Cafe Louis - Costa Media — Restaurant in Camden

One of the best restaurants I have been to in recent memory. Delightfully unpretentious, thoughtful, and genuine.

We came here with my parents as our final meal in town, completely unsure if we would be able to find something good to eat here or not. The few existing reviews offered some promise of a good meal.

Wow, were we shocked. We got the Pinchos, salchipapas, and the salad out first to see what kind of restaurant we were dealing with. Every single item we got was made with intention, creativity, and a focus on big flavors. The salchipapas were perfectly rich, crispy and indulgent, the salad was surprisingly substantial with a deep, complex hazelnut and sesame flavor. The Pinchos (steak skewers) were bright, savory, and delightfully spiced with a homemade salsa verde.

We were genuinely shocked by how good the first round of appetizers were, and opted to get two more large plates to share: the smoked achiote chicken with charred tangerine and the Skate Milanese. The smoked chicken stole the show; a blackened, slow smoked exterior contrasted with a bright orange, brothy sauce on the plate, flanked by a cool Honduran crema. The chicken was profoundly flavorful and tender, the sauce perfectly balanced between bright and rich. The crispy skin with tender interior was legitimately one of my favorite bites of chicken I’ve ever had. The skate portion was generous and perfectly fried. The flaky fried white fish was balanced by a smart jalapeño crema and fresh microgreens. We couldn’t get enough of either dish. Exceptional.

We finished off with tres leches doughnuts which were made to order, and you guessed it, divine: A delicately fried hush puppy son-of-a-doughnut bathed in a sweetened milk that soaked into the doughnuts just enough. The result was a tres leches you’ve never experienced before; sweet, salty, creamy, crispy.

The cocktail I ordered was called the Calabeza Verde, a limey mezcal forward drink with house made pepita orgeat syrup, served with a cocktail rock in a lowball glass. Legitimately incredible stuff, something even the most astute home bartender could nary pull off at home

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention our lovely waitress, who was delightful, unpretentious, and helpful. She had only been there a month, but had a comprehensive knowledge of the ever-changing menu and was genuinely helpful in explaining what dishes she thought we’d like best. 10/10

We were so taken aback by the quality, thoughtfulness, and immense effort put into each dish. If this place were in any major city, it would be booked...

We were so happy to stumble upon this small, unpretentious place just off the main downtown street in Camden.The website and Google info are kinda messed up — it shows up as Costa Media, though it’s apparently (also?) called Cafe Louis — so it’s confusing.

But when you get here, it’s worth it. The food is delicious and really innovative — eggplant Milanese: lightly fried and wrapped in delicate strips of cucumber; delectable “pinchos” of the most tender and flavorful carne asada I’ve had; seasonal salads of tomatoes and baby gem lettuce with tastiness like “toasted macadamia nut vinaigrette” and “caramelizad fennel salsa” and cacao nibs … wow.

We asked for bread, so we wouldn’t miss a drop of the different sauces and toppings. Seriously good.

Same goes for the cocktail menu (margarita with Underberg?!!!) and simple wine list. Just super creative and delicious.

Unfortunately we didn’t like the flan, one of two desserts offered. It was really dense, like cheesecake (which seemed by design) with a weird crumble. Maybe personal preference, but it was the only low point of the evening.

Still, our overall impression was that this is a restaurant that understands flavor and is not afraid to mix things...

Cafe Louis Costa Media is hands down some of the best food I have ever eaten. We had made an early reservation and so glad we did because we had the whole place to ourselves for much of our meal, which was a treat. We were greeted right away and the atmosphere is so cozy and welcoming. You can tell that the building has a lot of character and loved the old wood beams that I assume are original. We were seated in the window seat and got to enjoy the views of Camden while we ate.

We shared a bunch of "snacks" including the radicchio salad (the most unique and light salad), calamari, fries, and Jimmy Nardellos. I wouldn't have ordered the Jimmy Nardellos on my own, but it turned out to be one of my favorites. Each dish was so good and we raved about each one. We especially enjoyed the "squeaky cheese" as we called it on the fries.

We then shared the mussells and chicken. We all agreed that the chicken was hands down the best chicken we have ever eaten. It had the perfect smoky flavor with delightfully crispy skin.

Hands down a 10/10 and can't wait to come back next time we are...