Red Lulu Cucina & Tequila Bar had their VIP opening on September 2, 2010.  So perhaps this is not a review of Red Lulu’s, but rather of their VIP opening event.  Red Lulu is owned by Jody Pennette, who also owns Lolita’s in Greenwich, CT (or perhaps that area is more considered Port Chester, NY).  The opening was packed with 400 people, and you could feel it.  It felt very much so like a club… very similar in feel to Lolita’s for those of you who have been there.  Red Lulu’s has 150 different tequilas as well as a large variety of mixed drinks.  The walls are covered in plush red fabrics, and it definitely has a club-like ambience.  I did not fail you my avid readers… I did attempt to take photos!!! However, between how dark Red Lulu’s is and how packed with people it was, the photos are not some of my best.

Here is the line everyone had to wait in to get into Red Lulu’s… yes, even if you were VIP!  Crazy!  It definitely succeeded in building a buzz for them in SoNo though, so perhaps this was intentional.

You can see how similar Lolita’s and Red Lulu’s logos are:

Once  you enter Red Lulu, you go past a long bar with their large selection of tequila bottles on display and delicious looking margarita’s on the counter (though they were a bit strong on alcohol for my taste… which is similar to how I feel about Lolita’s drinks).  Then the room opens into a large dining area that is dimly lit but with a deep red color as the main focus… from red velvet to red silk… all of the fabrics and textures are really interesting.  You can see how packed Red Lulu’s was from this photo:

All around the room were women, in red dresses of course, dancing on platforms… which also added to the club-like atmosphere.  Plus there was a projector showing music videos on the wall with hip music booming.  Here is one of the ladies in red:

Now the important part, how was the food at Red Lulu’s?  Well to be fair, I will have to go back for a full meal, because I can really only speak to the appetizers that were served.  Many of the items I tasted were rather spicy for my personal taste, but there was a delicious skewer of meat.  The only food that was plentiful at the opening were these large bowls of tortilla chips and their (presumably homemade) salsas:

Honestly, the food was nothing to write home about… but if you are looking for a hip atmosphere, then Red Lulu’s makes up for any lacking in food by its decor.  One final photo for you, this is a photo of the kitchen (which you can see from the dining area) with some of their spicy Mexican-inspired cold soups.

Red Lulu is open seven nights a week at 5 p.m. Red Lulu Cocina & Tequila Bar, 128 Washington St., South Norwalk (203) 939-1600.