1.Fremantle, AustraliaWestern Australia’s Fremantle – or Freo (“Free-O”) as it’s known – may technically be a suburb of Perth and its port, but the area’s distinct history and tight-knit creative community make it a place unto itself. While the 30,000 or so people who live here affectionately describe Fremantle as a “bubble”, downtown Perth (30 minutes away by car or train) is a place to venture only if strictly necessary. “It’s like a small town where everyone knows everyone,” says Blaze Young, executive chef at Nieuw Ruin, a restaurant on Fremantle’s Norfolk Street. Young was born in Fremantle but grew up “way out in the bush” and moved back as an adult. “This is a really beautiful, open and welcoming community. There are no downsides.”Fremantle’s beautifully preserved Victorian and Edwardian architecture points to its heyday as a 19th-century maritime hub and there’s a mix of colonial red-brick houses, ornate wrought-iron balconies and gothic revival-style churches. Bricks-and-mortar retail is thriving too: the high street is a bustling mix of cafés, wine bars, bookshops, fitness studios and art galleries. The ocean is a few minutes’ away and walking and cycling paths trace the shoreline, leading to pristine sandy shores such as Bathers Beach and the seaside Esplanade Park. Families with young children crowd the playground and wander along the shore. “We have the best beaches in the world by far,” says Young with utter conviction. Every afternoon in the summer, the “Freo Doctor”, a colloquial term for a seasonal sea breeze, blows in from the sea, cooling the whole town.South Fremantle dog beachIn the past few years a spate of new cocktail bars, breweries, restaurants and speciality cafés opened, injecting new energy into Fremantle’s dining scene (but the classic seaside fish-and-chip spots are still not to be missed). Fresh seafood and local produce dominate bistro menus and wine lists run pages long, taking advantage of Fremantle’s proximity to Margaret River, one of the country’s best wine regions. Good Things Café on Bannister Street has become a weekend brunch institution, to the extent that its owners have been stopped on the street by loyal customers demanding to know when their favourite seasonal dishes are returning to the menu. A quiet cultural backwater it isn’t: Fremantle’s arts scene, one of its best-known features, has deep roots. Former shipping warehouses and a Victorian-era asylum now serve as exhibition centres and artists’ studios, such as the colourful J Shed, while independent art galleries populate many shopfronts around town. Amy Grasso, a Fremantle resident who juggles a day job at an apothecary with her textile art, which she makes in one of the J Shed studios, co-organises “creative meet-ups” for local artists. “We’re trying to organise community support for creatives,” says Grasso with a grin. “A lot of artists live in Freo.” Indeed, there are frequent weekend and summer markets featuring Fremantle artisans, dressmakers and ceramicists. “It’s a place that artists have always been drawn to,” says Carine Thévenau, a photographer who grew up in Fremantle and moved back from Sydney last year with her husband and daughter. Before heading to the beach, she drops a parting refrain that Monocle became very familiar with on our trip. “Freo has everything we need.”Fremantle’s top spotsThe bar:Patio Bar 4/3-13 Essex Street Nieuw RuinThe outdoor space:South BeachThe cultural centre:1 Fleet StreetThe school:John Curtin College of the ArtsDrinks at Gage Roads BreweryKidogo ArthouseHannah at Patio BarJ Shed artists’ studiosIce cream at Kuld CreameryDinner at Nieuw RuinNew Edition bookshopWine tastingFremantle wine bar Vin PopuliSouth Beach at sunsetTaking a dipCicerello’s FremantletFremantle harbourBaby Jack Jones and dadSculptor Greg James at J ShedSculptor Jina Lee’s studio at J ShedStudent at the University of Notre DameKuld Creamery owners Kaitlyn and Mati KuldFish tacos at Gage Roads BreweryBathers Beach House2.Kita-Kamakura, JapanJust a short journey from Tokyo by train, Kamakura offers a very different perspective. The city of 171,000 sits on Sagami Bay, spreading back from a wide sandy beach into the hills. It might not be immediately obvious from the laidback surfer vibe of today but Kamakura was once the religious and political heart of Japan and, in the 13th century, its second capital. The remnants of that era are everywhere, in dozens of temples, shrines and gardens. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrineEnoden railwayCipollino restaurantJust a few steps away from Shokado is Cipollino, a bistro where the daily menu includes a fresh pasta with local vegetables and seafood from Zushi, just along the coast. Owner-chef Shuhei Koizumi’s grandfather had a Japanese restaurant in Kita-Kamakura. “I trained in Tokyo,” says Koizumi. “But I always wanted to come back.” One woodworker here is still operating at age 79. His family shop, Tomono Furo, which sells cedar bowls, stools and chopping boards, has been in Kita-Kamakura since 1814. “I started when I was 10 and I make everything by hand,” he tells Monocle. “Things you buy online can’t compare.” Taking snaps on Yuigahama BeachYakitori HideyoshiKamakura Annex at the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura AnnexKita-Kamakura (North Kamakura) is a lush, woody enclave a couple of kilometres inland and surrounded by hills. Streets are leafy and low-rise, and the elegant tone is shaped by the historic Zen temples that stretch along the road. Shokado is a confectionery shop on the main street run by Tomoko Kurihara and her brother; their father opened the business in 1961 and today they sell traditional Japanese sweets. “This is a friendly neighbourhood,” says Tomoko. “People look out for each other.” Outdoor activities are also prominent. “If you grow up here, hiking is part of life,” she adds. One of the most popular trails leads up from Kita-Kamakura, along a ridge and down into Zuisen-ji temple in the east of the city. La Petite Boulangerie in Kita-KamakuraSurfing at Yuigahama BeachMeigetsuin temple in Kita-KamakuraLast year furniture collector Thierry Lamoine and his wife, Arrow Nakajima, opened Galerie One in a pre-warkominka(wooden house). A short walk from Kita-Kamakura and next to the peaceful temple of Kakuon-ji, the beautifully preserved house is the perfect backdrop for Lamoine’s exceptional finds by architects and designers such as Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand. “The furniture looks much nicer than in a white cube in Tokyo,” says Lamoine, who also has a gallery in Paris. “Knowing our customers is the biggest asset of the Kamakura gallery: collectors can sit, have a drink and take time to tell us which pieces they like. They never stay less than one hour.”Kenji Oguchi at Kita-Kamakura ShokadoHokokuji templeViews of Sagami BayWhile the tranquillity of Kita-Kamakura makes it a great place to live, those after a more vibrant proposition can hop on a five-minute train to central Kamakura, where there are bars, restaurants and food shopping in theichibamorning market. The traditional Kamakura scene ofhato-sabure(dove-shaped shortbread biscuits) and craft shops is still there but it has now been joined by outdoor brands, coffee shops and a Muji restaurant. Some things never change though: just stand on the beach and take in that perfect sunset view of Mount Fuji. Ikebana’ artist Toru Watarai at Galerie OneNoodles at Kirasa restaurant in KamakuraDaibutsu at Kotokuin templeBack in Kita-Kamakura, residents have the place to themselves, the only audible sounds emanate from the trees and the forested hills (and perhaps the clink of wine glasses at Cipollino). “It’s very quiet here,” says Tomoko Kurihara. “That’s how we like it.”Cyclists at WakamiyaojiCipollino’s owner-chef Shuhei Koizumi with colleagueGalerie OneFresh goods at La Petite BoulangerieProduce market in KamakuraCafé Meal MujiBamboo flower baskets for saleHappy walkers on Yuigahama BeachNowhere bakery in a former liquor shop3.Chiaia&Vomero, Italy“I wouldn’t go to any other city in the world,” says Giò Nardi as he shows Monocle around his apartment in Naples’ upscale Chiaia neighbourhood. Like so many we speak to during three days in the city, something drew Nardi, a DJ and events organiser, back to his hometown after some time away. It might have something to do with the Bay of Naples glistening away in the distance just outside the window. “I can swim before work or go to Capri at weekends,” he says. “It still feels authentic here.”Naples’ stretch of coastline isn’t the Côte d’Azur – but that’s the point that Nardi is making. Neighbourhoods such as Chiaia feel rooted in place rather than transformed into tourist playgrounds; community still exists. One resident we meet by the district’s waterfront, who gives his name only as Andrea, says that he has lived in Miami and Barcelona but Naples always wins due to “the Neapolitan’s heart; a Neapolitan will always help you”, before zipping down the Viale Anton Dohrn on his BMW CE 04 electric motorbike.Naples’ top spotsGiovanni Bausan the restaurant Cap’alice 28/m Via Giovanni Bausan the outdoor space Villa Floridiana Park the cultural centre Thomas Dane Gallery thomasdanegallery.com the shop M Cilento & Fratello cilento1780.itLiberty palazzo in ChiaiaReady for summer on Chiaia’s public beachSweeping views, including of Vesuvius, from VomeroChiaia is one of the city’s most liveable quarters, with shops, bars and restaurants at its centre. As you retreat from the shore and up into the hills, it becomes populated by 18th and 19th-century villas, plus the occasional Liberty beauty. Nardi calls the area “a good compromise” between the centre – teeming with history but chaotic and full of tourists – and more residential Posillipo further round the coast.Lemon-selling kioskLucrezia Maspero in Villa Floridiana parkFederica Sheehan’s homeThat sense of warmth is shared by Lucrezia Maspero, a tennis instructor originally from Milan, who met her Neapolitan husband in Rome and moved to the city eight years ago. We meet in the Villa Floridiana park in Vomero, a leafy neighbourhood with spectacular views, that sits immediately above Chiaia. “People are very close here,” she says. “You feel immediately at home.” And while she admits that it lacks playgrounds for her two children and other civic amenities, she can still jump in a canoe and explore the coast or be in woodland in less than an hour.Flower shop spilling onto the streetJ’adore Napoli” kioskNear the waterfront in ChiaiaBack in Chiaia, gallerist Federica Sheehan shows Monocle around the Naples outpost of London’s Thomas Dane gallery, open since 2018. Set in a grandiose 19th-century villa, Sheehan says that Chiaia has the “space and light” that the centre lacks. She also explains the neighbourhood’s deep contemporary art roots, pioneered by art dealer Lucio Amelio and continued by the likes of Studio Trisorio and Galleria Lia Rumma. Osteria della MattonellaSharp dressing on Chiaia’s waterfrontLively avenueIn the evening, people are drinking aperitivo on Via Bisignano, while children play football and adults fish off rocks on the waterfront. Restaurants and taverns such as Cap’alice, Osteria della Mattonella or Vomero’s historic Gorizia pizzeria mean that it’s hard not to eat well. Over at Jus natural wine bar and restaurant, small dishes includingluvaro(a local fish) served with a strawberry vinegar and celery, and anchovy fillets accompanied by fragrant bergamot butter, can all be washed down with a glass of minerally Greco di Tufo white wine. Ponte di Chiaia dates back to the 17th centurySmart shops in central ChiaiaPalazzo courtyardJus owner Diego Amura left a job in telecommunications to follow his passion for wines in 2021 and hasn’t looked back, helped by the fact that his commute is precisely a three-minute walk. “I love it here. I practically live on the sea and arriving at work is a joy,” he says, before pausing for a moment. “The sea changes everything.”Effortless moped-ready styleChic Chiaia localLunchtime crowd at Osteria della MattonellaChiaia street sceneChiaia resident
After The Monocle Quality of Life Conference concluded in Istanbul in October, we took a crack team of readers on an adventure south. Everyone was a little depleted from a series of too-fun dinners, some dancefloor exuberance and taking in the joys of being in the boisterous city.The delayed departure of the Istanbul to Bodrum flight wasn’t exactly what we had hoped for. But, secluded in the lounge, people started introducing themselves to one another and began revealing elements of their lives. We were a globally disparate pack – from Dubai, China, the Philippines, the US, Switzerland and the Netherlands – but we were all united by our mission to reach the beach resort of Macakizi. Landing at Milas-Bodrum Airport, we were met by a fleet of identical Land Rover Defenders, their drivers a well-turned-out and soothing team. We headed off into a dusky glow, as a bougainvillea-pink sun eased below the horizon. After brief and restorative dives from the jetty into the sea, everyone gathered for dinner at the hotel. By now we were a team, sitting together in the night air as conversations bounced back and forth across the table and laughter echoed. Over the next two days there were boat trips and snoozing, healthy lunches and books devoured. People relaxed. Characters shone. It all flowed from a couple of days spent in a well-run hotel where the luxuries were discreet and the service exemplary. I have been feeding off of that brief sojourn’s warm glow ever since; you can plan a stay too after reading our report.This is why we travel. Whether your adventure involves driving along the Albanian coast, crisscrossing Greek mountains or finding quiet roads and outposts in remote Australia (all in this magazine), the simple act of setting off on a journey holds the potential to reset your mind, make you feel at ease, fill you with new ideas and introduce you to places and people who might just change your life (or prove to be perfect company after a Monocle conference).While planning 2024’s outing ofThe Escapist, we sought out new perspectives and destinations, lifted the lid on the business of travel and met the hospitality architects changing our hotels for the better. We also interviewed the industry chiefs in attendance at the International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes to find out where trends will be taking us and looked at everything from upscale train brands to aircraft design. In short,TheEscapistis a bulging suitcase of reports and ideas.But this isn’t our only deep dive into travel. In Monocle, you’ll find The Concierge pages, where we guide you to the best places to stay, dine and visit across the globe. And, very soon, we’ll be unveiling a new world of travel atmonocle.comas we explore how to guide you around the world with ease. But for now, sit back, read the pages and start dreaming. Life awaits.
