Luxury Brands That Run Their Own Coffee Shops

Luxury brands have long sold aspiration through handbags and tailoring—but today, many are serving espresso and atmosphere instead. If you can’t buy a new Birkin every week, you can still sip coffee in a space designed by a famed director or styled by a fashion house. These cafés aren’t just places to eat; they’re extensions of the brand’s identity, blending high design with everyday rituals like coffee and conversation.

Yes, luxury brands are opening real coffee shops—and some, like Prada’s Bar Luce or Chanel’s Beige in Tokyo, are destinations in their own right. From Milan to Shanghai, here’s where fashion meets caffeine, with details on menus, designs, and addresses for every café.

Prada’s Bar Luce: A Wes Anderson Dream in Milan

Designed by director Wes Anderson in collaboration with Prada, Bar Luce is a love letter to mid-century European cafés. Located in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the space features pink-and-blue seating, a pastel-toned dessert counter, vintage marble-topped tables, and an old-fashioned pinball machine. The restroom is a futuristic contrast, with cinematic details. Anderson himself has been spotted writing scripts here. It’s a functioning café, not a set—though it feels like one.

Hermès Café Madang: Seoul’s Understated Luxury

Housed beneath Hermès’ Donsan Park retail store in Seoul, Café Madang shares a floor with the brand’s heritage museum. The interior mirrors Hermès’ refined aesthetic, with brand-designed ceramics and tableware. Despite the luxury association, prices are approachable: a coffee costs around 13,000 KRW (approximately £7.50 or $10 USD). It’s a low-key spot to enjoy coffee without the pressure of buying a Birkin.

Burberry’s Thomas’s: London’s British-Inspired Eatery

Burberry’s first standalone restaurant, Thomas’s, sits beside its flagship on London’s Regent Street. Named after founder Thomas Burberry, the space uses a black-and-white palette and showcases British seasonal ingredients. The menu includes lobster fries, smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, and traditional afternoon tea. A gift area sells travel and homeware collections. It’s a full-brand experience, not just a café.

Beige Alain Ducasse Tokyo: Chanel’s Michelin-Starred Café

Located on the 10th floor of Chanel’s Tokyo Ginza flagship, Beige is named after Coco Chanel’s signature colour and embodies her “simplicity and elegance” ethos. The décor uses neutral tones, thin carpets, and classic tweed fabrics on upholstery. The entrance to the women’s restroom is marked by a small leather CF bag. Even the chair backs form a hidden double-C logo. Prices range from ¥5,000–¥12,000 for lunch and ¥13,000–¥22,000 for dinner. Hours are 11:30–16:30 and 18:30–23:30.

Ralph Lauren Café: New York’s Preppy Retreat

Set inside Ralph Lauren’s Polo flagship on Fifth Avenue, this café reflects the brand’s “casual but polished” American style. Think brown leather sofas, equestrian-themed decor, and 1960s–70s Americana lighting. The menu features Lauren’s favourite dishes, including steak and burgers. It’s a curated slice of classic U.S. café culture, located steps from the brand’s iconic polo shirts and sportswear.

Cavalli Café: Miami’s Glamorous Escape

Though primarily based in Milan, Miami, and Dubai, Roberto Cavalli’s café concept is a riot of rococo patterns, gold leaf wallpaper, and ceiling frescoes. Tropical prints and animal motifs decorate cushions and walls, creating a bold, sexy atmosphere. The San Francisco location (1441 Stockton Street) continues the brand’s over-the-top aesthetic. It’s less a café, more a branded spectacle.

Vivienne Westwood Café: Shanghai’s Quirky Flagship

Shanghai’s K11 mall hosts the world’s first Vivienne Westwood Café, personally overseen by the designer. The space mixes her signature red-and-green tartan, butterfly motifs, and Saturn logos. The dessert selection is a highlight: finger sandwiches, Parma ham croissants, avocado toast, nut tarts, French clafoutis, and layered éclairs. It’s a feast for both the eyes and sweet tooth, though not primarily about the coffee.

1921 Gucci: Shanghai’s Late-Night Dining

Gucci’s 1921 restaurant in Shanghai’s iapm mall is the brand’s first global dining venture. The space uses dark wood, matte gold accents, and velvet seats in rust or pale blue. While primarily a restaurant, it serves coffee alongside its late-night menu (open until midnight, orders until 21:45). Address: 413, 4F, iapm Mall, 999 Huaihai Middle Road, Shanghai. Reservations: 021 33563525.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which luxury brand café is designed by a famous director?

Prada’s Bar Luce in Milan was co-designed by filmmaker Wes Anderson, known for The Grand Budapest Hotel. It features pastel colours, vintage furnishings, and an old-school pinball machine, blending cinema aesthetics with real-world functionality.

Is there a Chanel-branded café with Michelin recognition?

Yes, Beige Alain Ducasse Tokyo is located on the 10th floor of Chanel’s Ginza flagship. It’s awarded two Michelin stars and embodies Chanel’s “simplicity and elegance” philosophy with neutral tones, tweed details, and hidden design elements like a CF bag marking the women’s restroom.

Which luxury café has the most affordable coffee?

Hermès Café Madang in Seoul offers coffee for around 13,000 KRW (about £7.50 or $10 USD), making it one of the more accessible options among luxury brand cafés, despite being located in a high-end retail space.

What’s unique about Ralph Lauren’s New York café?

Ralph Lauren’s café inside his Fifth Avenue flagship reflects his “casual but polished” aesthetic with brown leather seating, equestrian decor, and classic American dishes like steak and burgers, capturing 1960s–70s café culture.

Does Vivienne Westwood’s Shanghai café serve more than coffee?

Yes, the Vivienne Westwood Café in Shanghai’s K11 focuses on desserts and savoury bites, including finger sandwiches, Parma ham croissants, avocado toast, and layered éclairs, alongside its quirky branded interior.

Where can I find a Gucci-branded dining experience?

Gucci’s 1921 restaurant in Shanghai’s iapm mall (413, 4F, iapm Mall, 999 Huaihai Middle Road) offers a late-night menu until midnight, with coffee available until 21:45. The space features dark wood, gold accents, and velvet seating.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Fashion Café Culture

Pair your luxury café visit with FrontStreet Coffee’s Ethiopia Humbera for bright floral notes, or the Panama Humbera for caramel and citrus complexity. Both single origins highlight the craft behind specialty coffee, much like these designer cafés showcase fashion artistry. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.