Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Fashion on a plate

Both design and cuisine rely on visual aesthetics as much as they do good taste, so it’s hardly surprising that designers are making forays into food, opening restaurants, bars or – in the case of Patrick Cox – a cake shop. Nick Clarke takes a taster tour of Europe’s chicest eateries

Cox Cookies & Cake
BY PATRICK COX, LONDON

Brit-born designer Patrick Cox (pictured near right) has never been one to stick to rules; the Sloane Square store that launched his shoe empire 20 years ago also sold antiques, all wrapped up in wonderfully odd packaging. Now, the designer is opening a bakery in London that will bring together traditional corner cake shop and trendy Soho hot spot. Based on Brewer Street, Cox Cookies & Cake will be selling sweet treats to media types against a backdrop of mirrored ceilings, neon signs and showgirl silhouettes that nod to the property’s former life as a sex shop. Having worked with architect Jono Wolf, clients looking for the pastel palette of the cupcake revolution can look elsewhere – here the design is as deliciously decadent as the cakes. Cox says, “With beautiful men and women dressed in S&M-style black aprons and T-shirts saying ‘Eat Me’, you won’t know what’s more delicious, the cakes or the staff!”

The food comes courtesy of co-owner and master pâtissier Eric Lanlard, and the menu incorporates a number of Cox’s mum’s recipes, such as her fabulous Nanaimo bars made from coconut biscuit, vanilla butter cream and dark chocolate. Far from hanging up his heels, Cox Cookies & Cake is just the latest chapter in Cox’s ever-eclectic empire. www.patrickcox.com

Emporio Armani Caffè
BY GIORGIO ARMANI, MILAN

It’s all about labels in Milan, so what better way to cater to stylish shoppers than by throwing open the doors of a showy designer café? Native Giorgio Armani struck gold with his fiercely fashionable Emporio Armani Caffè, a sleek showcase for the legendary brand on Via Croce Rossa. Inside it’s all about blinding white walls, slate-grey leather bench-style seating and beige tables flanked by casual café- esque seats. The interior’s lines are as razor-sharp as the clean, tailored lines on the suits Armani sends down Milan’s catwalks.

While food may not be high on the agenda of the rail-thin fashionistas who flock here in their designer droves, the restaurant does serve it; and it’s good, too, with classic Italian fare interspersed with Asian influences – just like Armani’s clothes. Coffee is churned out in elegant cups for models who prefer only caffeine with their cigarettes, and is as tasty as a brew from any traditional Italian coffee shop. With similar cafés in other cities across the globe – such as Munich and London – the white-haired designer has proved his inimitable style doesn’t just stretch to suits. www.giorgioarmani.com

Chiado Unique
BY FÁTIMA LOPES, LISBON

Chiado is one of Lisbon’s hippest areas, and it’s even hipper with the opening of the new dining project of Portugal’s most celebrated fashion designer, Fátima Lopes. Hailing from Madeira, Lopes made a name for herself when she strutted down a Parisian catwalk in the world’s most expensive bikini. With this PR stunt and a collection of well-cut clothes under her belt, her name quickly gained momentum, and she’s since opened her first standalone store in Los Angeles.

This much-talked about restaurant is an extension of Lopes’ luxe label, with everything from the upholstery on the chairs to the uniforms on the gorgeous waiting staff showcasing her sensuous style. Offering its well-heeled clientele a heady combination of fashion and food, the restaurant has quickly become the place to see and be seen in the city.

The menu sticks to Portuguese fare, peppered with international influences, and every dish is presented with flair by head chef John Slater. Adding to the property’s panache is O Bar, dedicated to chill-out music and cocktails – perfect for those diners who are stylish enough to prop it up. www.chiadounique.com

Maxim’s de Paris
BY PIERRE CARDIN, BRUSSELS

Pierre Cardin may not have founded it, but the Maxim’s chain of restaurants is another of the French designer’s enviable accomplishments. Having conquered the catwalks with androgynous, avant-garde clothes, Cardin snapped up Maxim’s in 1981 when it was offered to him during dinner there with its owners. He didn’t waste any time, and Maxim’s now has branches in Brussels, Monte Carlo, Geneva, Peking, Tokyo and Shanghai.

The Paris branch (pictured) remains the restaurant’s signature outpost, with a young Wolfgang Puck once in its kitchen and a roster of celebrity names inscribed on the pages of its guestbook. Its iconic art nouveau interiors live on, as does its cabaret, museum and fabulous French fare. The Brussels property is no less inspiring, however, and today is a firm favourite on Belgium’s culinary map.

While Maxim’s doesn’t have Cardin’s personal style stamped all over it – waitresses in bubble dresses wouldn’t sit particularly well alas – the brand has proved a hugely successful venture for the designer outside of fashion. And with Maxim’s-branded soundtracks,food items and hotels in the pipeline, the expansion is more than a pet project. www.maxims-de-paris.com

Royal Café
BY ROYAL COPENHAGEN, COPENHAGEN

As one of the most renowned manufacturers of plates in the world, it makes sense for Royal Copenhagen to open a café in which to show them off. The Royal Café is the fruit of the firm’s porcelain passions, in its flagship outlet on Amagertorv.