If you’re on holiday in Nusfjord, you’ll likely have come far. You’ll probably have changed planes in Oslo, boarded another in Bodø and ended up careening over the crags of Norway’s northwestern coast in your little Dash 8 turboprop, where the dark islands look like whales breaching in the brine. Then you’ll have dipped a wing toward the Lofoten archipelago, where the bays are turquoise and the summer grass is green. You’re in the cock’s comb, almost at the top of mainland Norway and well into the Arctic Circle, to find Nusfjord: a beautiful nook in the world’s second-longest coastline (Norway is still some 100,000 kilometres behind the weathersome cliffs of Canada). This neck of the Nordic woods and its latitudinal brethren are hot because they’re cool: as southern Europe’s sizzle has turned to crackle, eyes are looking northward for a calmer balm and some old-fashionedweather. So, if you’re here and you don’t speak much Norwegian, you’ll likely have come far.Phew, you have arrived.Cabin feverMountain highNusfjord was a fabled fishing village for a thousand years, a haven on a wild coastline where boats could be safely moored and cabins built to house the hundreds of fishermen who’d rowed for days and weeks on high seas to reach this specific spot, staying for months to catch, dry, store and sell their cod. Renata Johansen, born and raised in the village, puts it better. “Every January to March theskreihas been coming down from the northern sea with his girlfriend to find the marriage bed with the perfect temperature for making babies,” she says. “What was irresistible for the fish was irresistible for the fishermen, too.” Plate expectationsJohansen is the front-of-house manager for what Nusfjord is now, which is still what you want on reaching a haven but in a very different way: a beautiful resort in which the rooms are calm, luxurious revamps of those old cabins and the administrative office for the weighing and selling of fish is now the very fine Restaurant Karoline. The rest of the village offers a swoon-inducing on-site bakery, thelandhandlerietshop and café for sandwiches, coffee and local crafts, an art gallery patronised by Norway’s Queen Sonja, a museum, a pub-and-pizza joint and a sauna that’s best enjoyed after a jump in the bloody freezing sea. It’ll toughen you up but not to the point that you’ll be like Johansen or one of her family. “Growing up here, the only child labour that was allowed in Norway is cutting the tongue out of the cod’s head. I bought myself a nice boat and a big motor with the money but we don’t offer it as an activity here for guests nowadays,” she says with a chuckle. Hitting the sweet spotWe’re soon out on the water – high above the cod – with Fred Ravneberg, Nusfjord’s general manager, his big laugh, a couple more members of his team and Caroline Krefting, whose family own Nusfjord. “In fact most of what you can see – even the mountain,” she says, with a smile that’s both proud and shy of any boastfulness. We’re out on the RIB boat for a tour that’ll take in the incredible sea eagles that nest and hunt around the bay and the Nusfjord estate’s small, private island with its very own small, private house, whose nickname seems to have stuck on the resort’s official literature: The Isolated Fisherman. But first, why get there slowly when you can rip around on that twin-engine RIB? A boat in the shape of a waterski and which appears to have been designed – and certainly today piloted – with the same thrills and spills in mind. It’s fast as hell and loves to get airborne off the waves. Lifejackets are hugged as the cold spray rains down. Greater still is the pure animal buzz of the big birds; the pair of sea eagles riding high on the updrafts above us, before swooping down on the waves to snatch a talon-full of what might well have been the leftovers of my fish. On we bounce and fly and bounce. The eagles regard us with a patient eye, then turn on their tail feathers for home and their young.In the swim of thingsView of the fjordSalteriet Galleri NusfjordCall of the wildArtisanal goods“We started this adventure eight years ago and now I feel both very grateful and very proud,” says Krefting. She is smiling into the sun’s dazzle as it dances off the sea, through the island pines and sitting room windows of the cosy cottage that, in June at least, does little justice to the name of The Isolated Fisherman. “Being here gives me a new perspective on life every time,” says Krefting. “In January we were skiing up on the mountain with wild views at 1,000 metres; where else can you see the sea from a mountaintop and almost ski down to it? And now we’re here right next to that sea and it’s another experience, to do with the season and the weather and the magic of this place.” Drinks at Oriana KroAfter the Krefting family bought Nusfjord, Caroline and her mother-in-law have ensured the accommodation and resort-wide fixtures and fittings have gone from a cheap-ish hotel-standard approach that made nothing of the cabins’ original layouts to a high-quality, low-volume, classily reserved Nordic style – all quiet luxury, cool and calm. Nusfjord, despite not having a road until the 1950s (it’s the sort of perfectly preserved picture of a place that you might stamp on a Norwegian biscuit-tin), had been inundated with camera-wielding coach-trips until the rethink and refurb. Now the village is still open for people to have a look and a coffee and poke about but some subtle yet firm pressure has helped bid the coachesadjø. There seems to be an honesty and a tenderness to the relationship between Krefting and, for example, Nusfjord-born Johansen’s family. Krefting talks of the “great warmth, great stories, great laughs” that go with the territory here and that she feels fortunate to have been involved with. “We also just had this goal which is about authentic experiences,” she says, “and that you don’t need to choose between comfort and nature – I hope we’ve woven both together here.”Cosy accommodationPeak performanceFlying highSerene watersThe weaving has indeed wrought a happy tapestry. Nusfjord’s village-first, hotel-later atmosphere is achieved through the open-air museum style of the resort but also by the charming staff, almost all of whom live here. Of course Nusfjord’s Nordic spa boasts a suite of treatments but maybe it expects you to have also broken a sweat outside of its sauna. Anyone for an adventure?“Haha! You’re in!” says Ravneberg, big laugh on full beam, on our fishing trip aboardElltor, the resort’s handsome boat. “Now wind him in, nice and smooth.” Out of the mill-pond-still of Nusfjord’s bay, we’re reeling again on the swells of the Norwegian Sea. A light breakfast seemed a wise choice: eyes on the horizon, breathe through your nose and focus on being flattered as a half-decent fisherman by a man who knows more than you about the ways of cod, coalfish, hake and halibut – and not because they were presented on a bed of samphire under Restaurant Karoline’s candlelight last night. There’s some angling banter about how I must have got lucky last night to be so lucky with the rod this morning, which we’ll let fly away on the Arctic breeze. Suffice to say, a respectful haul was had. Gutted, cleaned and into the ice they go, in order to be delivered to a beaming chef on dry land later. Fish soup, sir, caught by yourself? Ooh,ja vennligst.Lunch with a view of the surroundsWarmth in the wild at Nusfjord SpaFamily prideThe nature is really the thing. For all the laid-on activities, as lively or contemplative as they might be, the best thing photographer Ivar and I did was walk to the summit of the huge hill that looks over the village. It’s a decent hike, complete with knee-deep June snow in parts. The reward is the view at the top, the beer at the bottom and the kinship of walking together. Dinner at Restaurant Karoline – mostly fished, reared or grown nearby – was manna, a rum nightcap was nectar and the cabin and the bed – just right, just perfect – were heaven. That and the journey because you may well have come a long way but phew: you have arrived.nusfjordarcticresort.comWhat to packYou’ll want to indulge in all things Nusfjord on your trip, and that means dressing for the Nordic summer during the year’s middle months and being ready for almost anything for the rest of the year. The summer in Nusfjord typically means 10C to 15C but it can easily get up to 20C or dip into single figures when the wind has an edge. Take a bathing costume for the hot tub and a dip in the Arctic Sea (the sauna at Nusfjord is also swimmers-on); waterproof hiking boots; and a good rain jacket and hiking trousers (not the swishy kind, for the sake of Odin’s beard). And pack an eye mask: 24-hour sunlight can be as maddening as it is intriguing.What to seeThe Lofoten archipelago is a place of jaw-dropping beauty. Leknes, where we landed, would be a good spot to hire a car or you may wish to start further east into Norway to drive the length of the snaking peninsula, to end at the western tip and the succinctly-named Å. Along the route you’ll see many stunning beaches where you might do a double-take at the sight of plucky surfers in inch-thick wetsuits. Unstad beach is a popular spot to watch before getting a lesson courtesy of the Lofoten Surfsenter, where “Jack Frost”, the Lebowski-like local guru and proprietor, will regale you with tales of surfing among the ice floes in winter.Three books to get you in the mood‘A Woman in the Polar Night’byChristiane RitterThe 1930s memoir of an Austrian woman who left urban comforts behind to live with her explorer husband for a year in a shack in Arctic Spitsbergen. This classic of travel-writing witnesses months of near madness before her conversion to the Arctic’s lunar beauty.‘The Ice Palace’byTarjei VesaasA strange and allegorical coming-of-age tale about two girls on the brink of becoming young women in postwar rural Norway. Are Siss and Unn separate girls or halves of the same character? A sharp shock of powerful storytelling – the equivalent of a psychological ice-bath.‘Kon Tiki Man’byThor HeyerdahlThis is about the late, great Norwegian explorer and ethnographer rather than about his home country but there is much of the Nordic temperament in Heyerdahl’s unfussy prose. It describes an 8,000km cross-Pacific odyssey that he undertook on a hand-built raft in 1947.
In the summer of 2007, Monocle launched its inaugural Quality of Life Survey as we searched for the best cities in the world to call home. Though other city-ranking indexes existed, we felt that they came to some poor conclusions. Had their compilers, we wondered, ever looked up from their spreadsheets of metrics to ask a few simple questions: is this city, which sounds good on paper, a fun place to live? Is it accepting of outsiders? Can you go to a bar at 01.00? Is it easy and pleasant to get around by foot, tram or bicycle? We were suspicious that the authors of these reports, well-meaning statisticians, hadn’t visited all of the cities that they lauded. So we saw an opportunity to create a survey that homed in on true liveability – what it was really like to reside in a place. Yes, we would gather statistics but we would also ask our network of correspondents and editors to tell us what was really happening in their hometowns.Not surprisingly, some cities have always flourished in our survey – often medium-sized metropilses that have invested wisely in infrastructure for generations, have nature on their side and sit in wealthy nations. So, this year, we wanted to put more cities in the spotlight – places that might struggle to get to the front of the pack if you take in every data point but are clear winners when you consider one key metric. I won’t spoil all of the fun here but for 2025 we have chosen 10 winners – yes, we have an overall champion but also nine more cities that deserve to be garlanded for their safe streets (without having your every move watched on CCTV), start-up culture and nightlife. Congratulations to all of the upstarts that made the podium this year.While we’re on the topic of Quality of Life, are you coming to our annual conference on this very subject? It’s taking place in Barcelona from Thursday 4 to Saturday 6 September. There’s a welcome reception on the first day, followed by a day of talks and panels looking at how we can improve our cities, retail, hospitality and the world of work – and a fun dinner that night. Then, for the final day, after breakfast, we have organised trips to ateliers, galleries and more, all with special access. There’ll be no lanyards; you’ll be looked after by Monocle staff; and, by the end of the event, you will have met numerous people with ambitious ideas and great perspectives on the world. You can sign up atmonocle.com/eventsor email my colleague – and head of events – Hannah Grundy athg@monocle.com.In 2023 we organised another one of our talk series, The Weekender, in Asheville, North Carolina. We had a great few days exploring the city as we met chefs, campaigners and ceramicists, and we had a pop-up shop at Citizen Vinyl. Being in this lush outpost in the Blue Ridge Mountains was a special experience. It’s why last September’s news that whole parts of the city had been washed away in the floods that followed Hurricane Helene really hit home at Monocle. For this issue, Alexis Self visited the city to see how it has responded and how the determination of people to rebuild has come to the fore, even as huge challenges remain. Perhaps that’s something else we should evaluate when creating our city survey: the ability of a community to come together, to find common purpose.This being summer – in the northern hemisphere, at least – we have also ensured that this issue has plenty of moments of pure joy. We have dedicated our Expo to 21 things to make your summer pop (from the perfect sliders to the best outdoor cinema) and, in our culture pages, have compiled a sunny checklist of music, books and films to entertain you on your poolside lounger.And there’s one final story, also in culture, that’s important to highlight: our report on kiosks. Magazines such as Monocle only thrive in cities that care about having an informed and entertained citizenry. It’s painful to watch as city halls hand the licences for their kiosks to people who just want to use them to sell soft drinks. The reason why kiosks fail is that they don’t have inspirational owners. If you don’t believe me, meet the people who keep their city’s kiosks thriving. We need these media stars.Finally, thank you for reading Monocle – whether purchased from a newsstand or as a subscriber (well, you do get a discount on your conference ticket). As always, feel free to drop me an email –at@monocle.com– with ideas, feedback or just your Barcelona confirmation.
With its four “fingers” stretching out into the Aegean, the Peloponnese is a defining part of Greece’s geography: its hand-like shape helps to make the country’s outline immediately recognisable on a map. Yet its shores have long been under-explored by those international visitors who, after landing in Athens, hop straight onto a ferry bound for one of the country’s islands. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this largely unspoilt area has instead served as the setting of many a Greek childhood summer – and, in recent years, it has been luring back nostalgic domestic entrepreneurs seeking to give it a well-deserved update.The Mple Kanarini restaurant in KalamataThe drive from Athens to Corinth, which sits on one side of the isthmus dividing the mainland from this sizeable peninsula, is only an hour long. But the scenery soon becomes more rural and the roads wilder. Most will know this territory as the home of Sparta, the much mythologised rival to Athens in antiquity. But the Peloponnese’s role in Greek history begins long before that, as the seat of the Mycenian civilisation during the last phase of the Bronze Age. Many cities that signify Greekness abroad can be found here, including Olympia, the birthplace of world’s most renowned sporting event, and Kalamata, known for its olives.Fresh catch at Porto HeliDining at the Kinsterna Hotel in MonemvasiaWhile many who head to the Cyclades relish the chance to avoid driving on holiday, the Peloponnese rewards an old-school roadtrip approach. You’ll have to get behind the wheel to reach some of the remote villages and thick pine forests, which later descend into semi-deserted coves.Outside the Patrick Leigh Fermor HouseView from Lela’s Taverna in KardamiliThe region is a combination of starkly different terrains. You can start your day in the mountainous wilderness of Arcadia and soon be scattering your towel on the pebbly shores of the Argolic Gulf. The Mani peninsula, the Peloponnese’s middle finger, is said to have the area’s most spectacularly crystalline waters. Though grand hotels clinging on to steep hills can make for dramatic accommodation options, this is a place of rustic guesthouses, where the sun filters through olive groves and afternoons are soundtracked by the hypnotic buzz of cicadas. Lunches at old-school tavernas are practically mandatory, though many ambitious chefs are rethinking the region’s traditional fare. Here is our pick of the essential stop-offs to explore.Room at the Opora hotelKonstantinos Markidis, owner of the Opora Country Living hotelStay: Kinsterna Hotel, MonemvasiaThis hotel near the town of Monemvasia is housed in a 17th-century mansion that looks out to the Aegean. The surrounding farm, vineyard and olive groves supply the kitchen with oil, wine and fresh produce.kinsternahotel.grStay: Opora Country Living, NafplioOwner Konstantinos Markidis decided to renovate his family’s traditional stone farmhouse in 2015. Tucked away in the hills, this guesthouse has a handful of self-contained rooms, as well as a delightful pool.oporacountryliving.comStay: Amanzoe, Porto HeliHigh up on a hill on the Argolis peninsula, this Aman property is designed with Hellenic simplicity in mind. Made up of marble-clad villas and column-lined, Parthenon-like pavilions, it nods aesthetically to the Acropolis and its temples.aman.comStay: Laspi, PefkaliA brutalist-inspired construction made up of two villas on a hillside on the northern Peloponnese coastline. Inside, the raw concrete is balanced out by warm interiors.laspi.lifeEat: Mple Kanarini, KalamataAfter a stint working abroad, chef Konstantinos Vasiliadis returned to his hometown of Kalamata to celebrate the bounty of the southern Peloponnese. Signature dishes, such as stuffed courgette flowers in tomato sauce, reimagine traditional staples.Kritis 34, KalamataEat: Lela’s Taverna, KardamiliGiorgos Giannakeas has been running this restaurant alongside his brother since taking over from their mother, Lela, who established it in 1983. The menu now offers more contemporary options but the taverna’s spirit of easy hospitality has not changed.lelastaverna.comSpa: Euphoria Retreat, MystrasThe region’s celebrated Byzantine churches provided inspiration for the centrepiece of this spa resort: a cave-like thermal pool painted in shades of blue and green.euphoriaretreat.comGetting here: Though the cities of Kalamata and Patras have airports, Athens is far better connected. The drive from Attica can become part of a well-planned roadtrip.
