Louis Vuitton Maison Osaka Midosuji was newly opened in Osaka in February 2020. ‘LE CAFÉ V’ is the world’s first restaurant of Louis Vuitton and ‘SUGALABO V’ is the referral-only restaurant located on the top floor of the Maison.
The common concepts of architectural façade and other sales floors are ‘ship’ and ‘trip’. Osaka has long been called as the ‘City of Water’ as it was developed by water transportation due to its geomorphic characteristics, having many canals and rivers, and became a center of commerce and culture. Inspired by the historical background, both cafe and restaurant were designed with the concept of ‘ship’ and ‘travel’ as well. The café consists of three areas: the dining area, the bar area and the terrace. We designed with bright colour furniture and impactfully-coloured arts to express the open and lively atmosphere like a ship’s deck.
Restaurant information
Style: Japanese-French fusion
Address: 2-8-16 Shinsaibashi-suji, Chuo-ku, Osaka
Telephone: +81 120 416 910
Menu Price: Begins at 30,000 JPY
Restaurant Dining Area
Sugalabo V has a similarly private atmosphere. Accessed via a hidden, “speakeasy-style” door, the restaurant comprises a couple of chocolate-brown dining rooms where only small groups of people are permitted to eat per evening.
The lucky few can opt to sit at formal tables or around a high-counter that overlooks the open kitchen, getting a glimpse of the chefs at work. Jewel-tone leather seats have been dotted throughout, while the floor is clad in monochromatic rhombus-shaped tiles. Golden brass pipes also snake across the restaurant’s walls, winding around shelves which display shiny pots and pans.
Le Cafe V
‘LE CAFÉ V’ is the world’s first restaurant of Louis Vuitton. The top floor of Louis Vuitton’s Osaka Midosuji store also accommodates Le Cafe V, which will also be overseen by chef Suga. Completed in a much lighter colour and material palette, the cafe features creamy terrazzo flooring, huge yellow sofas and iridescent discs dangling from the ceiling. Drinks orders are taken from a huge brass bar counter.
Outdoor Terrace
Outside the tall glass doors on the top floor, visitors can access to an outdoor terrace that’s dotted with aqua-blue and lime-green furnishings by Italian brand Paola Lenti.
Here visitors can get an up-close look at the store building, which Japanese architect Jun Aoki has created to resemble the billowing sails of a ship.
Louis Vuitton’s store
The opening of Sugalabo V is one of several recent notable events for Louis Vuitton. Just two months ago the brand reopened the doors its store on London’s New Bond Street, after over a year of renovation works. Designed by American architect Peter Marino to evoke “happiness with no feeling of intimidation”, the space features a colourful array of artworks by figures like Tracey Emin and James Turrell.
The year 2019 also saw Louis Vuitton open a Frank Gehry-designed store in Seoul, South Korea, and launch an extensive exhibition in Los Angeles that showcased 180 items from the fashion house’s archive.
Chef
Sugalabo V is headed up by Japanese chef Yosuke Suga, who gained acclaim back in 2015 when he opened intimate Tokyo eatery Sugalabo. Chef Suga spent 17 years working with the legendary, 32-Michelin star chef, Joël Robuchon and was once his protégé.
At the age of 26, Chef Suga became the Executive Chef L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Tokyo. Thereafter, he consecutively opened Ateliers in LA, NY, Taipei and Paris as the project leader. In 2015, he returned to Japan to launch his laboratory “SUGALABO Inc.” and has also worked creatively in several fields. The restaurant is exclusively open to gourmets only on days known to them.
Social Media
Website: http://sugalabo.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sugalabo%20V/100890098214672
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sugalabov/
https://www.instagram.com/lecafev/
