This season’s hottest look isn’t a pair of ugly-cool trainers from Balenciaga or a Loewe basket bag: it’s a flat white from Dior. A growing number of haute couture labels are venturing beyond the runway to open their own beautiful cafés and restaurants in cities around the globe. It’s a win-win for diners and designers alike: luxury fashion brands can entice a new set of potential customers, diversify revenue streams and offer memorable experiences. Meanwhile, consumers get an affordable taste of luxury – in an ultra-Instagrammable setting.

Whether you’re heading to New York, Paris or Seoul this year, get a taste of the luxury branded lifestyle with some of the world’s most amazing designer cafés.

1. The Blue Box Cafe by Daniel Boulud, New York

Yep, you can actually have breakfast at Tiffany’s in real life – just head to the recently relaunched Tiffany Blue Box Cafe inside the brand’s 10-storey flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Decked out in the iconic robin-egg blue of Tiffany’s, the café has been given a fresh look courtesy of American starchitect Peter Marino, and a new French-inspired menu by Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud (above) to match. As you sink into a plush banquette and admire art installations inspired by 19th-century Tiffany’s jewellery, indulge in the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” afternoon tea experience or order seasonal pastries, sandwiches and salads à la carte.  

Fashion faux pas: Asking “Who is Tiffany?”  

2. The Hall by Louis Vuitton, Chengdu

Louis Vuitton already has gorgeous cafés in Paris, Tokyo, St. Tropez and Osaka – and last year, Chengdu joined the club with The Hall. Next door to the label’s new Chengdu Maison store in the Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li shopping district, the restaurant occupies the historic Guangdong Hall, which served as a meeting place for Cantonese merchants in the early 20th century. Inside, you’ll find original Chinese woodwork, tangerine-hued furniture from Louis Vuitton’s own homeware collection, eclectic contemporary artwork and an elaborate leather chandelier. You won’t have the same meal twice here: every six months, a different star chef will share a new seasonal menu with diners alongside Old World wines and cocktails inspired by the brand’s history. French chef Olivier Elzer just wrapped up the restaurant’s debut menu, and the next chef is to be announced soon.

Fashion faux pas: Asking for something with fewer monograms.

3. Bar Luce by Prada, Milan

Back in 2015, the Prada Foundation – a nonprofit arts and cultural institution co-founded by Prada head designer Miuccia Prada in 1993 – invited American director Wes Anderson to design the Italian café of his dreams at the entrance of its building in Milan. The result? Bar Luce, a cinematic outpost that explodes with colour and character thanks to playful 1950s Formica furniture, old-school pinball machines, vaulted ceilings and whimsical wallpaper. It’s the kind of place where you’ll want to sip espresso and read a book, hang out with friends over a panini or even write a screenplay – and that’s exactly what Anderson had in mind. 

Fashion faux pas: Making a Devil Wears Prada gag: wrong genre, wrong mood. 

4. Restaurant Monsieur Dior, Paris

After a two-year renovation of 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris, Dior last year revealed a reimagination of its historic flagship. The expanded space now features several boutiques, gardens, haute couture salons, a museum and two eateries: the Restaurant Monsieur Dior and La Pâtisserie Dior. The former, an exceedingly photogenic restaurant, showcases playful patterns and custom art, including a mural drawing taken from thousands of archival house of Dior images. Meanwhile, Chef Jean Imbert has created a refined menu inspired by founder Christian Dior’s favourite dishes – think tomato confit, whole roasted chicken and ricotta ravioli. Only have time for a quick treat? Try the delectable French pastries, cakes and coffees at coffee shop La Pâtisserie, which overlooks a serene rose garden.

Fashion faux pas: Spritzing your food with Miss Dior perfume.

5. Gucci Osteria, Seoul

Gucci’s bold spirit is distilled into restaurant form at its new establishment in Seoul, the brand’s fourth establishment in collaboration with Italian chef Massimo Bottura. Gucci Osteria, in Itaewon, delights in Renaissance references, with antique mirrors, sapphire-blue dining chairs and Gucci green accents throughout. Chefs Hyungkyu Jun and Davide Cardellini (above) present a menu that’s as bold as the interiors. Expect fresh interpretations of Italian cuisine remixed with Korean ingredients and flavours – like the gambero scapece (red prawns, Korean zucchini, mint and beets) and the Emilia burger (cotechino pork sausage, Korean Hanwoo beef, salsa verde and balsamic). Buon appetito!

Fashion faux pas: Mentioning House of Gucci – the family hated it (watch it on board now and make your own mind up).