HAUTE PLATES

From Dior's monogrammed soufflés to Ralph Lauren's espresso tonic, fashion cafés are reimagining what it means to dine in style.

- DEEPALI NANDWANI

Effortlessly cool is an attribute few spaces can achieve particularly restaurants and cafés. Don't get me wrong: there are enough 'cool' cafés across the world. But how many can flaunt an aesthetic that melds haute couture or high fashion with food and art?

Luxury and fashion brands have the advantage of creating Instagram-worthy cafés and restaurants that not just represent the brand's values and aesthetic language, but also collaborate with the best talent in the worlds of food, art, and music to ensure the experience goes beyond just enjoying a good meal. They captivate the senses of both the peripatetic and the occasional traveller, who hotfoot it here to luxuriate in stylish interiors and Instagrammable food.

This European summer, Instagram feeds of luxury fashion houses such as Dior and Jacquemus have narrated a story beyond fashionone of sun-drenched tables in Saint-Tropez and aperitivo hours in Capri, where branded restaurants are seasonal extensions of their aesthetic world. Rather than being gourmet havens, they are bohemian outposts that pay homage to the brand's innovative perspective.

RALPH'S COFFEE BY RALPH LAUREN

The American fashion brand Ralph Lauren has expanded its global reach with the opening of Ralph's Coffee. Cities such as New York, Tokyo, Paris, and Singapore are home to speciality coffee and pastries in a retro, preppy setting. The interiors feature huntergreen banquettes, marble-topped tables, weathered oak, brass accents, and exposed brick, complemented by equestrian art and the signature polo bear, which greets guests at the entrance. The one drink to try: Espresso Tonic, or three espresso shots with a slice of orange and tonic. The food is rather limited: some pastries, wraps and sandwiches, but then who goes to Ralph Lauren cafés to eat gourmet food, eh?