Japan’s third-largest city, Osaka, is known for its diverse restaurant scene that attracts travelers from all over the world—and the city will soon be welcoming one more eatery worth checking out next time you’re there. Louis Vuitton just announced that it is opening its first restaurant next month at the company’s brand new flagship in Osaka.
Called Le Café V, the eatery will be located on the top floor of the store and will have a menu by Japanese chef Yosuke Suga. In addition to a spacious terrace and bar, there will also be a restaurant with an open-style kitchen, called Sugalabo V, mirroring the Tokyo branch of Sugalabo. The restaurant is scheduled to open on February 15 and the flagship, designed by architect Jun Aoki, on February 1.
Michael Burke, the CEO of Louis Vuitton, hinted that this could be just the first of a long list of restaurants and hotels that the company may be opening in the future. In 2018, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, LVMH, acquired Belmond Ltd, which encompasses 46 luxury hotels, restaurants, trains, and river cruises.
Louis Vuitton is just the latest example of luxury brands dipping their toes in the hospitality industry in order to offer their customers a more bespoke lifestyle experience. In November of 2019, chef Massimo Bottura revealed that he’s working with Gucci on a new Osteria for the brand in Los Angeles, slated to open in spring 2020. This will be the brand’s second restaurant after the launch of Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura in Florence in 2018. Armani, which really was the fashion pioneer on the haute cuisine scene, now owns 15 cafés, bars, restaurants, and clubs in destinations such as Milan, Cannes, Dubai, and New York.
Needless to say, we are adding Osaka to our 2020 travel wish list.