1.Pulso HotelSão PauloBar at PulsoSão Paulo, Brazil’s most sprawling metropolis, is the heartbeat of the nation – which is why Otávio Suriani decided to name his latest hotel in the city Pulso. “It’s a word that’s linked to music and movement, both things that we want to bring to the hotel,” he says. Designed by architect Arthur Casas, Pulso sits on the border between the Faria Lima financial district and the buzzy Pinheiros district. It offers 52 apartments and five suites, all dressed in elegant neutral tones. “Casas designed the entire complex, from the façade to the small details on the lamps,” says Suriani.Pulso pays tribute to two of the city’s biggest strengths: nightlife and food. Chef Charlô Whately oversees the hotel’s Restaurante Charlô and Boulangerie Cha Cha, the latter of which is part bakery, part deli. “This is a city that never sleeps,” says Suriani. “Our nightlife is crazy.” You can experience it for yourself at Pulso’s Bar Sarau, which is always ready to welcome those craving a nightcap and some intoxicating bossa nova.pulsohotel.com2.YoruyaKurashikiCentury-old exteriorsThe city of Kurashiki in western Japan has long attracted enthusiasts of folk arts and crafts – it’s home to the Kurashiki Mingeikan, a museum dedicated to the subject – but it also has plenty to offer for those with more contemporary tastes. Fans of modernism will want to visit the Kurashiki City Art Museum, designed by Kenzo Tange, one of Japan’s great postwar architects. Day trippers, meanwhile, come to see the old buildings and tree-lined waterways. Until recently, however, anyone wanting to stay overnight would have struggled to find accommodation to match the surroundings. Now they have somewhere that fits the bill: Yoruya, a 13-room inn in a sensitively converted and extended former kimono merchant’s residence.The century-old building’s original exterior has been retained, with a simple lantern above the door. Inside, the layout has been designed to mimic the traditional narrow streets known ashiyasaithat are a distinctive feature of Kurashiki’s historic centre. Tokyo-based studio Simplicity has brought its signature modern craft style to the interiors – think white plastered walls, well-chosen Japanese prints and art books. The rooms couldn’t be more serene, with low mattresses, cotton pyjamas and baths that are open to the elements.Minimalist interiors by Simplicity studioThe operations team, Naru Developments, is led by hoteliers Yuta Oka and Fumitomo Hayase. They’ll be familiar to anyone who has stayed at Tokyo’s Hotel K5 or Onomichi’s Azumi Setoda. Dinner in Yoruya’s counter restaurant centres on local produce: chef Fumio Niimi prepares anomakasedinner that features such delicacies as clam cooked in a whole yuzu fruit and Okayama Nagi beef. Yoruya’s invitingly low-lit bar is open to non-residents; it’s well worth stopping in for a glass of wine or a local saké. Breakfast, best taken in the garden with its flowering crepe myrtle tree, is another treat. Expect fresh sesame tofu, grilledmamakarisardines (a regional speciality) and the chef’s homemade Japanese grape jelly. It’s a perfect start to the day before you hit Kurashiki’s streets to explore the city’s many cultural and historic delights.yoruya-kurashiki.com3.Hôtel DalilaParisStroll through Montmartre and you’re almost certain to spot a few flowers hanging from residents’ balconies. The recently opened Hôtel Dalila in Paris’s 18th arrondissement is fittingly floral. Its 49 rooms, breakfast area and workspaces were conceived by Bordeaux-based Giovanna de Bosredon (pictured) of Auguri Studio, who designed the seven-floor hotel to resemble a comfortably lived-in Paris apartment.“Our work here was a combination of architecture, interior design and curating vintage pieces,” says De Bosredon. “Inside the hotel, the chequered tiles and caning are in Montmartre’s colour palettes: the green of its squares, the red of the wine and the orange of the famous Lapin-Agile cabaret.” Among the vintage pieces are a bistro bar made from zinc and metal lamps by French architect and designer Charlotte Perriand.This mishmash of old-school elements is complemented by more modern Hay sconces, bold carpet colours and metal furniture that echoes the seats found in public parks. The finishing touch? A view of the Basilique du Sacré Coeur. Hôtel Dalila is a true neighbourhood gem. Bravo!hoteldalila.com
In its decades-long reign as the Salone del Mobile’s unofficial watering hole, Bar Basso has been where the design world gets drunk. Opened in 1933, it has been managed since 1967 by the Stocchetto family, who introduced Milan to cocktail hour. Its owner, Maurizio Stocchetto, can often be found at the bar, cheerfully recounting the area’s history. Bar Basso is a neighbourhood institution but, for a week in April, it also becomes the go-to social hub for an international set of designers. Here’s how this bar on Via Plinio became Milan’s centre of gravity during Design Week.1960s:Bar Basso passed from its founder, Giuseppe Basso, to bartenders Mirko Stocchetto and Renato Hausammann in 1967. Originally from Venice, the duo had cut their teeth behind the bar of Hotel de la Poste in Cortina and were intent on introducing cocktail culture to Milan.1970s:The bar has always adhered to old-school bartending methods: drinks are measured out by eye. While mixing a negroni in the late 1970s, Mirko poured in prosecco instead of gin. Thus the negroni sbagliato (“wrong negroni”) was born. Mirko also designed a supersized goblet for the cocktail, the 33cm-tallbicchierone. It was later licensed for production by Germany’s WMF.1990s:When Jasper Morrison and James Irvine started designing furniture for Cappellini, the two designers often stayed at Irvine’s flat in Milan and drove to and from the factory in Brianza. “On the way there, we would stop for coffee at Bar Basso; on the way back, we’d stop for an aperitivo,” says Morrison. They befriended Mirko’s son Maurizio, who allowed them to organise parties there during Salone. When Bar Basso acquired a late licence, these became open to everyone. A turning point was when the friends started issuing drink tokens as invitations. “They were popular as you could hand them over to the barman without having to queue to pay,” says Morrison.Bar Basso2010s:In partnership withToiletpapermagazine, artist Maurizio Cattelan threw a party at an unglamorous, Chinese-owned bar across the roundabout from Bar Basso, dubbing it Lo Sbagliato. Today it’s known as Caffé degli Artisti but Cattelan’s art works are still above the bar. Bar Basso, meanwhile, received a touch-up in 2016 by Valentina Ciuffi, who had just started her creative agency Studio Vedèt (and now runs Milan Design Week showcase Alcova). “I lived down the street and frequented the bar, and I had the idea that I’d make a website for it,” says Ciuffi. “Maurizio was sceptical of anything digital. It took one, two, maybe three aperitivos for him to agree.” Onbarbasso.com, Studio Vedèt has organised exhibitions dedicated to the venue’s regulars, cocktails, staff and eclectic signage.2020s:The unofficial house bar of the Salone del Mobile has now become a brand in itself, hosting Design Week events. In 2022, Bar Basso teamed up with Berlin-based lifestyle brand Highsnobiety on a line of merchandise and the bar has even had a pop-up in Berlin. Bar Basso itself, however, remains happily frozen in time, with its walnut panelling and chandeliers unchanged since the 1960s. “It makes you reflect on our profession,” says regular Marcel Wanders. “Designers talk about changing everything but, at the end of the day, we want to sit down at a place that hasn’t changed in 80 years.”
Tucked behind a red velvet rope in an inky side room off the main lobby, Le Bristol After Dark is delightfully unexpected – as if stumbling into a secret speakeasy in a palace. The nightclub stands in stark contrast to the famed 100-year-old hotel entrance – a grand space with ornate chandeliers, plush fringed couches and a painting of Marie Antoinette. In comparison, the club is lit with pink-and-purple neon lights, disco balls shining overhead. Partygoers sip Ruinart champagne and DJs spin disco and lounge tracks until the early hours of the morning. The perfect balance of tradition and trend is what allows Le Bristol to maintain its reputation as one of Paris’s most legendary hotels. Set in an historic building and a hop away from Parisian icons such as Palais Garnier and the Tuileries Garden, the iconic property has hosted everyone from Coco Chanel to Elsa Schiaparelli and Salvador Dalí. Now celebrating its centennial, Monocle meets president and managing director Luca Allegri to discuss how the hotel maintains its relevance in an ever-evolving hospitality landscape. Head in the game: Luca Allegri100 years of business is no easy feat. How do you stay timeless in a world that’s moving so quickly? We try to surprise our guests with new ideas – art, for example. [American contemporary artist] George Condo, a longtime guest, collaborated with us on the renovation of the Imperial Suite. We asked whether he could leave a small piece of art with us when the suite was ready. We have also hosted a pop-up with Gabriela Hearst, who has been staying with us since she was at Chloé. When she launched her own brand [10 years ago], we began a partnership with a retail installation. [Now, a decade later, another pop-up has been launched in a space created by Benji Gavron and Antoine Dumas of Gavron Dumas Studio.] There are some clients who only come to the hotel for Le Bristol After Dark. [The club] is a way for us to show that, while we have been around for a century, we are also contemporary. How do you maintain a strong heritage aesthetic while always offering something new?The owners are heavily involved in decorating the hotel, which allows them to preserve its DNA while bringing some novel elements to the style. We are very privileged to have plenty of space, which has enabled us to increase the number of junior suites and bathrooms (two per suite). After speaking to our clients, we learned that this was what they wanted the most.Out in front: Le Bristol’s façadeOff the wall: The hotel’s lobby(Image: Claire Cocano)Window of opportunity: Striped awnings offer shadeWhat kind of experience do you want to create for your guests?A distinctly Parisian one. We are located in the heart of a neighbourhood with the most popular galleries and attractions in Paris, so we also attract the city’s residents with our food-and-beverage offerings. We have launched our own in-house bakery with a mill in the basement, where we produce our own flour for bread. We now have a chocolate factory, pasta-making facilities and a cellar too, [which is] likely the largest wine cellar of all the Parisian palace hotels. It’s about giving guests a unique experience with a level of personalisation that they won’t find elsewhere.We want to give our visitors an incredible experience not only in Paris but throughout the rest of France as well. I’m the son of a concierge, so I understand firsthand how crucial this role can be. Interacting with clients and creating meaningful moments are the most important aspects of our jobs. On Wednesday afternoons, we host cocktail parties where we invite some of our frequent guests to meet different team members, such as the concierge, the guest relations or the rooms divisions [managers]. They mingle and meet other clients too – sometimes they even become friends. How are you managing your staff and their experiences in a way that might differ to other notable hotels? Leading by example is very important. We have members of staff that have been with us for 30 to 40 years. When employees reach a milestone – such as 20 or 30 years of service – we invite them to celebrate by bringing their family to the hotel or organising a party. We’re a family-run business, so we like to give [the staff] a sense of belonging and community. Le Bristol is not just a hotel or home for the owners – it’s also a home for the staff. How have you adapted to changes in guest preferences to ensure the hotel’s continued relevance?Some 30 to 35 per cent of our clients are returning guests and we want to show them that their future stays are as important as their past stays. For example, we have a family from New York that has been staying in the same suite for the past 25 years. To show them how much we appreciate their loyalty, we approached them during the renovation of the suite to share the plans with them. We then designed the layout of the room together and they changed the placement of the bed. For us, adapting is a way of honouring such loyalty.
It began as a whisper, an intriguing proposition. As interest surged, it grew to a chorus chanted from London to Los Angeles: “Visit Albania!” “It’s like the Cayman Islands but in Europe!” “It’s like Greece but half the price!” “The waters are as blue and warm as the Caribbean Sea itself!” The Balkan nation is now, according to the chatter, the place to go to enjoy a sun-drenched, beachside European getaway with an aura of post-communist exoticism. To verify these claims, Monocle set out for the 120km-long southern stretch of coastline dubbed the Albanian Riviera (no doubt by a marketing-savvy clerk at the National Tourism Agency with a penchant for chic suffixes).One of the easiest ways to access the southern tip of Albania is to board a ferry from Corfu or the Puglian city of Bari and cross the sea to Sarandë, a port town with pizzerias, cocktail bars and gelaterias that line its tidy promenade. Here, vendors in canopied stalls hawk carved wooden goods and football shirts to passers-by. The mountains that cradle the bay heave with hotels and apartment blocks featuring sea-facing balconies. Sarandë’s main draw is its convenience as a launchpad for the rest of the region. Turn right from the port to go south or left to go north. A further 20-minute drive will bring you to a rocky beach with velvety blue waters.Child’s playHaving a ballZoe Hora hotel in DhërmiRoad through the Ceraunian mountainsAs we pick up our rental car, our friendly lessor tells Marco Argüello (Monocle’s Athens-based photographer) that he can pay in full at the end of our visit. “And if you don’t, the police will find you very easily,” he adds with a smile as he waves us off.The south of the riviera, especially the town of Ksamil, has absorbed much of the surge in tourism in recent years. It’s easy to see why. The craggy, arid landscape harbours beaches rendered in oversaturated tones. Jetsetters abound; British-Albanian singer Dua Lipa has often stayed in a villa within the luxurious Kep Merli resort. As we wind our way down the coast, painted wooden signs advertise beach clubs with names like Bora Bora, Puerto Rico, Blue Diamond, Paradise and, more mystifyingly, Greg.By the water, the white drapery of cabanas-for-hire billow and straw umbrellas shade loungers, the pulsating sounds of Europop anthems dominating the airwaves. Fruit sellers rove the pristine beaches with trays of cherries, grapes, figs and fried dough. “I’ve come here to escape the crowds in Italy but still experience something you might find in Puglia or even Greece,” says Giuseppe, an Italian holidaymaker sporting Speedos, a Panama hat and an iridescent sheen of sunscreen. Going by snippets overheard, it seems that most people hail from Giuseppe’s home country. However, there is a fair degree of English, Dutch, German, French, Danish, Russian and Portuguese representation too. On Pulëbardha bay, we meet a British couple in their sixties who say that they have been pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the Albanian coast. Overall, the mood is upbeat. Tanning sessions are interrupted for leisurely lunches of grilled fish, mussels and bottles of Korça, the local beer with labels featuring buxom Balkan women.`Canoodles in KsamilFresh seafood at Pulëbardha bayElena Bardhi, co-founder of MoyoSculptural feature at MoyoConstruction has noticeably surged to meet the infrastructure demands of the Albanian Riviera’s newfound popularity. “Albania is developing a lot,” says Elena Bardhi, co-owner of the Moyo beach club on Drymades beach. “There is new investment coming in and it’s changing year-to-year.” Once a haven for hippies who would spend summers camping there, Drymades now exemplifies the wave of beach clubs and resorts crashing down on these once-virginal seafronts. But Bardhi cites the welcome arrival of the new Llogara tunnel, a government-funded project that opened in July 2024. The former 30-minute journey over the Ceraunian mountain range, travelling from Dukat to Palasë, has been shaved to seven minutes. Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama, is also pushing for a new airport in Vlorë to improve access to the south. “We need to cherish and protect the land but we’re also trying to put Albania on the map,” says Bardhi. “In five years, everything will be closer to being finished.”Since founding Moyo in 2022 with her husband Julian Zguro – the chef behind popular Tirana restaurant Tribe – Bardhi has overseen the beach club, which includes two restaurants, a yoga studio, a spa and a shop that stocks clothes and jewellery made by local artisans. She also organises events throughout the summer every year to attract lively crowds. But while Bardhi is eager to expand Moyo’s reach by hosting international DJs, she is conscious of safekeeping Albanian culture too; line-ups are spliced with local iso-polyphony singing (the Unesco-protected style of folk music). “We implement an Albanian vibe because we’re here, on this beautiful sea with the mountains directly behind us,” she says. “It’s magical.”It’s true. For those not in a rush, taking the scenic route through the mountains is a rewarding experience. Olive groves mingle with sprays of lavender, sage and bougainvillea. The occasional mushroom-shaped concrete bunker is a reminder of Albania’s Stalinist leader Enver Hoxha’s rule from 1944 to 1985: paranoid about an invasion, he commissioned the construction of more than 750,000 of these bunkers that, ultimately, were never used. Today, herds of brown horses and their foals graze past them. Roadside vendors sell dried sage and rose petals, fresh plums, fig jam, honey and olive oil in repurposed plastic bottles and jars – often displayed on chintzy floral blankets. In the mountains, the sound of cicadas is constant when it’s not being drowned out by the intoxicating riffs of Balkan pop coming from the car radio.The south of the country still struggles with the rural exodus that took place in the wake of Hoxha’s rule. (The Albanian diaspora is estimated to be about 1.2 million people; the national population is currently 2.4 million.) But the emergence of the coastline as a tourism destination has seen many people of Albanian descent return to the country for a holiday or to find work during the summer season. For example, Moyo’s friendly Albanian shopkeeper Jehona Shabani is usually based in Stockholm. And we meet Noel Çani in Qeparo at his family’s seven-bedroom hotel, Kshira Oasis; he now lives in Rome but returns to Albania every summer to help his parents run the business. “My friends in Italy all say that they want to come to Albania now,” says Çani. “When I was growing up, everyone here wanted to leave because of the economy,” he adds with a perfectly executed Balkan shrug.Leah Whitman-Salkin (second from the left) with her mother, Frankie, and Saturnit friends and co-founders, including Ervjola Selenica and Raphael WolfEven non-Albanians are setting up their own ventures on the riviera. In the laidback seaside town of Himarë, we meet for a final sundowner with Mexico City-based Leah Whitman-Salkin. With her partner, chef Raphael Wolf, and friend Ervjola Selenica, she opened restaurant and bar Plazhi i Saturnit as a summer project. Prior to Mexico, Whitman-Salkin lived and worked for six years as a book editor in Tirana. There, she opened a bookshop, started a feminist reading group and curated the Albanian pavilion at the 2016 Venice Architecture Biennale. “Going to the coast in the summer was a very important part of my life in Albania,” she says over a glass of orange wine. “Being here holds a lot of meaning. We all had this fantasy of bringing people together at a beach bar. We’re a hotchpotch crew but it’s been amazing. We’ve had friends come from Tirana and Pristina but also Mexico.”Wolf is busy in the kitchen preparing today’s menu: fried potatoes with sage foraged that morning, caponata and pink shrimp crudo in plum water. This evening, his sous-chef is Whitman-Salkin’s mother, Frankie. “We work with three different local fishermen to source all of the seafood,” says Whitman-Salkin. “It’s fusion food in the sense that we’re all designing the menu together and we come from different backgrounds. Raphael trained in New York but has also worked in Tokyo and Mexico City.”As we dig in, the sky glows orange and beachgoers begin to pack up their lilos and parasols. It’s true what they say: you should visit Albania. But it’s not Italy, Greece nor anywhere in the Caribbean Sea – and that’s a good thing. It has a charm of its own.Taking flightPost-beach catch-upThe Albanian Riviera address bookStay: Zoe HoraPerched in the hills overlooking the village of Dhërmi, Zoe Hora is an upmarket hotel that offers rooms and villas within its stone-walled premises. Stay here to enjoy breakfast by the pool and an evening aperitivo, while taking in a view of the sea from a roof terrace.zoehora.comEat: Taverna StolisThe Albanian Riviera’s proximity to Greece can be felt in the abundance of tavernas offering fresh fish, grilled vegetables and baked dishes such as moussaka. Our favourite is Taverna Stolis in Himarë, set within the peaceful confines of an olive grove. Make sure to round off the meal with a shot of the homemade raki, brewed in a bottle that also contains a wooden cross.+355 69 283 3993Arjan Stoli, founder of Taverna StolisDrink: Moyo Beach ClubLocated on the far southern end of Drymades beach, Moyo Beach Club attracts a well-heeled crowd. After a day spent catching waves in the Ionian Sea, we recommend settling in here for the evening with a margarita and small plates of lobster ceviche, tuna tartare and bruschetta.moyo.alSee: Zvërnec MonasteryLocated north of the pine-tree forests of Vlorë, on an island in the Narta Lagoon, you will find this 14th-century Byzantine monastery. Inside, the paintings and intricate woodwork are well-preserved examples of Balkan art history. If you’re lucky, you might even see some flamingoes in the lagoon.Shop: Abaia Winery&VineyardAlbania’s wine scene is on the rise, with wineries improving the local stock. Make a pit stop at the Abaia Winery&Vineyard near Durrës to pick up some bottles of Shesh i Bardhë white and some local virgin olive oil to take home.abaiawinery.alSwim: Gjipe beachA brisk 20-minute hike down a red-dirt trail takes you this beach. Located in a secluded bay surrounded by lush greenery, it’s a hidden gem that is well worth the effort to get there.