Danish design is everywhere inside this eclectic space, with long banquet-style tables on the floor and oversized paintings of royals on the walls. The company has enlisted the help of Danish firms such as Holmegaard, Bang & Olufsen and Fritz Hansen, all of which have come up with customised fixtures and fittings for the crazily busy interiors. The food is similarly offbeat, with the café famed for ‘smushi’ – open sandwiches prepared like sushi and served on the company’s prestigious plates. Other Danish delicacies – all with innovative twists, of course – are served alongside tea and coffee for the perfect mid-shop stop-off. www.theroyalcafe.dk

FR Plats tendances

Esthétique et saveurs s’associent aujourd’hui dans des projets design-cuisine : les créateurs font de plus en plus d’incursions dans la restauration. Nick Clarke fait un tour des lieux

Cox Cookies & Cake par Patrick Cox, Londres

La pâtisserie du designer britannique Patrick Cox vendra des douceurs aux vedettes sur fond de néons et de silhouettes de danseuses, clin d’œil au passé de cet ancien sex-shop. La déco est aussi décadente que les gâteaux du maître pâtissier Eric Lanlard. patrickcox.com

Emporio Armani Caffè par Giorgio Armani, Milan

Girogio Armani a trouvé le filon à Milan, avec son Emporio Armani Caffè. L’intérieur a des lignes aussi pures que les costumes du styliste. On y sert de la cuisine traditionnelle italienne mêlée d’influence asiatique, et le café, bien sûr, y est excellent. giorgioarmani.com

Chiado Unique par Fátima Lopes, Lisbonne

Plus branché encore : Chiado et son projet de restaurant avec la styliste la plus acclamée du Portugal. Tout, depuis la déco aux uniformes du personnel porte l’empreinte du style sensuel de Lopes. Le menu s’en tient à la cuisine portugaise. chiadounique.com

Royal Café par Royal Copenhagen, Copenhague

Le design danois est partout : de longues tables banquets et des tableaux de la famille royale côtoient des créations Holmegaard et Bang & Olufsen. L’endroit parfait pour une pause dans une journée shopping. theroyalcafe.dk

Maxim’s de Paris par Pierre Cardin, Bruxelles

Pierre Cardin a racheté Maxim’s en 1981 et a ouvert de nouvelles succursales à Bruxelles, Monte-Carlo, Tokyo et Shanghai. Aujourd’hui, l’adresse reste une des grandes favorites dans le paysage culinaire belge. Son intérieur Art Nouveau n’a pas changé, pas plus que son cabaret et sa fabuleuse cuisine française. maxims-de-paris.com

NL Mode op uw bord

Zowel in de mode- als in de gastronomische wereld grijpt men even hard terug naar esthetiek als naar een lekkere smaak. Nick Clarke gaat proeven

Cox Cookies & Cake – Patrick Cox, Londen

De bakkerij van de Britse ontwerper Patrick Cox zal zijn zoetigheden verkopen aan mediapersoonlijkheden die de zaak aandoen met zijn neonverlichting en showgirl silhouetten, een knipoog naar een vorig leven als seksshop. Het ontwerp is al even decadent als de cakes, gemaakt door meester pâtissier Eric Lanlard. patrickcox.com

Emporio Armani Caffè – Giorgio Armani, Milaan

Giorgio Armani sloeg de nagel op de financiële kop in Milaan met het Emporio Armani Caffè – het interieur beschikt over een ontwerp, al even afgelijnd als de pakken van het merk. Hier eet u Italiaans met Aziatische invloeden. De koffie is er uitstekend ! giorgioarmani.com

Chiado Unique – Fátima Lopes, Lissabon

Chiado wordt nog hipper dankzij het restauratieproject van Portugal’s meest gevierde designer. In alles vindt u de sensuele stijl van Lopes terug. Het menu blijft trouw aan de Portugese keuken. chiadounique.com

Royal Café – Royal Copenhagen, Kopenhagen

Hier is het Deens design alomtegenwoordig, met lange tafels in banketstijl en schilderijen van het Deense koningshuis, afgewisseld met stukken van Holmegaard en Bang & Olufsen. De perfecte stop na het shoppen. theroyalcafe.dk

Maxim’s de Paris – Pierre Cardin, Brussel

Pierre Cardin verwierf Maxim’s in 1981 en beschikt nu over restaurants in Brussel, Monte Carlo, Tokyo en Shangai. Het restaurant in Brussel behoort tot vandaag tot een van de favoriete restaurants uit België met zijn Art Nouveau interieur en zijn cabaret. maxims-de-paris.com

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