We Tried Saint Laurent Café: Scam or Real Barista?
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After being spammed with Insta posts left and right of the black cup from Saint Laurent coffee, shot from every angle, on terraces, in the Palais Royal gardens, by the Seine or paired with the Old Money aesthetic, we did it… We went to try famous caffeinated beverage held in the cup, which has almost become a museum piece. So, is it a truly good coffee spot, or are we just on a visual trend with a filter coffee without much flavor? Here’s our mixed feelings review of the Saint Laurent Rive Droite coffee!
Saint Laurent coffee: a fashion effect or a real go-to spot?
Forget the baguette bag, the must-have accessory for your photos is this: the black cup branded with Saint Laurent in white capitals. Plus, it comes with coffee inside, for that #coffeebreak mood. Though, let’s be honest, if people are flocking to Saint Laurent coffee, it’s mainly for the cup and not its content. Imagine a cardboard cup with just the recycling logo on it, hmm, not sure the coffee would be as coveted and photographed!
Both simple and effective, and quickly recognizable, the cup’s design won hearts as soon as the coffee shop opened in 2019, quickly becoming the star of social networks. The Old Money aesthetic trending on Instagram lately, following the cottage core trend, has given new life to the cup, which is perfect for adding luxury touches to photo scenes of this trend.
You’re starting to know us, whenever there’s a spot to try related to fashion houses, we can’t help but make a visit. After breaks at the Dior tea room and the Jacquemus flower café, a detour to the Louis Vuitton chocolate and pastry shop, and after drooling over the window of the Prada Café in London, we now head to 8 Rue du 29 Juillet, in the first arrondissement of Paris, to try this beverage. And we admit, especially to walk away with the Saint Laurent coffee cup, Right Bank!
A latte, please!
Tucked away next to the Rive Droite store, Saint Laurent coffee is far from the splendor of other places & cafés we’ve tried. Here, a micro shop where only two can enter at a time, has made its place on the facade since its opening in 2019. The atmosphere is well chosen, all in black and concrete, with some red neon lights. We are in a DNA in line with the house, which can surprise at first, but which we find quite successful.
The sound of the coffee machine blends with a playlist playing in the background, which we can later find through a QR code on the cup. A well-thought-out, simple, and effective detail, which allows the spread of the house’s universe while staying in tune with the times. By coming to the café several times, you can access different playlists that change from time to time.
As for drinks and sweet touches, we are rather surprised by the prices, and in a positive way! Although the prices remain higher than elsewhere, we find a menu with prices similar to other trendy addresses in the capital, and even close to those of Starbucks. And, needless to say, it’s refreshing not to see a latte nearing 8€ and an espresso over 6€ as seen at the Prada Café…
The menu here offers latte, cappuccino, flat white, hot chocolate, golden/black/chaï latte and matcha at €5.50, in hot or cold versions. Other drinks range between €3.50 and €6.50. However, adding plant-based milk is too expensive, costing €1. (A nostalgic thought for London, where many addresses don’t charge for plant-based milk, or do, but only for a few cents…).
Saint Laurent coffee also offers pastries, for which the prices are high, namely the croissant is at €4, the chocolate bread at €4.50, and the cookie at €6. These are taken away in branded white bags, just like the paper napkins and sugar packets, which sport the same design as the cup. It’s all in the details!
Our latte was served with a perfectly mastered latte art. After putting on the lid and flipping the cup, to take our iconic photo in turn, little surprise… It wasn’t branded, but just black. From a Saint Laurent cup, we went to a Sans Laurent cup, and let’s admit that the disappointment was there… We chalk it up to a potential stock issue? Pro tip: check your cup before leaving!
Despite this setback, the Saint Laurent coffee turned out to be really good. A hint of surprise even ran through our palate because we weren’t expecting anything extraordinary, but more a trendy coffee effect. In the end, we discovered a good barista coffee, which we enjoyed with pleasure and which made us, a bit, forget about the cup detail!
In itself, we really enjoyed the experience. The place is nice, the coffees really good and for a price that’s not excessive. However, it would be nice to have a few seats to sit and enjoy our coffee.
Currently, on the occasion of fashion week, Saint Laurent coffee is collaborating with WILD & THE MOON and offering to discover four cold infusions at the coffee shop address.
How to make Saint Laurent coffee at home?
The Saint Laurent coffee cup isn’t the only one making waves on social networks. Ralph Lauren restaurants and cafés are also highly sought after for a few shots. This departure from the lines of ready-to-wear pieces, and more anchored in daily life habits, seems to appeal to many customers, who enjoy including the fashion houses they love in their lifestyle.
Having well understood this, houses are increasingly developing their lifestyle collection, allowing them to spread their influence at any time of the day. Thus, good news, you can make your own Saint Laurent coffee at home! The house has indeed created an exact copy of the cup in which your caffeine dose is served, in a larger and ceramic version. However, at €95, it’s clear that you need to drink a lot of coffees to make it worthwhile. It’s up to you to choose an exceptional bean to match this haute couture piece.
The house has also released a flask, in the same aesthetic, perfect to accompany you on all your adventures, sold for €75. And, for a bit more freshness, Léna Situation shared a few months ago in one of her videos the discovery of a Saint Laurent ice cube tray.
With such a strong character cup, all you need to do is put together a 100% Saint Laurent look, to enjoy your coffee under the Parisian sun with style.
