French Dining is Trendy

Nestled on a tranquil side street in the vibrant Sentier area of Paris’s 2nd arrondissement, you’ll discover the stylish boutique Halo. Housed in a building dating back to 1750, this location has seen a variety of unusual tenants over the years, including the upscale Hôtel Osmond brothel, the Vatican, and a leather workshop, before Victor Goyeneix and Matthieu Nicolaï launched the current venture in 2023. The space features a rotating selection of emerging designers, and as you enter, you might catch a photographer capturing a model showcasing the latest collection. Walk across the pistachio-green carpet, step into one of the fitting rooms, push aside a hidden panel, and you’ll find a dining area beneath a glass ceiling, along with a staircase leading to a club and a private dining space.

The other half of Halo, located behind the main shop, is a restaurant led by Victor Blanchet. Beyond the brown leather banquettes, through a window in a deep-green Guatemala marble wall, the stylish chef can be spotted delicately garnishing seafood dishes with purple blooms and grilled herbs. Nearby, a designer diligently works at a sewing machine, drawing creative inspiration from the vibrant surroundings.

This isn’t just a restaurant with a poorly thought-out shopping experience attached. Nor is it a boutique with a meager speakeasy tucked away below.

“We aimed to go all in,” cofounder Victor Goyeneix explains. “Halo is a fully realized restaurant led by a skilled and talented chef.”

The endeavor represents a natural intersection of creative journeys. Goyeneix and Nicolaï, both raised in artistic environments (with mothers who were a ceramics artist from the Basque Country and a concept store owner in Marseille), discovered a kindred spirit in the talented Blanchet. Adopted by French parents from Haiti as a child, he began working in kitchens at the age of 14 and has since gained experience at the three-Michelin-starred L’Arpège, one-starred Neso, and the most recent season of French Top Chef.

“The youth of the founders drew me in,” Blanchet remarks, his tattooed arms clad in pristine, branded kitchen attire, “but it was the fusion of fashion and cuisine that truly enchanted me.”

While the blend of personalities, ambiance, and French Mediterranean and Basque cuisines might seem surprising, Halo is a perfect fit for Paris, where fashion and gastronomy are both revered. Recently, many designers have transitioned from fashion to the culinary world, while restaurateurs increasingly seek collaborations with fashion brands, resulting in hybrid spaces like Halo that completely blur traditional boundaries.

“Restaurants have evolved into another facet of fashion,” Goyeneix notes. “It’s no longer merely a trend or a marketing strategy; it’s about art, design, and meaningful human connections.”

Fashion icons have served as ambassadors for various restaurants over the years, boosting their popularity with each paparazzi snapshot. The Café de Flore, an iconic café established in the 1880s, became a hotspot in the '60s for Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent's circle. Fans of designer Azzedine Alaïa flocked to Chez Omar, which opened in the Marais in 1979, eager to catch a glimpse of him, and the couscous restaurant remains a fashionable destination even after his passing. Goyeneix highlights contemporary designers like Olivier Rousteing and Simon Porte Jacquemus, who similarly attract followers to certain venues through social media.

However, some fashion leaders have transitioned from being mere patrons to becoming full-fledged owners. This shift is partly driven by the increased visibility it brings to their brands. Chefs are also becoming influential figures, proving to be valuable allies for the right designer or model.

“They’re not just looking for a good caterer like in the past; they want a true chef whose brand aligns with theirs,” states Romain Joste, cofounder of the Broken Arm boutique and former café owner.

In recent years, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, young fashion enthusiasts have adopted a more considered approach to their lifestyles, moving away from late-night partying in Paris clubs towards enjoying quality meals at earlier hours. For fashion brands and influencers, it’s essential to genuinely invest in quality culinary experiences.

Historically, Goyeneix recalls, there was a negative perception surrounding trendy restaurants; many assumed the food would be subpar. “But that’s no longer the case,” he asserts. Neo-bistros like Septime have emerged as perennial favorites during Paris Fashion Week, alongside spots like Folderol, a popular afternoon retreat for influencers seeking natural wines and creamy ice cream.

“Today, food is intertwined with fashion, and fashion has finally embraced food,” states Lucien Pagès, founder of his namesake Parisian PR and communications agency for fashion and lifestyle.

When Joste, along with fashion veterans Anaïs Lafarge and Guillaume Steinmetz, opened the Broken Arm in 2012—featuring a café with soups, sandwiches, and charcuterie—they didn’t set out to launch a wave of food-fashion blends. Their vision was much simpler.

