I visited Louis Vuitton’s first U.S. restaurant, Le Café, located in its New York City flagship. The menu includes American classics such as burgers, as well as French and Mediterranean cuisine. For $210, you get a drink, a monogram waffle and Dover sole meuniere.
Louis Vuitton may have experienced a sales slump last quarter, but it feels like business is booming at its new store on Fifth Avenue, especially its new cafe.
When I visited the cafe in December, I found everyone, including wide-eyed tourists and locals, anticipating the brand’s flavors. The most asked question that night was, “Are there any free tables?”
Fashion brands like Tiffany, Armani, and Dior are using in-store dining to offer guests an experience that goes beyond just purchasing a product. The brand is trying to increase its appeal in Gen Z circles, which increasingly value experiences over items.
And, at least in Louis Vuitton’s case, their strategy appears to be working, with cafes filling up for weeks on end.
It’s not just brands that benefit. These partnerships also work well for restaurateurs.
Louis Vuitton’s Café will be joined by Philadelphia hospitality group Star Restaurants, executive chef Christophe Bellanca, executive pastry chef Mary George, and French chefs Arnaud Doncker and Maxime Frédéric. With this collaboration, a “luxury snack” menu was created.
For me, this visit felt like stepping into a cozy private club that was expertly curated, at least in part, for Instagram. However, I loved that you didn’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy a meal here and still feel luxurious.
It’s not a place I’d set my reservation alarm on again, but I’ll be thinking about some of the dishes for a long time, such as the pommes mousseline.
Here’s what it was like eating at Le Café, Louis Vuitton’s first concept restaurant in the United States, located inside New York City’s new Fifth Avenue store.