Milan-based couple Chiara Pino and Riccardo Ganelli left their jobs in fashion to open Bar Nico in 2023 (they were later joined by their friend Nicolò Terraneo). It has since become a hot spot in their home city’s Acquabella neighbourhood, drawing a loyal crowd with its natural wines and Mediterranean small plates. “We’re not doing anything particularly special here,” says Pino when Monocle joins her and her two business partners for lunch. “Milan just didn’t have a natural-wine scene until a couple of years ago.”That might be true but Bar Nico is flawlessly executed. You’ll find the minimalist space, designed by Milanese practice Sagoma Studio, on the ground floor of a modernist apartment block in a former tyre shop (it was a pasta factory before that). The interior is furnished with Thonet’s bistro chairs, a large aluminium counter and wine shelves. “We serve wines from smaller vineyards in France but also bottles from Italy, Austria and Germany,” says Ganelli, who trained as a sommelier and oversees the selection.Bar Nico’s Afghan hound logoPino, Ganelli and Terraneo at Bar NicoWith Bar Nico, Pino, Ganelli and Terraneo are leaning into Milan’s contemporary side. It’s this milieu that the trio introduce to Monocle on a tour of their hometown. As we prepare to set off, the conversation turns to what makes the city tick. “It takes a little effort to fully appreciate Milan because it’s a secretive place,” says Terraneo. Having guides with local knowledge and packed address books full of reliable trattorias and ice-cream shops certainly helps.Here are the Bar Nico team’s favourite places in the city:1.Trattoria del Nuovo MacelloVia Cesare Lombroso 20“This place brings the heritage of Milanese cuisine up to speed,” says Terraneo, who eats lunch at this trattoria as often as he can. “There’s one man who always calls the restaurant to place his order 10 minutes before the kitchen closes so that it’s ready when he arrives.”trattoriadelnuovomacello.itCounter at Trattoria del Nuovo Macello2.Chiesa di Santa Maria AnnunciataVia Neera 24In this church in the south of Milan you’ll find US minimalist artist Dan Flavin’s final installation. He completed its design two days before he died in 1996. Come here for a moment of quiet contemplation.parrocchiachiesarossa.netInside the Chiesa di Santa Maria Annunciata3.PavéVia Cadore 30 and Via Cesare Battisti 21At its two locations in the city, Pavé serves the best artisanal ice cream. Pino’s rates the almond and amarena cherry flavour highly.pavemilano.comScoop of gelato from Pavé4.Massari Giovanni FioristaPiazza Giuseppe Grandi 24Florist Giovanni Massari sells bouquets with dramatic flair. “I love to drop by and catch up with him,” says Pino, who regularly picks up flowers here.+39 02 7012 6975Florist Giovanni Massari in his shop5.Cinema Godard at Fondazione PradaLargo Isarco 2Movie nights don’t get much more chic than this. The programme at Fondazione Prada’s in-house cinema ranges from classics to buzz-worthy new releases.fondazioneprada.orgFondazione Prada6.PeckVia Spadari 9 and Via Tommaso Salvini 3This small deli chain is a Milanese institution. With two locations in the city (and an outpost in Forte dei Marmi on the Tuscan coast), it has been a reliable one-stop shop for the finest cheeses, cold cuts, wines and pasta since it first opened in 1883.peck.itArancini to start
STAY25Hours Hotel The Oddbird, Senayan, Kebayoran BaruA new addition to Jakarta, 25Hours is conveniently housed on top of the Ashta shopping mall. Indonesia’s take on the expanding Hamburg hotel chain is called The Oddbird and embraces every opportunity to be bold and a bit whimsical. Rooms are equipped with Freitag bags and Schindlehauers bikes.25hours-hotels.comFOOD&DRINKModernhaus, Senopati, Kebayoran BaruModernhaus feels more like an architect’s lounge than a cocktail bar. The mid-century-inspired space by Union Group hums with low-lit warmth, an inviting bar and cocktails from mixologist Mirwansyah “Bule”.+62 817-7233-3368Kaum, Menteng, Central JakartaKaum distils Indonesia’s culinary heritage in an unpretentious experience courtesy of the Potato Head Family. Recipes including lamb drizzled in pickled greens, beef slow-cooked in red lado, and rice laced with green stinky beans, are given a polished edge and sit with inventive new ones.kaum.comScarlett’s House Blok M, Melawai, Kebayoran BaruScarlett’s textural riot of sugary delights was the talk of the town during their time in Pantai Indah Kapuk: patrons started queuing at 09.00 for a slice of its poured tiramisu. Their latest in the vibrant Blok M/Melawai sees the patisserie take on another mantle as a bistro-cum-listening bar.+62 812-9272-1601SHOPArchie, Selong, Kebayoran BaruIn the quieter end of Gunawarman, Archie showcases a curated line of tailorings and ready to-wear pieces from names such as Drake’s and made-to-measure clothes from Flannel Bay and Sartoria Melina. Founder Michael Wong regularly hosts trunk shows, with the latest from Japan’s Lecteur (Yuki Igarashi flew in) and Florence’s Leonardo Simoncini (hosted together with Wong’s other venture Soroi in Panglima Polim). The collaboration pieces with Alden are perfect for Jakarta’s unending summer.archiestore.comSarinah, Gondangdia, MentengJakarta’s oldest department store, first envisioned by Soekarno in the 1960s, is now a dynamic cultural and retail space housing everything local (well, almost). Its post-renovation offering spans from heritage-rich batik ateliers to new homegrown brands alongside an extensive selection of local food and beverages (all worth sampling), while the plaza often holds events and performances.sarinah.co.idSEEROH Projects, Menteng, Central JakartaA maverick gallery that took its permanent space in 2022 in a converted mid-century colonial house on Jalan Surabaya. Notable names it represents include Maruto Ardi, Kei Imazu, Bagus Pandega and art collective Tromarama.rohprojects.netMuseum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Nusantara (MACAN), Kebon JerukMuseum MACAN (founded 2017) is the country’s leading institution for modern and contemporary art with a growing international significance. While it offers a window to the world – bringing in heavyweights such as Chiharu Shiota and Yayoi Kusama – it also brings forward local names through major exhibitions.museummacan.org
A few years ago I had dinner at a trendy, much-hyped Helsinki restaurant and was served a solitary carrot. It was a steamed carrot, cooked to perfection, but with nothing on the side and no sauce. “This ispeakNew Nordic,” I thought, referring to the food movement that belaboured hyperlocal ingredients and elevated long-forgotten and highly esoteric Nordic staples, from wild herbs and foraged berries to obscure mushrooms. At its best, it was brilliant. But it was often a little pretentious.In hindsight that carrot probablywaspeak New Nordic. So influential was the movement that restaurants from Singapore to New York, which had little to do with the cuisine’s roots, described themselves as New Nordic-influenced. Usually, that meant obscure regional ingredients cooked in an ambitious fine-dining style, where plates were presented like abstract art and chefs had an obsession with tweezers and microherbs. Luckily, it seems that the Nordics are beginning to move on. New Nordic food at the influential Noma restaurant in Copenhagen(Photo: Jason Loucas)The Nordic restaurant scene has undergone a profound transformation in recent years. Most of the popular places that have opened in my native Helsinki, such as Maukku, Jason and Mat Distrikt, are casual bistros with chalkboard menus that serve hearty, down-to-earth food, often inspired by either French, Japanese or Italian cuisines. Gone are the days when top restaurants in Stockholm opted for tasteless Swedish truffles instead of their clearly superior counterparts from Piemonte. The decline of New Nordic cuisine is related to the waning popularity of fine dining. It’s a trend across the Western world that is related to both the downturn in our economies and the move towards a more relaxed working culture. But diners have also started to reject New Nordic’s dogmatic and fussy approach to food. With naming names, I have eaten in Michelin-starred New Nordic restaurants where presenting the menu felt more like a lecture than a treat. When a cuisine becomes a movement, it can sometimes lose sight of the basics. Dining out should be a fun and social experience. People like food for its taste, not for its intellectual or philosophical underpinnings. Nolla restaurant, Helsinki(Photos: Emma Ranne, Riikka Katinkoski)My favourite restaurant in Helsinki, Nolla, is case in point. It’s a relaxed bistro with fun and interesting owners who are full of stories and laughter, and the menu is a wonderful mix of Serbian, Finnish, Portuguese and Catalan flavours. It also happens to be a world pioneer in zero-waste cooking, which isn’t even trumpeted on its menus. Why? Because that’s not why people eat in restaurants. Another Helsinki example is French bistro BasBas. It has been voted the city’s most popular restaurant so many times that you now need to book your table weeks in advance. The restaurant floor contains so much energy that your spirits are lifted as soon as you walk through the doors. The menu isn’t conceptual or stuffed with the names of wild herbs that no one knows. Not all of the food comes from within a radius of five kilometres either – and that’s okay because people still eat here.The New Nordic movement had its place and will have its legacy. It put Scandinavia on the culinary map. Copenhagen’s Noma, the epicentre of the movement, was doubtlessly one of the world’s best restaurants for many years. Yet, for all of Noma’s influence, Nordic diners now crave something different – and their appetites are taking them elsewhere. As for me? I’ll skip the carrots for now, thank you.