“The Broken Arm is all about merging and sharing our passions,” says Joste.

This trend extends beyond Paris. Shortly after the Broken Arm opened, lifestyle brand Kitsuné, founded in 2002 by Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki, introduced its first Café Kitsuné, complementing its music and fashion labels. Today, the brand boasts an impressive 26 Café Kitsunes around the globe, from Tokyo to Vancouver.

However, this crossover flourishes best in the fashion capital, where prestigious houses can invest in Michelin-level dining. When François-Henri Pinault, CEO of luxury group Kering (home to Gucci, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga), launched his art foundation at the historic Bourse de Commerce, he enlisted the father-son chef duo, Sébastien and Michel Bras, famed for their three-Michelin-starred Le Suquet. LVMH (which includes Christian Dior, Loewe, and Fendi) has also integrated fine dining into its hotels, like the Cheval Blanc hotel in Paris, featuring chefs like Arnaud Donckele for the three-Michelin-starred Plénitude and Takuya Watanabe for Hakuba.

For some in the fashion industry, restaurants provide a perfect retreat from design while still staying connected to the field. Lorenza Lenzi spent several years at Chloé as the personal assistant to the art director, often baking at Rose Bakery in her spare time. Eventually, she launched her own catering service, followed by a small café and then the restaurants Caché (Mediterranean) and Amagat (Catalan tapas). These two stunning spots, nestled in an old printing workshop on a quiet alley in the 20th arrondissement, have become trendy destinations.

For some, a restaurant is not a departure but rather an extension of their existing brand. According to Joste, the Broken Arm café was “a way for us to extend that shared experience beyond just browsing in our store, especially for those who travel from afar, like Japan, to visit us. We wanted to offer them something more meaningful.”

Fashion designer Ralph Lauren’s restaurant, Ralph’s, serves a similar purpose at his Paris flagship in Saint-Germain. Opened in 2010, it attracts shoppers with its charming courtyard seating, while also aligning with Lauren’s vision of combining classic American fare—such as lobster rolls and juicy burgers—with the elegance of a 17th-century townhouse.

Thierry Gillier, founder of French fashion label Zadig et Voltaire, provides a comprehensive lifestyle experience at Château Voltaire, his 2022 hotel venture near Opéra. This establishment not only invites tourists to connect with the upscale brand but also caters to locals—a crucial strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic—featuring a restaurant that serves quality dishes made from carefully sourced ingredients at reasonable prices.

The hotel’s dining spot, Brasserie Emil, buzzes with guests dressed in sleek pantsuits and leather miniskirts, enjoying dishes like red tuna tartare with avocado and ponzu, Milanese escalope, and a variety of Mediterranean-inspired options.

“Château Voltaire is favored by the fashion crowd because it’s stylish yet understated,” says Pagès, whose agency represents the hotel. “You’ll see many prominent figures from the industry there, but it’s not snobby. It boasts great taste and an easygoing vibe that resonates with fashion enthusiasts.”

Partnering with a fashion brand can be incredibly lucrative for chefs and restaurant owners.

“We initially believed the restaurant would be our primary source of income, but hosting fashion events has turned out to be our biggest revenue generator,” Goyeneix reveals. “Fashion adds an edge that attracts tastemakers, which significantly helps expand our network and elevate the restaurant’s profile.”

However, this arrangement also leaves restaurants susceptible to the ever-changing trends of the fashion world. In 2022, the co-founders of the Broken Arm chose to reduce the café space to accommodate art, magazines, and books. They partnered with a beloved brand, Dreamin’ Man, from the 11th arrondissement, to establish a smaller takeaway window for coffee and pastries.

“What we cherish is the ability to remain flexible and continue being creative,” Joste shares. For the founders, the space and food venture are fluid and adaptable, shaped by evolving trends and preferences.

Fashion is fueled by innovation and transformation, relying on the capricious tastes of influencers. As chefs and restaurateurs integrate with art and design, they risk jumping from one precarious industry to another, potentially finding themselves in hot water. However, as these fields intertwine, creative collaborators can often rely on some undeniable truths.

“Ultimately, it’s good people in great places that set the atmosphere,” Pagès states. “Fashion is about being seen in the right venue—and that will always remain true.”

Originally hailing from London, Rooksana Hossenally has spent the last decade as a food and travel journalist and author based in Paris. Recently, she launched a newsletter called What’s Up, Paris? focusing on lesser-known places and people in Paris.