Honoring Its Founder, Azzedine Alaïa, Café da Rosa Opens in Paris

By Matthew Denis Published October 14, 2021

Alaïa's Café da Rosa in Paris. — Stephan Muratet/Alïa

By the end of his life Azzedine Alaïa, the Tunisian couturier and shoe designer, was as well known among his friends for his legendary French kitchen as he was for his haute couture designs. ‘The King of Cling,’ who passed away in 2017, loved to cook and to host at his Rue de Moussy home in Paris’s Marais district, bringing together an eclectic mix of guests for fabled dinner parties.

Recommended Videos

In a nod to its founder, the Maison Alaïa apparel firm is now inviting the public to this unique culinary salon atmosphere at Alaïa’s home at 5 rue Marignan with Café Alaïa Da Rosa. The new restaurant forms the base of a four-story boutique that opened its doors just in time for Paris Fashion Week.

Nestled into a lush vertical garden in an inner courtyard, the restaurant features Mediterranean cuisine. A terraced wall of greenery sits above a minimalist menu that offers up authentic Mediterranean inspirations. Utilizing Paris’s fine, fresh local produce, dishes will be intended to transport eaters to seaside Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

Aiming to prick eaters’ aesthetic inspiration, Café Da Rosa surrounds guests with art installations and collectible design items that aim to reflect the joie de vivre of the house’s famous founder. And this is just the bottom floor. The four-story hôtel particulier that houses this eatery sits below a range of new spaces.

Related Guides

If it’s a physical recharge that visitors are seeking, Alaïa’s house proffers Martine de Richeville’s celebrated, transcendent remodeling treatment in response. The regenerative hand massage method blends holistic medicine and psychology and is considered a secret weapon among fashion insiders for slimming the silhouette.

The evolution of the 5 rue de Marignan encourages a synergy between body and soul, extending the maison’s universe. Of course, boutique retail will remain at the center of Alaïa’s galaxy, but the store aims to be more than just a shopping venue. Floor space and displays are focused on cultivating a luxury lifestyle.

Creative director Pieter Mulier took over the house’s redesign project in February. The Belgian designer’s S/S 2022 collection will subsequently hit the floor of Alaïa’s revamped flagship in December.

Café Alaïa Da Rosa is open now at 5 Rue de Marignan, 75008, Paris, open Tuesday through Saturday from midday to 7:00 p.m.

Read More: Television, French Cuisine, and More with David Burke

Former Freelance Writer

Matt Denis is an on-the-go remote multimedia reporter, exploring arts, culture, and the existential in the Pacific Northwest…

Food & Drink

New Belgium partners with iconic Chicago wormwood liqueur brand on special beer

The Colorado brewery is daring you to try this six-pack

Voodoo Ranger Malort IPA.

New Belgium Brewery is calling it a dare. The brand has teamed up with Jeppson's Malört on a six-pack of beer that includes both a popular IPA beer and one made with the legendary Chicago-born liqueur. The Roulette IPA pack is officially out and it includes four Voodoo Ranger IPAs and two cans of the unique Malört-style IPA.

It's a clever bit of marketing as all six cans look the same. Hence, the roulette name. Consumers won't know what they've cracked until they have a taste. The move is decidedly fun, playing off the adventurous aspect of the ranger character and combining a blind tasting with a challenge of sorts.

Food & Drink

Tequila myths, busted: Everything you’ve heard but shouldn’t believe

We're finally seperating fact from fiction when it comes to tequila

Tequila glass

Tequila might be the Rodney Dangerfield of spirits. Oftentimes (especially compared to whiskey), it gets "no respect." This is likely because of a mixture of misconceptions, myths, and experiences during your college years. I'll admit that two decades ago, when I first started writing about alcohol, I had some preconceived notions about the Mexican-made spirit. And it had a lot to do with my experiences surrounding the agave-based spirit when I was in my twenties.

I know I'm not the only one who spent a portion of their drinking years without fully embracing tequila. Many drinkers only think of this hard alcohol as a shooter paired with lime and salt or as the base for turbo-charged Margaritas. That's a shame. Tequila is a versatile, complex spirit.

Food & Drink

From cold brew to creamsicle lattes: Orange flavor is the summer’s hottest trend

How orange evokes nostalgic feelings

Orange Creme

Butter yellow may be everywhere in fashion and beauty this summer, but trends suggest that orange is the focus of the summer in the world of food. With the nostalgia trend continuing on social media, brands like M&Ms, Coke, and Califia Farms are focusing on the emotional appeal of orange flavor in new summer products.
Califia Farms has recently launched an Orange Creme Refresher, complete with a sweet and citrusy taste that's intended to evoke a sensory link to childhood. To learn more about the orange flavor trend, I spoke with Kaytee Hadley, MS, RDN, IFMCP, a dietitian and founder of Holistic Health and Wellness in Richmond, VA. Here's what she shared about how orange creme is being used in coffee, juices, and more.

Orange creme trends in food