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The journey from Athens to Zagorohoria is a scenic five-hour drive. The Mediterranean landscape of scrubland and low-slung trees gives way to expanses of cotton fields, while hills carpeted with rich, green pine forests rise in the distance. At roadside stalls, fruit sellers court the business of passing drivers. “How do you know about Zagorohoria?” asks one stallholder as we choose a bunch of sweet grapes from his display.Most travellers head to Greece for its sun-drenched shores and clear waters but in recent years an increasing number of visitors have started to venture further inland. About 80 per cent of Greece’s land is covered by mountains and many people are beginning to discover the country’s high- altitude expanses. The region of Zagorohoria (or Zagori) lies in the Pindus mountain range along the nation’s northwestern border with Albania. The area, with its 46 ancient villages, was recently added to Unesco’s World Heritage list as an “outstanding example of traditional human settlements”.Zagorohoria is best reached via Ioannina, a vibrant university town. We park along the lakefront promenade, where rows of lively tavernas, cheese shops and cafés are filled with students sippingfreddo espressos. Ioannina has a long history of silversmithing, with craftsmen having made intricate buckles, plates and jewellery in the city for more than 400 years. You can still find evidence of this tradition on Averof Street, where shops offer antique artefacts and contemporary takes on old designs. Jeweller Dimitris Zhnas has been making bracelets, necklaces and rings here for more than 30 years. “I also incorporate precious and semi-precious stones into my pieces,” he says.Boat trip on the lake of IoanninaOne of the mustard-yellow houses dotting IoanninaFurther into the city, bazaars overflow with trinkets and cowbells. On one corner we find Telis, a shop famed for its knives and farming tools. “My grandfather opened the shop in this exact location 90 years ago,” says owner Rania Pitenis, who runs the business with her husband, Evangelos Gkogko. “Evangelos makes the knives’ handles from Greek wood,” she says. “And the blades come from a carbon-steel stock first bought by my grandfather.”Ninety-year-old blades from TelisTelis’s creations are prized in restaurants across Greece, from the Peloponnese to the Cyclades, though the workshop remains rooted in Ioannina’s rural heritage. Before the Second World War, Telis was well known for knives. But as others began to import them, Pitenis’s father’s focus shifted to sheep shears. “It is still a big part of our business,” says Pitenis. “Our spring production is dedicated to making tools for shepherds.” Just a five-minute walk from Telis is Select, a bakery that has been serving sweet and savoury pies since 1964. Visitors of all ages line up for freshly madebougatsa– a layered-phyllo pie filled with custard and dusted with cinnamon and icing sugar – andtyropita, a pastry made with feta.As we head back to the car, one of Ioannina’s mosques comes into view. During Ottoman rule, the city was known as Europe’s Eastern gate. After an easy 40-minute drive, we reach Kato Pedina, our first stop in Zagorohoria. “The region enjoyed a degree of autonomy in the Ottoman period,” says hotelier Georgios Kountouris. “The villagers formed an agreement with the pasha, which allowed the area’s unique culture and traditions to flourish.” In 2010, Kountouris and his family relocated to Zagorohoria from Athens and turned their 300-year-old family home into a hotel named Apeiros Chora. It is a striking example of the region’s distinctive architecture, built entirely from stone with a grey-slate roof made to endure the region’s harsh winters. “It took five years to restore the structure to its original state,” says Kountouris. “We were very lucky to find local stone masons to work with.”The fertile farms surrounding Kato Pedina produced much of Zagorohoria’s food during the 18th century, which brought wealth to the area. Schools, carpet-making workshops and embroidery studios thrived. But like many rural Greek villages, it experienced significant emigration after the Second World War. Villagers left for bigger cities in search of work, and mansions fell into ruin. “Traditional ventures such as winemaking, beekeeping and dairy production were no longer financially viable, so repurposing the original mansion into a hotel seemed as though it was the only path forward,” says Kountouris.Owners of Kanela&GaryfalloTourism is now a vital contributor to Zagorohoria’s economy. People with ties to the region are slowly returning to help preserve its cultural, architectural and culinary heritage by opening new businesses. “This is the land of my ancestors,” says Vassilis Katsoupas, who left a career in the environmental field and his life in Canada to open Kanela&Garyfallo, a mushroom-focused restaurant in Vitsa, just 15 minutes from Kato Pedina. Portions are generous and sharing is advised. “You need to study mushrooms carefully; knowing how to distinguish between edible and poisonous species is just as important as knowing how to cook them,” says Katsoupas. When Monocle visits, dishes include crunchy cabbage salad with pomegranate, apple and arbutus honey, and rich risotto with morels, porcini, trumpets and black truffles. “Fungi are so important to the environment here. The truffles are a local delicacy but most of them are exported,” he adds.Back at Apeiros Chora, Kountouris pours us his amber-hued agedtsipouro, a potent Greek spirit, for a nightcap. “The house was lived in until the start of the Second World War. To protect it, my grandfather gave one of the rooms to a priest,” he says, pointing at a religious icon in the lounge. “A relative bought us this icon. We discovered that someone had taken it but returned it to our family after a spell of bad luck. They thought it was cursed,” he adds jokingly. Kountouris suggests visiting a nearby church the next day. “It’s not open to the public but I can get the keys.”Breakfast at Apeiros ChoraGreek welcomeA traditional village in ZagorohoriaIn the morning we follow him down the hill to a small 16th-century chapel. More than 200 churches and monasteries are scattered among Zagorohoria’s villages. Inside this example, intricate frescoes gleam in the dim light. Kountouris gestures to the cupola. “Look, the Greek philosophers,” he says. “Local priests believe that they paved the way for Christianity.”After we leave the fertile, open valley of Kato Pedina, the roads become narrower. We have to slow down as we climb the ribboned route towards the imposing peaks of the Pindus mountains.“For many years, Zagorohoria felt isolated from Greece’s largest cities due to poor road connections,” says Vasilis Iosifidis, owner of Aristi Mountain Resort and Salvia restaurant. Born in Thessaloniki, Iosifidis returned to Greece after living in Germany and now divides his time between his hometown and the small village of Aristi. “I have always been a passionate hiker and the trails here are one-of-a-kind,” he says.Local greens at SalviaThis isolation has shaped Zagorohoria’s culinary traditions. At Salvia, chef Yannis Liokas combines regional ingredients with the resort’s own vegetables. The menu celebrates the region’s flavours with seasonal soups, smoked trout and roasts. The dining room hums with conversations in French, English and Yiddish, reflecting the growing international interest in this once-isolated region. Zagorohoria has many smaller guesthouses but few hotels, with the biggest being the 26-key Aristi Mountain Resort. This is in keeping with the region’s focus on preserving its character and Unesco heritage listing, as well as creating a more intimate and authentic travel experience for visitors.Embroidered pillows at Aristi Mountain Resort“Most of the tourists in the area are Greek but there are also Israelis, Germans, Dutch and French people,” says Chloe Economides of Avragonio hotel. Avragonio is a family affair nestled beneath the imposing 700-metre-high Astraka cliffs in the village of Megalo Papigo. Possibly the region’s best-known towns, Megalo (Big) and Mikro (Small) Papigo embody its charm and have become year-round destinations for curious travellers. The hotel’s suites feature fireplaces, handwoven textiles and sweeping views of Astraka. From here, hiking trails take more adventurous visitors to the bottom of Vikos Gorge, the world’s deepest canyon relative to its width.The climb to Megalo PapigoThe Vikos GorgeWe exit the car just outside the village to begin our exploration on foot. Colourful wooden doors line the cobblestone streets. We take a path suggested by Giorgia, Chloe’s mother, which leads us to rock pools where locals and visitors cool themselves in the refreshing water. This brief adventure leaves us longing for a hearty meal.Papigo is home to numerous restaurants, such as Nikos&Ioulia, which offers sweeping views over the gorge. When we visit, Ioulia warmly describes the day’s offerings: slow-roastedkatsiki, wild greens,briamand a sumptuousportokalopita– appropriate rewards for completing a strenuous hike in the mountains.The next day, breakfast at Avragonio fuels us for the roadtrip to Metsovo, a three-hour drive east of Zagorohoria. As the road from Papigo begins its descent, the towering cliffs of Astraka disappear behind us and the glistening blue-green waters of the Voidomatis river come into view. A few brave tourists stand in the almost-glacial waters, while a rafting boat appears from around a bend in the gorge.Just past Aristi, we veer off the main road, which takes us to a series of famous 18th- and 19th-century stone bridges. Their moss-covered arches – once vital lifelines connecting isolated villages – now stand as silent monuments to the area’s architectural legacy. After a while, the view opens onto the sweeping plains surrounding the Aoos Springs Dam and the landscape transforms into a serene tableau of rolling meadows and still waters.The scent of black pine and damp grass fills the car. Shepherds sit on hillside rocks, their flocks grazing nearby. Their dogs’ protective nail-studded collars signal that we’re in wolf and bear country. We slow several times to allow animals to wander across the road. At various points, a motionless cow needs coaxing out of the way with the help of our horn, while goats stare defiantly at the car and a few sheep, donkeys and tortoises amble past.Grand Forest Metsovo pool“I call it the Greek safari,” says Maria Koulakidou, sales manager at the Grand Forest Metsovo hotel. We are welcomed into the building with hot mountain tea and invited to relax on dark-blue sofas adorned with embroidered pillows in traditional motifs. “You’ll find handmade furniture throughout the hotel, as well as pieces inspired by regional craftsmanship and Greek art,” says co-owner Ellie Barmpagiannis. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame the tranquil valley views. “I always return to the mountains when I want to feel grounded,” says Barmpagiannis. As the day comes to a close, we head to the hotel pool to enjoy a swim and reflect on the path that led us here. Next time you crave an escape, why not follow in the footsteps of the Greeks: venture north and take the road less travelled.Zagorohoria address bookStay: Apeiros ChoraThis boutique hotel is run by the seventh and eighth generations of the Kountouris family. It comprises four rooms and two suites in a restored mansion in the centre of Kato Pedina. Artefacts are on display throughout the house.apeiroschora.grStay: Aristi Mountain Resort&VillasThe largest hotel in the area, with views of the Vikos Gorge. It features a spa, two swimming pools and a restaurant. There is also an exhibition featuring the work of Greek and German artists inside.aristi.euStay: AvragonioThis guesthouse is a restoration of the Economidies’ old family property in Megalo Papigo. The buildings offer unobstructed views of the Astraka cliffs and a fireplace to cosy up beside on winter nights. In summer, you can head to the infinity pool and cocktail bar.avragonio.grEat: Kanela&GaryfalloA mushroom-specialised restaurant in the small village of Vitsa. Its seasonal menu features foraged mushrooms and fresh regional ingredients.kanela-garyfallo.grEat: LithosThis restaurant offers a daily menu, with pairings of organic wines and beers from the region.lithos-dilofo.grDrink: Katogi AveroffIn the brown-bear habitat of Metsovo, Katogi Averoff winery offers tasting tours of lesser-known indigenous grape varieties such as vlachiko, vlachavona, gudaba and pyknoassa. The building is also a museum and testament to the rich history of the area.katogiaveroff.grShop: TelisFounded more than 90 years ago in Ioannina, this shop is now run by Rania Pitenis and her husband, Evangelos Gkogko, who still makes every knife by hand.telisgiannena.grVisit: Rizario Exhibition CenterIn the small village of Monodendri in Zagorohoria, this museum hosts numerous photographic exhibitions of internationally renowned artists with ties to Greece. Showcases focus on Greece’s cultural and craft heritage, featuring work by artists such as Robert McCabe and Nobel Prize-winning writer Giorgos Seferis.rizarios.gr
1.BC05BraunTo keep us on time for our flights and checkouts, we’re turning to theBC05 by Braun, a quartz precision travel clock created by German designer Dietrich Lubs in 1995. This battery-powered, analogue alarm clock provides the essentials while you’re on the road and its protective lid is equipped with a world time chart to help you navigate across time zones. Paired with an otherwise monochrome palette, the red “off” and green “snooze” buttons foster intuitive use and are in keeping with the colour schemes of many other Braun products.With its sleek silhouette and emphasis on functionality, the BC05 exemplifies the kind of utilitarian design that we have come to associate with Braun, pioneered by the German manufacturing company in the 1980s by industrial designer Dieter Rams. Our favourite detail? The quiet clock can leap into action with a crescendo alarm that gradually gets louder, ensuring that even the deepest of sleepers can be roused. Now, that’s what we call sound design.2.Nexpect CoffeeTokyoBarista-turned-businessman Kenji Kojima wanted to get back to doing what he loves best: making coffee. After helping Oslo-based Fuglen to set up in Tokyo, he recently opened Nexpect Coffee in a former newspaper shop on a quiet street in Kodenmacho in Nihonbashi. Customers order and pay on a screen by the counter, freeing baristas to focus on making great coffee.Nexpect even has its own robot mascot, Neku Yukun. “It’s good to be in a new place,” says Kojima, who has moved to the neighbourhood, which he finds a refreshing change from Shibuya. The area is warming up with new shops and restaurants, and many coffee pilgrims are making their way to see what Kojima, a renowned figure in the Tokyo bean scene, is up to. A roasting machine is on order and, if all goes well, this will be the first of several Nexpect coffee shops. nexpect.theshop.jp3.Steinach TownhouseMerano, ItalySet across two buildings in the Steinach neighbourhood of Merano’s historic centre, this hotel is just the right blend of old and new. The 17th-century building was tastefully restored by designer couple Roger Botti and Giulia de Andreis, with an understated colour scheme that includes pistachio-green window shutters.Mid-century pieces such as Le Corbusier’s Marseille lamp are juxtaposed with flashes of Tyrolean culture, including contemporary art from local artists and hand-painted stencil work on traditional wooden furniture (for which South Tyrol is famed). With 11 spacious suites, each with its own bedroom and living room areas, this is the ideal escape from which to launch yourself into winter hikes – or to hit the slopes at the nearby Merano 2000 resort.steinachmeran.com; theaficionados.com4.KaenkrungBangkokThis new spot in west Bangkok has a refreshingly offbeat take on Thai cuisine. Kaenkrung opened in October 2024 with a menu that draws on the flavours of Isan, Thailand’s northeastern province. The converted shophouse on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya river is the second restaurant by Paisarn Cheewinsiriwat and Kanyarat “Jib” Thanomseang. The two chefs have drawn crowds with their first site, Kaen, a culinary destination in Khon Kaen, one of the largest cities in Isan. At Kaenkrung, the pair bring their signature dishes and a playlist of funky, folkymor lammusic to the capital (Krung thepis slang for Bangkok).“We want to create contemporary regional cuisine that embraces local ingredients and traditional cooking techniques,” says Cheewinsiriwat, an Isan native and former executive chef at Chiva-Som health resort. Isan pork sausages are an easy entry point, before moving on to a creative twist on spicy green salad (som tam), made using jicama, a tropical root vegetable, instead of the usual papaya. The northeast is home to some of Thailand’s best beef, so the charcoal-grilled ribeye with vegetables and a sticky rice waffle is a must, even if it means giving the popular lambmassamancurry a miss.Kaenkrung comfortably seats 16 on the ground floor, while upstairs is reserved for private bookings, collaborations with guest chefs and other special events. “Isan culture is all about coming together,” says Cheewinsiriwat, who splits his time between his kitchens in Khon Kaen and Bangkok. As appreciation for Isan cuisine grows, a trip to Thailand’s little-known northeast might even be on next year’s wishlist.