmas market outside with oysters and Chablis!” says Lucas Ney.
Open non-stop from noon to midnight, GLOU is the perfect place for a convivial moment with friends. Comfortably seated with one (or several) glass(es) of wine, you will be sure to forget, for a few hours, the autumnal greyness.
So cheers and drink away (after all, it’s environmentally friendly)!
More information: www.glou.lu