Hyde Park Corner has a quiet talent for derailing your plans. You go in with a purpose and somehow, a few hours later, you’re still there, coffee in hand, mid-conversation, not entirely sure how it happened. The new luxury department store Maison Deux leans right into that.
What makes Maison Deux, and more specifically Marc’s by Marc Jacobs, so effortlessly magnetic is how the café anchors the entire space. This isn’t just any coffee stop; it’s the first permanent Marc’s by Marc Jacobs café in the world, and the first designer café of its kind in Africa.
Developed by the Al Capone Group, the part-concept-store, part-café brings together a mix of international fashion, homeware and food in a way that feels easy to move through. One minute you’re flipping through racks of Isabel Marant and Stella McCartney, the next you’re eyeing a Missoni Home cushion you absolutely don’t need but are now emotionally attached to. The fashion edit is strong, with Givenchy, Etro and Maison Margiela in the mix, but it’s the addition of interiors that softens everything.
Conceived by the Marc Jacobs team themselves, the interiors balance polish with playfulness through ambient lighting, tactile finishes and bold accents, while signature motifs like the daisy and the button thread the café visually to the fashion house. It feels less like shopping and more like browsing someone’s very chic apartment.
Just to the side of the entrance is the Marc Jacobs Café, a 20-seater, fully Halaal-certified space. And it’s hard to miss. Chartreuse walls, bold logos, that slightly tongue-in-cheek energy that Marc Jacobs does so well. It doesn’t whisper luxury; it has a bit of fun with it.
The menu follows the same mood. It’s broad but easy to navigate. You could start with all-day breakfast options like The NYC Brunch Edit, the Strawberry Dream waffle, or Build-A-Toast. Bagel lovers will find their match with The Uptown (salmon, caper aioli, pickled red onion), The Downtown (smoked brisket), or The Brooklyn (peppadew, goats cheese and avo).
For mains, bestsellers include Marc’s famous Mac N’ Cheese, the Wagyu burger, Hell’s Kitchen chicken, and pasta options such as lemon pasta with Cajun chicken and linguine, or the Rouge Remix with napolitana, garlic, basil, flavoured ricotta, and rigatoni.
At the launch, the Hell’s Kitchen chicken burger stood out for good reason: crunchy crumbed chicken, honey jalapeño sauce and slaw.
Salads, thankfully, are not an afterthought. The Harvest, with beetroot, butternut and goat’s cheese crème, feels balanced and fresh, while the Central Park leans into lighter, greener notes without feeling like a compromise. There’s a clear emphasis on ingredients, with much of it sourced locally, and small details, such as cream imported from France for the desserts, quietly elevating things.
Dessert is where things get a little theatrical, in the best way. The entremets are made in-house and styled like miniature tributes to Marc Jacobs fragrances. Glossy, detailed, and almost too pretty to eat, with chocolate discs stamped with the logo or shaped into daisies.
The Late Night Lemon cheesecake is sharp and light, the kind that keeps you going back for another bite, while Wild Pink, with raspberry and litchi, is soft and layered without feeling heavy. Even the carrot cake, spiced and fragrant, holds its own against the more intricate options.
For something smaller, “The Macaron” selection is playful and precise, each one stamped with the MJ logo and named after New York streets or references: Soho Cocoa, Tribeca Snow Day, Prince St Pistachio, Daisy Zest, Spring St Crème, Little Italy Espresso. Perfect for a sweet treat or as a gift.
Mocktails nod to the fragrances, with Blush on Fifth, Golden Hour and Runway Refresher, plus classics such as the Strawberry Social and Palm Avenue. The matcha, however, is a quiet highlight. Made with ceremonial-grade powder, it comes in a few variations, including Lavender Muse and The Strawberry Tote, an iced strawberry matcha layered in soft pink and green. Slightly nostalgic in a Strawberry Nesquik kind of way, it’s a gentle entry point for anyone who isn’t usually drawn to matcha.
The Italian-style coffee follows the same playful naming as their iconic handbags, with the words “The Latte” or “The Cappuccino” stencilled neatly across the foam. It’s simple, on brand and basically guaranteed to have Instagram girlies posting Marc Jacobs coffee all over their feeds.
What makes it all work is how the café anchors the space. You’re not just popping in and out. You sip, nibble, people-watch, debate a purchase you hadn’t planned for, and maybe sneak a macaron on the way out. Marc’s by Marc Jacobs has a way of making an afternoon vanish while leaving you feeling like you’ve stumbled into a little luxury universe, and somehow, Johannesburg just got a little more cosmopolitan for it.
Maison Deux is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 6pm, and 10am to 3pm on Sundays and public holidays. The Marc’s by Marc Jacobs kitchen closes at 5pm from Monday to Saturday.
maisondeux.co.za / @maisondeux.za
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