+ 66 87 324 46195.La MissionÎle d’YeuÎle d’Yeu, a rugged Atlantic island off the coast of Vendée in France, offers plenty of options for holidaymakers during the summer but boltholes that stay open beyond the peak months are harder to find. “We love how the island evolves across the seasons and want to share that with our guests,” says Michel Delloye, co-founder of Hôteliers Impertinents. That’s why the group designed its newest opening, La Mission, to be one of the island’s few year-round destinations.Located in the main village of Saint-Saveur, the property is as much a gathering place for islanders as a hotel. With a calendar of seasonal activities, from raclette dinners in the winter to pétanque competitions in the summer, the founders’ aim was to give a piece of local heritage back to the community.La Mission is set in one of theîle’s most storied locations. Its main building dates back to the 19th century, when it was constructed under Napoléon iii as military barracks; it was later transformed into a school and a parish hall. “Some locals still have memories of going to school here,” says Delloye. “Others come in to reminisce about family gatherings at the hall.”When it came to creating the hotel’s warm, convivial interiors, designer Pauline d’Hoop was mindful of staying true to the essence of the place. The 22 guest rooms and suites are decorated in the typical island style, featuring white wood-panelled walls, rattan furniture and splashes of colour. It’s the perfect retreat after a blustery island walk.lamissionyeu.com6.Somewhere LombokLombokThe island of Lombok, just east of the more developed Bali, remains unjustly overlooked. Its beaches, paddy fields and forested slopes easily rival those of its better-known neighbour and there are fewer people to elbow out of the way to see them. With 20 standalone villas, a restaurant and bar, a spa and an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, Somewhere Lombok is the place from which to explore the island.The villas are scattered across a cascading hill, allowing them valley views; each has its own terrace and private plunge pool. The open-air restaurant offers a mix of Indonesian and Western fare and features fresh seafood. “We wanted people to feel at one with nature, rather than being boxed in,” says Claire Gontard, who co-founded Somewhere Lombok with her sister, Valia. “We are lucky to have unobstructed views of the entire bay.”somewherelombok.com7.Clemente BarNew YorkSwiss chef Daniel Humm and Italian artist Francesco Clemente bonded over a shared love of New York, art and hospitality before opening their homage to all three, Clemente Bar, in October. The moody space – all wood panelling, wall sconces and striped banquettes – sits above Humm’s plant-based restaurant Eleven Madison Park. Its interiors come courtesy of Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works, with lighting by German artist Carsten Höller and furniture from Los Angeles-based designer Brett Robinson. The drinks menu is long and lively (be sure to sample the smooth, saffron-infused Clemente martini), while The Studio, a nine-seat counter, is available for 90-minute tasting menus.The drinks offering, overseen by Sebastian Tollius, and the chef’s counter are the main draws. The presence of Clemente’s custom-made neo-expressionist, ochre-hued friezes and evocative canvases, however, is the extra ingredient that nudges the bar from simply being notable to being a distinctive pleasure that should last the test of time. It’s amazing what a lick of paint can do.clementebar.com8.Super KioskCambridge, New ZealandTom Sykes was the head of digital brand strategy for the King James Group advertising agency in Cape Town when he started drafting plans to start something of his own. Having spent his career positioning big brands, he began wondering what it might be like to start something fresh after moving to New Zealand in 2018. “I had no clue what to do, never mind how to run my own business or what it would even be,” he tells Monocle. “I started thinking about what I loved and what I hated. I love things that are elegant and enduring. So: stationery.”This was the genesis of Super Kiosk, Sykes’s shop in Cambridge, a town about 150km south of Auckland. Today, wooden shelves are stacked high with well-made wonders and tidy tools from Australia, Japan, Germany and the US, including Delfonics ballpoint pens, steel Penco tape dispensers and notebooks from Any Day Now.“It would have been much easier if I was a fifth-generation stationer and all of this was written in the stars,” adds Sykes, amused by the success of his just-so-branded business. “But that’s not my story.Thisis my story.” And a rather touching tale it is too.superkiosk.online9.Ace Hotel&Swim ClubAthensAce Hotel has marked its return to Europe with Ace Hotel&Swim Club on the Athens Riviera. “This city is a perfect location, with its juxtaposition of ancient and contemporary influences,” says the company’s CEO, Brad Wilson. “Glyfada specifically is undergoing a renaissance, with a vibrant creative scene and exciting new developments.”The 1970s building was reimagined by French firm Ciguë, with the support of Athens-based Georges Batzios Architects, to capture the breezy spirit of a modernist seaside resort. The pool area features green loungers and butter-and-cream-coloured umbrellas. Earthy-toned furnishings and natural materials sit inside with pieces by design icons such as Carlo Scarpa and Harvey Guzzini, selected by the owners of Athens-based vintage furniture shop Back to the Future. Works by emerging and established Greek artists were selected by Diplomates Studio’s founder, Matthieu Prat, and Aliki Lampropoulos, an advisor to the director of the Acropolis Museum. “A small gallery space at the hotel will feature rotating exhibitions,” says Wilson. “We’re focusing on work from collaborators and friends in the Athenian community.”Sebastian restaurant serves modern Mediterranean fare. Try the Kástra Elión vodka, distilled from olives, for a fitting start to the weekend – then a few other options at The Lobby bar. The stools look sturdy enough.acehotel.com10.Island Shangri-LaHong KongHong Kong’s Island Shangri-La hotel unveiled its revamped Shangri-La Suite in 2024. This 222 sq m home from home – the latest step in the 544-key hotel’s lengthy renovation – comes with his and her dressing rooms, a generous lounge, a 10-seater dining table, a kitchen, a wine cellar and a freestanding bar. Kuok Hui-kwong, the executive director and chairwoman of Shangri-La Group, had a hand in the design, elevating French designer Tristan Auer’s vision with Chinese opulence and a few deft touches. The hand-painted murals and oversized marble bathtub overlooking Victoria Harbour provide a sense of permanence (not to mention a great soak).But in Hong Kong, even the most luxurious of spaces must have flexibility built in. Guests can use one of the two bedrooms as a gym, yoga room or office; larger parties can add an adjoining room. The tropical wallpaper in the private dining area can even be covered for brand events or board meetings. As hoteliers across Asia talk about the rise of multi-generational travel and its effect on hotel design, the Shangri-La Suite shows what flexibility can mean on a new level. Now, do you mind? That bathtub is beckoning.shangri-la.com11.FuglenSeoulOslo coffee shop Fuglen, whose name means “bird” in Norwegian, opened its first overseas outpost in Tokyo in 2012. Given its success, the brand was bound to expand to new shores in Asia at some point. First up is Seoul’s fashionable Sangsu district. Fuglen’s now signature design is in place – vintage furniture, modern reproductions of mid-century Nordic pieces (another part of the Fuglen business) and straw wallpaper from Biri in Norway.Staff from Fuglen Japan pitched in to help and hundreds of people turned up on the opening day. The company’s CEO, Einar Kleppe Holthe, is a former barista champion and one of the co-founders who took over the original 1963 Fuglen café in Oslo. He says he has been fielding offers from across the world. “Seoul was natural as there has been so much interest from South Korea.”fuglen.no12.Sea Sea HotelCrescent HeadSea Sea Hotel is tucked away on a quiet street in Crescent Head, a seaside town about halfway between Sydney and Byron Bay. The 25-room hotel opened in November 2024 as the newest venture from hotelier George Gorrow, formerly of The Slow in Bali. It’s just a few minutes’ walk from two pristine beaches that stretch either side of the town, affording sandy expanses for sunbathers and ideal point breaks for surfers.Gorrow decided to open Sea Sea after stumbling across what was then a run-down hotel property from the 1980s, featuring cabins that reminded him of Balinese villas. Gorrow kept the original structures but expanded the pool. He gave the rooms a modern cabin-in-the-woods look, with timber-clad walls. He also added sleek furniture, gauzy curtains and contemporary art. A restaurant serves local seafood and natural wine, and there’s a surf shop, a music lounge and an events space. Guests can rent boards and book surfing lessons at the hotel.“I grew up on the beach and my dad was a big surfer,” says Gorrow. “This was always one of the spots that we used to pop into on our trips. It’s a cute town with amazing beaches. It still feels pretty untouched.”seaseahotel.com13.Travelling companionsAt Monocle, we know that packing for a trip is about more than merely selecting the appropriate wardrobe. Depending on the destination and your means of travel, different accoutrements become necessary. One item that is indispensable no matter where you’re heading is a camera. We’re fond of theLomo’Instant Wide Boston by Lomography. The Vienna-based company produced this instant camera with lens attachments so that users can have the flexibility offered by smartphones and digital cameras while also shooting on instant film.To set the tone on the road, we’re pumping up the volume withMania by Devialet. The French brand’s first portable speaker combines hi-tech audio with an elegant design. Its spherical form is wrapped in a hardy woven fabric that protects the speaker.Staying hydrated is essential while travelling too, so pack a cooler. We love theCamping Bucket by Niwaki. This waterproof bag can be folded flat for easy storage and then opened when needed. We’re filling ours withStrong Blonde Golden Ale by La Chouffe, the Belgian brewery whose bottles and graphic design are as tasty as its beverages.14.The MannerNew YorkThe interiors of mid-century Italy were unapologetically grand, intricate and brimming with bravura – a world away from what you’ll find at most modern hotel makeovers in the US. A notable exception is The Manner in New York, the latest addition to The Standard International family. When the group’s chief design officer, Verena Haller, set out to find someone to reimagine the property, she enlisted Milan-based Hannes Peer, renowned for his sumptuous residential projects that epitomise Italiangrandezza. This establishment, set on Soho’s Thompson Street, eschews the standard, chunky check-in desk in favour of a striking tableau of marble, brass, leather and terracotta, channelling Milan’s most opulent entryways.Ascending a travertine staircase, guests are greeted by The Apartment, a living-room-style retreat with a cinematic feel, Pompeian red walls, a mahogany divider and handcrafted ceramic columns by sculptor Ben Medansky. This decadence extends to The Manner’s 97 guest rooms (including 10 suites and one penthouse), where every detail is a tribute to Italianate splendour. Lipstick-red lacquered headboards, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and glossy dark-wood veneers amplify every room’s inherent drama.Dining is equally indulgent. The Otter, The Manner’s seafood-focused restaurant, offers dishes ranging from classic shrimp cocktails to a more modern swordfish steak frites. Sloane’s, a discreet speakeasy, serves vintage spirits in a setting that is as refined as its menu. And come spring, a rooftop space will make its debut. You know where to find us.themanner.com15.Die CafetièreViennaGerman-born Peggy Strobel spent many years in the Netherlands before moving to Vienna in 2007. There she managed Mraz&Sohn, the Michelin-starred restaurant of her husband, Markus Mraz, then stepped back to start a family. Harbouring an ambition to open a place of her own, she took a hospitality course in Innsbruck. After the coronavirus lockdowns, a friend told her that the Naber Café in the first district, run by the family-owned Naber Roastery, was looking for a new owner. Strobel didn’t think twice.Strobel has preserved the décor from the 1960s, an era when many espresso joints of this kind sprang up across Vienna. The back of the building now doubles as a showroom for Percy Thonet, scion of the chair-making Thonet family, and Anna Prinzhorn, the creative force behind furniture brand One for Hundred. Alongside pastries, Die Cafetière serves ham-and-cheese toasties called Karl-Heinz, named after Strobel’s late father-in-law who, says Strobel, made them best. “My motto is ‘With and without tradition’,” she says. There’s a stimulating thought to round-out our Wishlist – not all hospitality highpoints involve completely changing the recipe and starting from scratch.diecafetiere.wien
Sometimes over a drink with friends in Milan, both Italian and expat, conversation will turn to the “elasticity” of rules in theBel Paese, a stretchiness comprising two distinct layers. The top one involves the definition of what the rule is in the first place: in Italy, it turns out that almost everything operates in a grey area, rather than being a clearly defined, hard-and-fast ordinance. A rule can be interpreted diversely according to whoever happens to be in charge that day, based on things such as whim or emotion. Almost everything, it turns out, is negotiable.Once you’ve got over the hurdle of defining the law, there’s the second layer of whether you’re going to obey it, based largely on the calculation of how much chance there is of enforcement. A case in point? Everyone knows you’re not technically allowed to double park but, listen, you had to take your elderly grandparent to a doctor’s appointment and what kind of a cold-hearted traffic cop would you be to not understand that, anyway? As long as you put your hazard lights on, Milan is a forgiving place.Which is why I had to chuckle when earlier this year a friend from Argentina sent me a link to an article in one of the South American nation’s daily’s,Página 12, with the headline, “Milan bans smoking in open-air spaces”. From a public relations point of view, the fact that the news had travelled thousands of kilometres meant the announcement was already doing its job.The “ban” (note the quotation marks here) came into force at the start of this year and is a hardening of a law from 2021 restricting smoking in some public spaces. According to the new legislation, you can no longer smoke in any public areas, including the outdoor seating areas of bars and cafés, and on the street, if you can’t be more than 10 metres away from someone else. Failure to abide by the rules can lead to a fine of €40 to €240. But according to one report, in the first month only about 20 people had been fined, with police preferring “education” instead.Skip forward to early spring and people are still smoking in bars and lighting up after they alight the Frecciarossa at Central Station. And I’m still making zigzags on pavements to avoid plumes of smoke on my morning runs. Trying to cut down on small-particle pollution in a city that often has very poor air quality is a noble cause. But I’m yet to see a billboard advert, strategically placed no-smoking sign or proactive enforcement to make me think that this is anything more than another chance for Italians to assess the malleability of the law. Up in smoke? Quite literally.About the writerStocker is Monocle’s Europe editor at large, based in Milan since 2020. A law in his current hometown requires locals to smile constantly; he’s rarely in danger of breaking it.Want more stories like these in your inbox?Sign up to Monocle’s email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.Your EmailSubscribe
Originally from Japan, chef and entrepreneur Yoji Tokuyoshi has taken Milan’s culinary scene by storm since moving here almost 20 years ago. His epiphany? Turning his Italian restaurant that used Japanese techniques into a Japanese one obsessed with Italian ingredients. As the founder of Alter Ego Italian restaurant in Tokyo, Tokuyoshi also has an appetite for side projects, many of which he runs with French-Japanese partner Alice Yamada. Quick to smile, Tokuyoshi speaks to Monocle from a low window table at his Bentoteca restaurant about inspiration, his cappuccino regime and why he’s eyeing New York, London and Paris for his next venture. What made you leave Japan for Italy?To learn Italian cooking, I obviously had to learn the original. I worked in an Italian restaurant in Tokyo for six years but I had no idea whether the food I was making was authentic or not. I moved to Italy and spent a decade working for Massimo Bottura at Osteria Francescana in Modena. My intention was to spend three or four years there and then return to Japan to become a star. That’s what a lot of Japanese chefs do. But four years turned into five, then six, then seven. I was growing and I wanted to see how far I could go. Once we [Osteria Francescana] got our third Michelin star, I said, “OK, now I want to forge my own path.”Was the idea always to come to Milan?I wanted to open my own restaurant but I didn’t have a clear idea. So I spent three months travelling in Italy. I discovered a beautiful thing: the morning routine of having a cappuccino. It’s something that I couldn’t do when I worked at Osteria Francescana because I would wake up and go to work immediately. During my travels I would get up at 10.00 and buy a coffee. I’d always see people at the café, smiling. Che bello.And so, you opened an Italian restaurant?Yes, Italian food but cooked using Japanese techniques. The restaurant was called Tokoyushi. We received a Michelin star in the first year of opening. During the coronavirus pandemic, we changed the idea and started to make Japanese food. It began as a take-away service and then, when we reopened, we kept to authentic, simple Japanese food. It has evolved a bit since then. What we do is a mixture because we use Italian ingredients: butter from the mountains, capers from the island of Pantelleria and Sicilian tomatoes.Why did you give up your Michelin star?My original decision was to keep going. I wanted one star, two stars, three stars. I really had to digest that decision. The first Japanese person in Italy to receive three stars sounds good, doesn’t it? I decided that I could always go down that route in future but it was better not to take the risk. It’s not about being number one in everything; I want a place where we do things that no one else can do. How does travelling inspire what you do?Massimo Bottura taught me that when you return from travelling you have to reflect on what you have done. I catalogue everything and use it to add to my experience and help me come up with new dishes. If I’m looking at a work by Argentine-Italian artist and sculptor Lucio Fontana, I ask myself, “What was the thought behind it? What did he want to say?” You’ve shaken up Milanese dining and you have an Italian restaurant in Japan. Where else would you like to open?What food do Americans like? Either Italian or Japanese. So, if I mix both, I think that New York is a good option. We opened a Katsusanderia pop-up in the Financial District last December and we’re now working on a Bentoteca pop-up for May. I’m also looking at opportunities in Paris and London.CV1977:Born in Tottori, on the west coast of Japan.1998:Works in an Italian restaurant in Tokyo for six years.2006:Starts working at the Osteria Francescana in Modena, soon to become the sous chef of Massimo Bottura.2015:Opens Tokuyoshi in Milan and is awarded a Michelin star in its first year.2019:Opens Alter Ego in Tokyo, an Italian restaurant.2020:Transforms Tokuyoshi into Bentoteca, giving up the Michelin star.2022:Yoji Tokuyoshi meets Alice Yamada. Together they found the company Kazoku. They open the first Katsusanderia in Milan.2023:Pan bakery opens in Milan. Bentoteca joins the 50 Best Discovery list.2024:Second Katsusanderia branch opens.2025:Piccolo Pan, a delivery-only bakery, opens in Milan. Tokuyoshi plans a Bentoteca pop-up in New York for May and June.
