Luxury fashion house-designed food destinations allow consumers to experience brands in a delicious new way.
An elevated, elegant in-store experience has always been the secret sauce for any leading luxury brand. Now, high-end retailers are building upon that idea as they look beyond their products to find ways to attract and inspire customers. Increasingly, that means offering memorable, multi-sensory experiences that allow shoppers to consume a brand’s concept of luxury in a unique way and share it on social media.
For many fashion houses, that means opening an “haute couture” restaurant that immerses clients into their aesthetic, telling a deeper story through food, décor, and drink. Here are some chic culinary concepts worthy of your bucket list:
Envisioned as a walk-in pop-up for visitors to Dior women’s boutique in the Miami Design District—one of Brookfield Properties’ Iconic Collection of retail properties—Dior Café’s rooftop terrace perch pairs Miami’s sun with pristinely presented light refreshers such as coffee, tea, pastries, and fruits. This 3,000 square-foot, casual-yet-chic respite embodies the late designer’s penchant for living artfully and recalls the decorative finish in Christian Dior’s first Paris boutique—the 17th-century French fabric Toile de Jouy. Reimagined by Dior’s Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri with pillows and oversized animal sculptures dressed in the iconic fabric, Dior Café is a stylish safari of daily delights.
The Emporio Armani Ristorante and Caffè
The Emporio Armani Ristorante and Caffe echos Armani’s tailored and refined designs
Located in the heart of Milan’s fashion district in the Armani Hotel Milano, Emporio Armani Caffè and Emporio Armani Ristorante exude a tailored and refined atmosphere reminiscent of Armani’s collections. The restaurant, located on the 7th floor, offers Northern Italian cuisine along with Mediterranean fare that Giorgio Armani himself prefers. Arrive early to visit the champagne bar, located at the entrance. The more casual, yet still elegant, caffè on the ground floor offers an all-day menu, serving a variety of baked goods, salads, and Italian comfort food classics. Both dining destinations deliver the same level of sophistication Armani is known for, from the décor to the plate.
Gianni’s at The Villa Casa Casuarina
Diners at Gianni’s can enjoy a meal by a 24-carat gold-lined pool
Located in the former Versace Mansion on Ocean Drive, in the hotel now known as The Villa Casa Casuarina, this decadent Italian-Mediterranean restaurant is embellished with frescoes, mosaics, hand-painted ceilings, ornate artworks, and a 24-carat gold-lined-pool—offering a glimpse into the legendary designer’s opulent lifestyle. Patrons can choose to dine in the history-steeped dining room or al fresco under the stars in the hotel’s stunning courtyard. This one-of-a-kind dining experience is elevated further with a sumptuous menu, courtesy of Executive Chef Valter Mancini, boasting raw bar offerings, a variety of fresh seafood and fish, steaks, pasta—and in keeping with the Versace brand—Osetra caviar and Veuve Clicquot champagne by the bottle.
The history-steeped dining room and stunning courtyard provide a one-of-a-kind dining experience
Chef Mattia Agazzi runs Gucci Osteria, which perfectly blends Italian heritage with a California aesthetic
Run by chef Mattia Agazzi, who earned a Michelin star a year after the restaurant’s opening in 2021, Gucci Osteria Beverly Hills couples the fashion house’s Italian heritage with a California aesthetic. Locally sourced produce fuels a classic-yet-playful menu, from tortelloni to risotto camouflaged as pizza, complemented by an impeccable wine list from both locales. Deep red and patterned fabrics, cane finishes, and palm fronds exude casual luxury. As Aldo Gucci once declared, “Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.”
A look at indoor/outdoor dining at Gucci Osteria in Beverly Hills. Photos by Pablo Enriquez
Named after the Michelin-starred chef who runs the establishment, the recently opened Mory Sacko at Louis Vuitton restaurant is in the heart of glamorous Saint-Tropez, situated in the White 1921 Hotel, which also houses a Louis Vuitton boutique. Outfitted with redesigned pieces from Louis Vuitton’s Objets Nomades collection and dressed in travertine, wood, rope, and rattan, the chic dining destination makes a stunning architectural statement while reflecting the brand’s jet set vision. With an artfully edited menu that draws on the bounty of local produce, including fresh oysters, Mediterranean lobster, spicy avocado, and fresh fruits, this new culinary destination provides yet another reason to visit the Cote d’Azur.
Both The Polo Bar and RL Chicago offer old-world charm, ambiance, and an exclusive-feeling experience
Securing a reservation at The Polo Bar in Midtown Manhattan is akin to finding a first-edition collegiate polo shirt. Seats are sacred, thanks to an ambiance of quintessential warmth characterized by rich woods and leather finishes, a brass-finished bar, white tablecloth service, and thoroughbred-themed artwork, including depictions of the brand’s signature equestrian sport, polo. For the original Ralph Lauren gastronomic experience, head to RL Chicago, founded in 1999. Oozing with old-world charm and private club character, RL Chicago’s walls are lined with salon-style paintings depicting wild animals, car races, crochet games, and black-and-white photographs of celebrities. The restaurant’s discreet leather banquettes are said to be celebrity magnets, with Oprah Winfrey getting first dibs on booth 68. Both restaurants feature similar menus that showcase Ralph Lauren’s personal favorites, the corned beef sandwich and, of course, The Polo Bar burger.
The discreet leather banquettes at RL Chicago are said to be celebrity magnets
The menu at Restaurant Monsieur Dior pays tribute to Christian Dior and his cookbook
Located in the stunningly redesigned Dior flagship on Avenue Montaigne in Paris, Monsieur Dior’s walls are papered with a Guy Limone pictorial work comprised of thousands of images in black, white, and red that trace the history of the designer and the house of Dior. Chic armchairs are dressed in two-tone checkerboards, banquettes are covered in bold red and white awning stripes, waiters wear Dior-designed uniforms, and the crockery comes from the Dior house collection. The menu, created by award-winning French chef Jean Imbert, pays homage to Christian Dior, drawing inspiration from his cookbook, “La Cuisine Cousu-Main.” Guests can enjoy such refined dishes as a Christian Dior soft-boiled egg atop caviar, a Granville crab served with avocado and ravioli, and Colle Noire soup, which contains herbs from the garden of the designer’s home. The restaurant, a first for 30 Montaigne, is complemented by a pastry shop—Pâtisserie Dior, overlooking Dior’s rose garden—the perfect place to indulge your sweet tooth.
