Louis Vuitton’s iconic LV monogram might be one of the world’s most recognized logos. Turns out, it’s also a delightful revelation to see it translated into sandwich form. At the recently opened Café Louis Vuitton occupying the fourth floor of the luxury house’s temporary flagship in midtown Manhattan, visitors will find many such culinary renderings of the brand’s emblem, including a turkey club sandwich on quatrefoil-shaped bread that’s toasted and branded with similar quatrefoils.
As exclusive and intimidating as luxury fashion might often seem, food can provide a more approachable—not to mention delectable—entry point into that world. In less than a year, New York has welcomed three eateries opened by major fashion labels, including Giorgio Armani’s namesake paean to understated chic, and the Blue Box Cafe at Tiffany’s re-opened Fifth Avenue flagship. Not only do these spaces allow a brand to extend their aesthetic vision into the realm of lifestyle offerings (and often with the added appeal of menus overseen by world-renowned chefs), but compared to the cost and wait time for an in-demand status bag, even the most decadent meal for two is an outright bargain. Below are five top fashion restaurants across the country giving new meaning to the term “consumption culture.”
Blue Box Cafe by Daniel Boulud, New York City
True to its name, this bright, sixth-floor jewel box of a cafe is awash in the brand’s trademark hue of robin’s egg blue, while hundreds of tiny Tiffany’s gift boxes dangle from the ceiling. Designed by Peter Marino (a favorite among some of fashion’s top luxury houses), the all-day cafe is most popular in the mornings, when guests can lean heavily into the menu’s cheeky references to Truman Capote’s famous novella “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” But with a celebrated chef like Daniel Boulud behind the operation, breakfast includes a perfectly scrambled egg that’s served in its shell under a luscious thicket of caviar—and pastries so exquisite, they practically beckon their own display cases.
Armani / Ristorante, New York City
There’s no formal dress code at the new Armani / Ristorante, which opened last month on Madison Avenue, but anyone dining here for lunch or dinner should want to level up, even if it doesn’t necessarily mean outfitting oneself in Armani-made fashions. Of all the designer-backed restaurants to recently open, this stateside outpost of the brand’s growing hospitality empire— complete with soaring ceilings, mirrored walls, and its “Armani gray” banquettes—is by far the most elegant. No surprise, considering Armani’s reputation for minimalist, refined luxury that’s proven to stand the test of time. In a city where restaurant noise can reach deafening levels, even the dining rooms (one on ground level, another on mezzanine level), where guests dine on steak tartare and velvety risotto with mushrooms, maintain a temperate murmur. Quiet luxury, indeed. Serious wine snobs, meanwhile, will be duly impressed by the 400-plus bottles on display.
Le Café Louis Vuitton, New York City
If the succession of plates to emerge from the kitchen at this new 70-seat cafe in Louis Vuitton’s temporary flagship are any proof, logo-mania is still very much a hot trend. Situated on the fourth floor in a comfy, library-like setting filled with 600-plus books on art and design, Le Café Louis Vuitton’s menu showcases an astounding number of “trademarked” dishes, so to speak: sandwiches with quatrefoils pressed into the toast; petite cakes embossed with the house’s signature monogram; quatrefoil-pressed ravioli, plated in the shape of a quatrefoil, and topped with black truffles shaped like…well, you get the picture. It would almost be absurd if the food wasn’t so outstanding. Try the luscious and creamy scallop soufflé, which isn’t overly rich thanks to its perfect portion size. You’ll definitely want to save room for dessert.
Gucci Osteria, Beverly Hills
Let’s just say, the interior design here is not for the fainthearted. Rooms feature different, eye-popping patterns of wallpaper, and the brand’s signature star-eye motif makes so many appearances, paranoid types might feel as though they’re being watched. “More is more” is the mantra at this West Coast outpost of Gucci’s popular Osteria, and that’s what makes the experience so memorable. Not to mention, the food seriously delivers, thanks to the involvement of chef Massimo Bottura, who oversees all the restaurants’ menus. (Bottura is also the chef behind the globally renowned Osteria Francescana in Italy.) We recommend sitting outside, since the osteria occupies the rooftop of the brand’s Rodeo Drive boutique. With the surrounding palm trees, you’ll easily feel like you’ve been transported to a lavish Italian palazzo. And for a fun “unboxing” experience, try the Emilia Burger. Packaged in a cute pink box, it’s a nod to both American fast-food cuisine, and Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, from where Bottura hails.
Polo Bar, New York City
Over the course of his lengthy career, Ralph Lauren has firmly established himself as one of fashion’s most illustrious image-makers, especially when it comes to themes around American culture and iconography. If Gucci Osteria is a trip to some eccentric Italian’s palazzo, then Polo Bar is a deep dive into the blue-blooded world of grand countryside estates, complete with their equestrian stables, tack rooms, and all the requisite furnishings to match. Enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail and some of the most deliciously haute fried olives in town before descending to the downstairs dining room, where the menu features—what else?—a lineup of American classics, including a beloved house burger that compels even the most refined diners to eat with their hands.
