The Crocodile at Table: Lacoste Serves Its Art de Vivre in Paris

In 1933, on the sun-drenched courts of tennis history, René Lacoste did something quietly radical. Frustrated by the stiffness of traditional tennis whites, the champion designed a short-sleeved, breathable piqué polo shirt bearing a small embroidered crocodile — his own nickname stitched over the heart. It was more than a garment. It was a manifesto. Freedom of movement. Precision. Effortless elegance.

From that single polo, Lacoste grew into a global emblem of cultivated sport. The Crocodile slipped from court to clubhouse, from Riviera summers to Manhattan avenues.

Decade after decade, it evolved — womenswear, accessories, fragrance, leather goods — yet always anchored in its athletic DNA. At the crossroads of fashion and sport, Lacoste became a maison of optimistic refinement, its codes recognised from Paris to New York, worn by generations who understood that true style never strains.

Now, in February 2026, the house turns a delicious new page.

Just steps from its Paris flagship on Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt, Lacoste inaugurates the world’s first Café Lacoste — a 100-square-metre living space with 65 seats, open from morning espresso to early evening indulgence.

Following a successful pop-up in Monaco, this permanent address marks a confident stride into hospitality, in partnership with Riccardo Giraudi’s acclaimed Giraudi Group, masters of contemporary gastronomy for over two decades.

Step inside and the mood is unmistakable. Deep Crocodile green wraps the room in quiet confidence, softened by off-white hues and flashes of terracotta. Noble materials meet tennis-inspired lines; the geometry is clean, the welcome warm. It feels like slipping into a perfectly tailored blazer — structured yet relaxed.

Parisian light filters through the windows, catching porcelain stamped with the Lacoste name. Every detail whispers heritage.

Behind the scenes, the kitchen hums with balletic precision under the direction of Thierry Paludetto, chef of the Giraudi Group. Orders glide across the counter: club sandwiches layered with exactitude, vibrant salads bursting with seasonal produce, refined dishes designed for the rhythm of urban days. This is an all-day concept — dine in, take away, and soon, delivery — attuned to modern appetites.

And then, the pièce de résistance: the Iconic Polo. Conceived as an edible emblem, it is crafted to be shared, photographed, taken away — a culinary nod to the shirt that started it all.

Desserts arrive with sculptural finesse; coffees are artisan-roasted and poured into silken lattes in pistachio, vanilla or chai. There is even L’Eau de Croco — a vivid blend of coconut water, matcha and ginger — as crisp and invigorating as a morning rally on clay.

Café Lacoste extends beyond the plate. A curated concept store offers fine food items, exclusive textiles and elegant French porcelain, allowing guests to carry the experience home. It is retail as ritual, gastronomy as lifestyle.

“With Café Lacoste, we naturally extend our universe into a shared living space,” says CEO Eric Vallat, describing it as an expression of the Lacoste art de vivre — elegant, contemporary, part of everyday Parisian life, and destined to travel.

Riccardo Giraudi echoes the sentiment: a meeting of gastronomic exacting standards and the timeless allure of the Crocodile, where pleasure and design converge.

Fashion cafés are having a moment — from couture-branded patisseries to luxury label restaurants — yet few feel this intrinsic. Lacoste’s foray into hospitality is not trend-chasing; it is heritage translated. Sport has always been about community, about gathering courtside. What is a café if not a modern clubhouse?

For tennis devotees descending on Paris for the season’s great tournaments, for fashion pilgrims tracing the capital’s most storied maisons, for gourmands in pursuit of their next impeccable table — Café Lacoste is more than a pit stop. It is a destination. A place where style is plated, where legacy is sipped, where the Crocodile invites you to linger.

In a city already fluent in seduction, Lacoste has found a new way to serve it. And trust us: your next trip to Paris will taste incomplete without it.

*Photos courtesy of Lacoste.