For all those caught up in the excitement of booking a long-haul flight and jetting off to an exciting new destination, there is one main downside: jet lag. It’s a challenge that neuropsychiatrist Irshaad Ebrahim advises on. After founding the London Sleep Centre in 2002, he set up several other such institutions across the world, including The Constantia Sleep Centre in South Africa. Here, he gets us up to speed on beating jet lag.Pre-flight“Before you even get on the plane, you need to have established good sleep-hygiene routine,” says Ebrahim. “This will immediately help to offset any effects of jet lag.” Exercising regularly and drinking plenty of water are among his top recommendations. Other tips shared by medical professionals include resisting the temptation to nap throughout the day and investigating your clock gene (a protein-coding gene that plays a central role in regulating circadian rhythms) through lab tests if you suffer from daytime drowsiness or regularly wake up in the night. The most indulgent recommendation of all? Ensure that your bedroom is a sanctuary. Pile up a stack of escapist titles, play some relaxing tunes and or put on that cucumber facemask. It’s all about maintaining a bedtime routine before your flight, says Ebrahim.On board“Once you’re on the aircraft, there is one trump card that you must play,” says Ebrahim. “Clock into your destination the moment you get on the plane. Check the season and time difference beforehand. When you’re on the aircraft, you should switch to the timings of the country that you’re travelling to. Fall asleep when people there are going to bed and wake up when they are waking. This allows you to prepare psychologically and behaviourally for landing in a new place.” It also prevents you from falling asleep unexpectedly upon arrival. So pull down your window, insert your earplugs and put on your eye mask. This should all lead to a restful sleep.On arrival“Taking a melatonin supplement is a useful aid in combatting jet lag,” says Ebrahim. The hormone is produced in the brain in response to darkness and helps with the timing of your circadian rhythms. “The key to this is taking it about an hour before sleep once you land. Continue taking it for three days after arriving and repeat for another three days when you return from your trip.” The doctor is also keen to stress that exposure to the right type of light is essential. “There is a lot to be said for light therapy,” he says, explaining that an exposure to special bright-white light bulbs that emit 10,000 lux (an amount similar to the light in the sky just after dawn) can be beneficial to sleep. “Buy a portable light-therapy lamp and switch it on 30 minutes after waking up. It helps to suppress melatonin and gives your brain the impression that a new day is starting.”
On Sunday mornings, the tinkle of piano keys can be heard on the streets of Havana’s artsy Cayo Hueso district, between the 16th-century Old Havana and Vedado. After the hospitality sector opened up to private and international operators in 2016 (when Cuba’s socialist government relaxed its regulations), a new crop of hotels has been helping to revitalise once-forgotten neighbourhoods for locals and visitors alike.The source of these particular neighbourhood melodies is the large, high-ceilinged café at the Tribe Caribe hotel, which opened a year ago in a grand, finely restored former apartment building that dates back to the 1920s. In the 1940s and 1950s, it housed one of Havana’s most storied jazz bars.“It feels like a bit of a miracle that we were able to restore a building so important to the musical history of the neighbourhood,” says co-founder Andrés Levin, a Grammy award-winning Venezuelan-German musician, producer and songwriter who has lived in Havana for almost 30 years. He undertook the hotel’s revival alongside his business partner, Canadian investor and property developer Chris Cornell. Given how young Cuba’s private hotel sector is, Levin adds, the role that hospitality businesses can play in their parts of the city is still in flux. “We wanted to restore the building to the glory of what it once was,” he says. “But we also wanted to create a ripple effect throughout the neighbourhood.” It has begun to draw visitors to a part of the city that was often sidestepped by the million or so people who travel to Havana every year, he tells Monocle.“We knew that we wanted the hotel’s public spaces to pay homage to the city’s musical and cultural heritage but also to generate opportunities in the neighbourhood,” he says. To do so, a dedicated exhibition space, The Black Box, was incorporated into the ground floor, which hosts performances by emerging Cuban musicians, contemporary art exhibitions and film screenings.A portion of the revenue from the 11-room hotel, which has been furnished with work by contemporary Cuban artists and antique fixtures and furniture, will be invested nearby. That includes the proposed revitalisation of a historic park and a long-term plan to restore Havana’s international jazz festival and invest in local talent.“We want this to be a model that can be replicated in other parts of the city,” says Levin. “We hope that other businesses will see what we have done here and take it as a starting point for themselves.”tribecaribecayohueso.com
If the brochures are to be believed, Frank Sinatra crooned and caroused his way around much of Palm Springs. It’s a claim to fame that hotels and bars in this Californian desert city still trade on – especially at the Purple Room, a cabaret lounge built in 1960 at which Ol’ Blue Eyes would sometimes get up on stage.“Palm Springs was the playground of the stars,” says Michael Holmes, who revived the Purple Room almost a decade ago and caters to healthy crowds every night. “At the time, actors weren’t allowed to be more than 100 miles [161km] away from the studio when they were in production – and this is 100 miles from Hollywood.”Poolside perchHolmes, an accomplished jazz singer who also performs a stage show dressed as Judy Garland, first came to Palm Springs to flee a cold Chicago winter. This oasis city of perfect blue skies has long been a place that people escape to. In the 1930s it was the desert hideout for stars seeking refuge from the Los Angeles press. Then it was a seasonal bolthole for sun-seeking retirees. More recently it has been a pit stop for festival-goers on their way to Coachella.Palm Springs holds a special place in the American imagination – people say that they can feel their shoulders drop as they cross its city limits – but having a captive audience has meant that some of the hotels and places to eat were resting on their laurels. The past few years, however, have brought a fresh breeze that’s ruffling the city’s fronds. The extraordinary collection of mid-century buildings – homes created for California’s elite by leading American modernists such as John Lautner and Albert Frey – now attract a global audience. In February, more than 130,000 people descended on Palm Springs during its annual Modernism Week, when the people living in many of these restored houses open their doors to the public. In 2022, Palm Springs provided the backdrop for the martini-swilling fictional utopia of the filmDon’t Worry Darling. These houses, with their crisp roof lines and 1950s panache, have soared in value as people decamp to the desert to seek open spaces and a place where the sun shines every day.With this renewed interest has come a swath of new hoteliers and restaurateurs catering to a changing crowd. During the week that Monocle spent in Palm Springs, a new hotel by Life House opens and a Hyatt Thompson downtown is nearing completion.The most inspiring stay is Sensei Porcupine Creek, a hotel at the end of a winding street of mid-century modern bungalows in Rancho Mirage, a community in Greater Palm Springs. The resort, on the estate of technology entrepreneur Larry Ellison, sits on 93 hectares of desert garden interwoven with a manicured golf course. Amid this otherworldly landscape of succulents and meandering trails perfumed by the musk of the creosote bush is Ellison’s extensive sculpture collection, including a stack of Keith Haring’s red, yellow and blue figures – a shock of colour peeking out from behind the palm trees.Sensei Porcupine Creek CEO Alexandra WalterspielSensei Porcupine CreekDespite all the space, there are only 22 places to stay on the property, comprising standalone villas dotted through the grounds and suites in the single-storey estate house, which also contains a Nobu restaurant. The bedrooms are understated, verging on spartan, with light wooden interiors and vast windows that frame the gardens beyond. Staff say that the design is about drawing the eye to the estate’s abundant nature rather than the hotel itself, even if it is choreographed: the waterfalls that bubble through the grounds subtly change their cascade according to the time of day, calming to a restful flow after dark.Keith Haring’s bright figures“There’s science to all of it,” says Julie Oliff, the Swiss-born general manager, as she drives Monocle along one of Sensei’s canyon trails in a golf cart. Stretching out below us is the hotel’s canopy of 4,000 palm trees and one of its bright-blue tennis courts, where a bobcat is known to sleep in the midday heat. Like many of her colleagues, Oliff came to Sensei from running premium hotels around the US and takes a high-minded view of the work they are doing in the Coachella Valley. “Our mission is to guide the world to greater wellbeing,” she says.Clean lines at Sensei Porcupine CreekEllison co-founded Sensei with David Agus, an author and physician whose book on healthy living sits on the hotel’s bedside tables. Sensei offers guests an “intention-setting” session with a member of its dedicated wellness team to find out what they would like to get out of their stay, whether in terms of fitness or rest. In practice, this means having your blood pressure and some biometrics checked and signing up for yoga, exercise or meditation.“Wellness is a term that has been used too loosely and way too often, just as ‘boutique hotels’ was about 25 years ago,” says Alexandra Walterspiel, Sensei’s German-born president and CEO. “We just help guests to find opportunity in carving out time for themselves.” That said, Sensei is still a resort that keeps an excellent wine list and will serve a club sandwich poolside. It’s also a premium hotel that sets a new bar for an overnight stay in this valley.Villa Royale’s John JanulisBack in town, the most sought-after table is at Bar Cecil, a corner restaurant where trays of oysters and martinis are whisked through a candlelit dining room. Over the din of a Tuesday evening, co-founder John Janulis explains that there’s fierce competition to get a reservation here. He came to Palm Springs to restore and reopen the once-derelict Villa Royale and believes that now is a moment of great opportunity for those who want to refresh hospitality in town. “It’s the most unique city in America,” says Janulis. “For a lot of people, coming to Palm Springs means instant vacation.”What’s your poison?Mid-century allureTasty spread at Bar CecilEntrepreneurs such as Janulis say that it’s not a case of reinventing Palm Springs but re-energising what is already there. Even the Ace Hotel and Swim Club, which opened 15 years ago and was the first to tap into the Coachella crowd, is soon to be remodelled. “The property was originally a Howard Johnson motor lodge and we turned it into a desert retreat,” says Roman Alonso, founder of LA-based Commune Design, which was responsible for the original Ace and is coming back to spruce it up. He says that Palm Springs is being born again.Service in the sunThe past few years have seen several sensitive restorations take place that have breathed fresh life into old lodgings. Azure Sky, which reopened in 2022, took the bones of an old motel and brought a sense of spaciousness and light back into the rooms. Casa Cody, in downtown Palm Springs, is a hotel that hosted Hollywood stars throughout the 1930s and once belonged to Harriet Cody, a cousin of cowboy showman Buffalo Bill. “We wanted to keep the residential feel of the estate in the design and the renovation,” says Carolyn Schneider, co-founder of the Casetta Group, which added muted colours to Cody’s old home that emphasise the bright bougainvillaea spilling over the walls and roofs. Orange and grapefruit trees give shade to the gardens.Awash with naturePreservation is a relatively new phenomenon in Palm Springs. After the mid-century boom, the city stagnated. By the 1990s its architectural marvels had been mostly forgotten. “They were intact but neglected,” says Peter Moruzzi, an architectural historian who formed the Palm Springs Modern Committee in 1999 to safeguard mid-century masterpieces around town that were threatened with demolition, starting with Albert Frey’s Fire Station No 1.Peter Moruzzi’s restored mid-century houseMoruzzi and his partner, Lauren LeBaron, first came to the city in 1991. “I instantly loved the mountains, the air, the palm trees,” says Moruzzi. “Then we noticed all this mid-century stuff just sitting there, still in pretty good shape.” The couple have meticulously restored a 1950s “tract home”, built for the middle classes in the modernist designs favoured by Hollywood stars. Every February they let the public in during Modernism Week, to sit beside their twinkling pool, in the shade of two crossed palms, and admire the oddity that is the indoor barbecue. “A short-lived fad of the time,” says Moruzzi. These houses were undervalued in the 1990s, when nobody cared about Palm Springs modernism, but nearby houses now sell for millions of dollars. “We get a lot of guests booking to stay here because they would like to buy a house in Palm Springs,” says Bruno Santos, the general manager of Colony Palms, a grand old hotel with verdant verandas and green-striped parasols. It opened in 1936 and was reputedly owned by mobster and bootlegger Al Wertheimer, who ran a speakeasy and gambling den in the basement; a mural has survived from the time showing a bacchanalian scene of cavorting women.The Colony Palms was restored by Steve Hermann, a Montecito-based designer turned hotelier who has recently expanded L’Horizon, his other hotel in town, with bungalows that take cues from mid-century design. Spend enough time in Palm Springs and the pools and palms start to blur together; one blue-skied David Hockney painting after the next. Like the shifting lines that dance across a swimming pool in the midday sun, the city is moving with the times while retaining its sense of mid-century allure. Celebrated artist Phillip K Smith III, a self-professed “desert rat”, grew up in the Coachella Valley and returned to Palm Springs after studying at the Rhode Island School of Design. “I missed the brown mountains, the horizon,” Smith tells Monocle. His sculptural light pieces change colour almost imperceptibly, creating an effect similar to that of a gentle sunrise or sunset in these parts. “The desert I’m talking about doesn’t necessarily have tennis courts, golf courses and pools,” he says. “It’s about going there to disconnect.”Artist Phillip K Smith IIIFrom the windows of his studio, Smith can watch a grand light show as the mountains change from red to black. “It is a totally natural phenomenon that happens every day,” he says. “All you have to do it is to stop and look.”Palm Springs address bookStaySensei Porcupine CreekA retreat-like stay on vast grounds where privacy and peacefulness are prized.sensei.comEatBar CecilConvivial corner restaurant with sought-after reservations that’s a tribute to Cecil Beaton.barcecil.comDrinkThe Copper RoomIt’s worth the trip out of town to this lovingly-restored lounge at the old Yucca Valley Airport.thecopperroom1957.comSee‘Albert Frey: Inventive Modernist’The Palm Springs Art Museum has a long-awaited exhibition dedicated to the architect who defined the city. Until August.psmuseum.org
1.OobatzParisDan Pearson moved to Paris to study international relations but found that there were other ways to win hearts and minds. The chef first made mouths water with a pizza pop-up at the Michelin-starred La Rigmarole. Now he’s back with Oobatz in the 11th arrondissement. The line-up features six pizzas, each made with market-fresh ingredients before its 90 seconds in the Swedish pizza oven at 480C. Monocle’s favourite has a marinara base, with pork and veal polpette and creamy caciocavallo. Call ahead as tables are tough to snag.2.Dodeka PiataAthensTrue to its name, Dodeka Piata (“12 plates”) offers a dozen dishes in celebration of the Greek concept of mezedes (sharing plates). The new restaurant in Koukaki is overseen by chef Pavlos Kyriakis and features mosaic-tiled floors and white linen tablecloths, with wooden chairs replacing the straw seats of a taverna. The menu is modest in volume but the smoked tzatziki and tyrokafteri, a spicy whipped cheese dip, will leave you satisfied. The pork gyros with paprika and onion are exceptional.36 Odissea Androutsou, Athens 117 413.Uno di Questi GiorniBolognaThis restaurant from the duo behind Bologna’s much-loved Ahimè has been four years in the making. Whenever co-founders Lorenzo Vecchia and Gian Bucci were asked about the opening date, they’d reply “Uno di questi giorni” (“One of these days”); the name stuck. Designed by Trieste-based studio Metroarea, the interiors feature exposed wooden beams, contemporary lighting and cream-coloured sofas. But the real showpiece is the large open grill, where everything from Jerusalem artichokes to Po Delta oysters are cooked as part of the grill-only menu.unodiquestigiorni.it4.EsraAmsterdamYou’ll find this 26-cover Turkish offering in Amsterdam’s formerly industrial eastern docklands. Its appeal lies in the ever-changing menu of its London-born Turkish Cypriot owner, Selin Kiazim (pictured, on right, with co-owner Steph De Goeijen). “The food scene in Amsterdam is always evolving,” she says. “Esra’s menu switches with the seasons, sometimes even after a day.” Past menus have featured pollock with pistachio cream, and herring roe and Turkish eriste egg noodles with pickled maitake mushrooms and sheep’s cheese sauce. The wine list features appellations from Georgia, Croatia and Greece.esra.amsterdam5.Bar SuperBarcelonaBar Brutal and its bottle shop Can Cisa brought Barcelona’s most enterprising drinkers round to biodynamic wine when it opened in 2013. Its new sibling, Bar Super, is located next to the Mercat de Santa Caterina in El Born. Given its prime location, twin restaurateurs Max and Stefano Colombo, as well as winemaker Joan Ramon Escoda rely on cuina de mercat (market produce), to which they add the Venetian sensibilities that they channelled into their debut opening, Xemei, an Italian osteria in Poble Sec. At Bar Super, expect fresh prawns, succulent tuna carpaccio and colourful varieties of beetroot. The wine list features Catalan appellations from winemaker friends, as well as an in-house bitter made in collaboration with Genoese bodega La Ricolla.barsuper.com6.GhostBaliGhost Kitchen and Record Bar mixes wood-fired cooking with a warm vinyl soundtrack. Executive chef Tim Stapleforth blends Balinese flavours and fresh produce with what he grew up eating in Queensland. Standouts include the babi guling crumpet, a play on the Balinese hog roast.No 99 Jalan Pantai Berawa
Anyone who has visited Bangkok will know Sukhumvit Road. It’s the Thai capital’s answer to Oxford Street, Orchard Road or Fifth Avenue, all rolled into one. Visitors of every stripe are drawn to this traffic-clogged, six-lane stretch of central Bangkok. But there’s far more than the shopping malls, five-star hotels and hostess bars with questionable names (Spanky’s, we’re looking at you).In total, Sukhumvit Road rolls east for almost 500km. Highway 3, as it is also called, travels along the Gulf of Thailand through six provinces and alongside dozens of undeveloped sandy islands, right up to the Cambodian border. It’s one of Thailand’s longest and most famous roads and one of the most significant markers of the country’s rapid economic development in the late 20th century, when US military money flooded in during the Vietnam War and let Thailand leave its war-torn neighbours in the dust.Might the future of Thailand’s all-important travel and tourism industry lie this way too? While many visitors take flights south to the busy islands or north to the nation’s hill country, there’s some space to develop in the wilder, lesser-known east. Our “Made in Thailand” stamped Mitsubishi Pajero Sport is part of the story too. The Japanese automaker produces most of these suvs from factories near Laem Chabang, Thailand’s largest port and one of the lesser-sought spots on Highway 3. Our trip doesn’t take us off-road but it does take us off the beaten track. On the way, we’ll encounter fighter jets, rare gems, French colonial leftovers and a Scandinavian enclave with a royal seal of approval. There could even be an international incident when we arrive at our tropical destination. This is Thailand without crowds, tuks-tuks, billboards or even a 7/11.Day 1:Chon BuriDowntown BangkokOur journey begins in downtown Bangkok, where Ploen Chit becomes Highway 3. Sukhumvit Road is the commercial and residential heart of the modern Thai capital and our first stop is the offices of Siam Seaplane near Bumrungrad Hospital (a mecca for medical tourists). The aviation start-up, which began in 2019 with the ambition to relaunch the seaplane sector in Thailand, swapped a regular office tower for a converted house on one of the many “sois” or alleys that run off Sukhumvit. “The trend of travel is going to go east in the next five years,” says Worakanya Siripidej, CEO and co-founder of Siam Seaplane, before running through a list of infrastructure developments and hotel openings in our direction of travel. Siripidej expects to launch her first seaplane flights in 2025 and her team has been busy signing deals with beachside resorts in the Gulf of Thailand. These will let customers fly straight from Bangkok aboard a fleet of Cessna Caravans fitted out like private jets. Eager to see the lay of the land, we jump back in the Pajero and dive straight into a traffic jam – quiet time. Thai’s don’t honk. At all. This remarkable display of collective enlightenment makes driving easy on the ears and more forgiving for uncertain out-of-towners. Worakanya Siripidej, CEO and co-founder of Siam SeaplaneThe elevated BTS “Sukhumvit Line” runs down the middle of Sukhumvit Road, casting a shadow on the shady business that populates this end. Money changers, tailors, massage parlours and shops selling cannabis are a primer for the seedy resort town of Pattaya, a favourite weekend destination for many Bangkokians. The closest stretch of hotel-lined sand to the capital is also the furthest east that many will have travelled. The arrival of family-friendly hotels, music festival Wonderfruit and the pygmy hippo Moo Deng (of internet meme fame) are, in their own ways, helping to change Pattaya’s reputation as a red-light resort. But we avoid the downtown area’s saucy nightlife altogether and plot a course for Jomtien Beach.On the beachCanals run alongside the road for much of the drive through two provinces, Samut Prakan and Chachoengsao. Rudimentary arched bridges cross the narrow waterways at various points. We could be on the outskirts of Amsterdam, only without any bikes. Crossing into Chon Buri, we make a brief pit stop at the ptt petrol station in Si Racha – birthplace of the famous hot sauce – to fill up the tank and get takeaway coffees from Café Amazon.Two hours later, having driven past Thailand’s largest port, we pull into Southeast Asia’s largest marina and the stomping ground of Aussie harbour master Scott Finsten. According to the Sydneysider, who takes Monocle on a golf-cart tour of his growing number of piers and superyachts, many Thais “discovered the charms of boating” during the pandemic, when money normally spent on shopping trips to Singapore and Hong Kong paid for pleasure cruisers instead. His job is to give them reasons to use their new vessels. “This used to be called the graveyard for yacht brokers but you can now jump in a taxi in Bangkok and they will know Ocean Marina,” he says, back on dry land. As the sun begins to set, we sip iced lemon tea and watch a boat being lifted out of the water. A colleague comes over for help with a visiting yacht owner who doesn’t want to check in. Finsten recently addressed an industry gathering in Kuala Lumpur and his sales pitch for the Gulf of Thailand is simple: year-round cruising, no typhoons and a boatload of uninhabited islands.By 18.00 it’s dark and bunking options for yacht-less overland travellers in Na Jomtien are good. Boutique hotel Mason is nearby and The Standard is landing here soon. Checking into Thailand’s first Andaz hotel, which opened here in 2023 in a beautifully landscaped former family estate, deserves the hype it’s garnered. A missed lunch is made up for by an order of pork ribs on the steakhouse veranda. And, as this is Thailand, there’s mango sticky rice on the menu.Day 2:RayongAt sunrise the sea is calm, the sky is blue and the busy capital feels a long way away. The Gulf of Thailand is a tranquil stretch of water and the scenery on Sukhumvit Road begins to get a lot more green and tropical as it curls around Chon Buri’s southern peninsula. Sattahip is the Royal Thai Navy’s turf and home of Thailand’s largest naval base. The seafaring admirals even rule the airspace at U-Tapao International Airport in neighbouring Rayong.The US military built the runway for bombing raids during the Vietnam war. That’s probably why civilian travellers arriving to take a flight are met at the entrance road by a “Welcome to U-Tapao” sign and a decommissioned fighter jet parked on a roundabout. At least for now. By 2055, U-Tapao will have a new runway and terminals for civilian use capable of handling 60 million passengers a year. That’s a considerable increase on the sleepy airport’s current traffic. Construction of the runway is expected to start in 2025, according to Chula Sukmanop, secretary-general of the Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand, a government body put in charge of managing the airport on behalf of the navy. “[The eastern seaboard] has been the area where foreign investment has come into the country for a long time,” says Sukmanop, who usually acts as a one-stop shop for foreign investors, from Chinese electric car manufacturers to European eyewear brands. “We are the gateway to Thailand and it is our job to make that gateway bigger,” he says.The central government is working with some of the country’s largest corporations to build a high-speed railway between U-Tapao and Bangkok, plus a new airport city made up of conference facilities, luxury condominiums and an Formula One-grade racing track. But progress is slow-going. Our tour of the site takes in the near-completed jet-fuel tanks and a well-placed solar panel farm.Leaving the airport behind, we turn off Sukhumvit Road and head to the beach for some lunch: grilled shrimp and deep-fried sea bass at the original branch of seafood restaurant Laem Charoen, now a national chain.For afters, something sweet and juicy from Taphong Fruit Market. Agriculture is a big part of Thailand’s economy and the east is the place for exotic fruits. The harvest in May and June hosts orchard tours and a fruit festival starring fresh durian, mangosteens, longans and lychees. When it comes to sun-worshippers though, October to April is the best season for this part of the country, when Phuket and the south of Thailand get rained on.Rayong’s coastline has long stretches of golden sand and Mae Phim Beach is a favourite winter perch for migrating Scandinavians. Pasi Marjamaki arrived in Mae Phim at the beginning of the century to work for a Swedish-owned property developer and launched his own estate agency in 2023. “There was almost nothing here when I arrived except the odd few restaurants,” says the Finn, while taking Monocle on a tour and pointing out where the Swedish king and queen sometimes stay at a friend’s house. “This place essentially started because of Scandinavians.”Silver-haired Swedes might have bought the first generation of second homes but Marjamaki’s recent transactions have been with remote workers in their thirties and forties from both the East and the West. Seeing the area’s potential, Marjamaki will soon begin his first property development: a series of seven standalone homes called The Boulevard, set back from the beach. He estimates that the price of one rai (1,600 sq m) of beachfront land in Mae Phim has shot up from about thb3m (€83,000) to thb25m (€693,000).French hospitality firm Accor recently opened a second wing of the Mercure site in Mae Phim, next to Marjamaki’s office. Monocle checks in. A rooftop restaurant overlooking the ocean has yet to open, so we head to the sister property to eat grilled squid with a green papaya salad by the water. Come nightfall the horizon across this part of the Gulf of Thailand glows green with lights from squid-fishing boats.Day 3:ChanthaburiSukhumvit Road was originally carved out of the tropical shrubbery in the 1930s and named after a former transport chief. The highway passes through a handful of unremarkable cities en route to Cambodia. As each two-storey town flashes by the passenger window, a pattern emerges: Japanese car showroom, Big C supermarket, ptt petrol station and a local building-supplies merchant. We leave Rayong and enter Chanthaburi, deciding to stop over in the province’s namesake capital, which has become a favourite with hospitality entrepreneurs seeking a slower pace of life.Founders Chaiwat and Pinyapat Treeratsakulchai opened The Gardener café in 2016 and the adjoining bakery, L’Oeuf, in 2022. “I can’t live in Bangkok any more; it’s too busy,” says Chaiwat, who grew up in the Thai capital. The architect met his wife in Phuket while working at the same design studio and they later returned to her hometown. When Chaiwat and Pinyapat are not in the kitchen baking for financiers or working behind the counter, the 30-somethings run their own studio, Paper House.Rocket Ice Cream in ChanthaburiArmed with an iced coffee and Treeratsakulchai’s signature cream-cheese banana bread, Monocle sets off to explore Chanthaburi on foot. The French briefly occupied this multicultural, multifaith settlement of half a million people at the turn of the 19th century, adding a Gallic flavour to the existing blend of Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine and architecture – and presumably an appetite for dairy. The food group is big in Chanthaburi, which features everything from milk bars to milk-flavoured lollipops at Rocket Ice Cream shop. Lolly in hand, we wander the old town and spot a bare-footed monk in orange robes popping into The Reader bookshop to pick up his latest subscription.Cocktail at EasterlyChanthaburi has been a trading centre for rubies and sapphires for hundreds of years. But it’s the locals returning from the nation’s capital with a design degree and work experience who are enriching the modern city more than the dwindling trade in rare stones. Easterly is another local gem. Motion-graphics designer Khanapong Pumarin opened the brunch spot and bar next to the canal-like Chanthaburi river. His elder sister’s coffee shop, cap, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a new venue on the opposite side of Sukhaphiban Road. Easterly has a few rooms upstairs for overnight stopovers but the islands are calling and the Pajero is waiting just across the river, right next to Thailand’s largest cathedral. We jump in, head back to the Sukhumvit Road and make our way to Trat, the final Thai province before Cambodia.Cathedral of the Immaculate ConceptionDay 4:Koh ChangAn hour after leaving Chanthaburi we take the turn-off for Ao Thammachat ferry pier and pass by Trat Airport. The private terminal run by Bangkok Airways operates a few flights to Bangkok most days and is in the process of being expanded. Our Pajero joins a line-up of white Toyota minivans at Ao Thammachat, queuing for the ferry for Koh Chang, Thailand’s third-largest island, after Phuket and Samui. Koh Chang – which means “Elephant Island” in English, named because of its shape – ranks much lower for tourist traffic, despite the easy access. After a breezy 20-minute transfer, we’re soon rolling onto the northside dock before embarking on leisurely reconnaissance and driving up some surprisingly steep inclines. Most development is taking place on the island’s west, where the sun sets over idyllic beaches.Mate Teeraniti of The RetreatHaving earned a rest, the Pajero pulls into The Retreat hotel near Kai Bae Beach. We take a comfy spot at the Ocean Terrace after checking in, then order a spicy green curry. A temporary stage nearby is waiting to be dismantled after hosting a 50-piece symphony orchestra. The 38-room resort and spa, designed by Bangkok-based Spacetime Architects, was opened by Mate Teeraniti and his parents in 2023. The Teeranitis’ relationship with this part of Thailand started out fairly typically for a Bangkok family (they didn’t go) before a customer of their mechanical and electrical engineering business opted to settle an outstanding bill with a hotel on Koh Chang called The Chill. “Koh Chang is not very well known and those who do know it have a preconceived idea that it’s difficult to get to,” says Teeraniti, whose childhood holidays were spent in Khao Yai, Hua Hin or Europe. The 29-year-old now visits Koh Chang once a month for business and takes part in the annual trail run. “People come here to relax, not to party,” he says. “The nature is incredible and it’s so different from Phuket and Samui. Once people see it for themselves they are always impressed.” Most of the island is a protected national park, so there’s a ceiling on the development; it will never become another Phuket, despite the recent appearance of big chains such as ihg. Teeraniti sits on the tourism committee and talks of managing growth carefully. “The scene has been maturing for the past two years – but slowly,” he says.Sea viewPool at The RetreatBringing the outside inRoom at The RetreatTo really escape the crowds, we must leave the Pajero and continue by foot. The 90-minute catamaran ride from Koh Chang’s southern pier provides an opportunity to catch up with the latest news about our final destination. The tiny island of Koh Kut hit the front pages in recent months because of an oil exploration deal signed with Cambodia in 2001 involving Thaksin Shinwatra, Thailand’s former leader and father of the current prime minister. Will we be greeted by flag-waving nationalists? The Thai navy? Far from it. When we disembark and make our way to the luxury Soneva Kiri resort, staff and guests seem to live in a different timezone, whizzing around on golf carts and following a “no shoes, no news” mantra. Any political squabble over this patch of Thailand, home to a few thousand Thai residents, says more about infighting in the capital than any genuine territorial dispute with Phnom Penh. Riding a Honda scooter under a cloudless blue sky, the scenery couldn’t be more different to Bangkok – or Phuket, Chiang Mai and Samui for that matter. There are no vans with loud hailers advertising muay thai fights. They aren’t even any beach hawkers. Shops sell fishing tackle, wine and whisky, in that order.Taking in the viewThe island’s main hotelier has named several properties after characters from Neverland: Captain Hook, Peter Pan and Wendy. As the sun sets on the clear, calm waters of Tinkerbell Beach, a few couples bob in the sea while a pair of paddleboarders glide along the horizon. In the morning a catamaran will reconnect us with our Pajero at Laem Chabang, ready for the six-hour drive back to Bangkok. But for now, there’s a fairytale ending to enjoy.Eastern Thailand address bookChon BuriStay: Andaz Pattaya Jomtien BeachA tranquil residential-style retreat set out around attractive landscaped gardens.345, Moo 3, Na Jomtien, Sattahip, Chon Buri, 20250Visit: Ocean Marina JomtienCharter a boat for a day of island-hopping. Koh Pai comes highly recommended.167/5 Sukhumvit Road, Tambon Na Jomtien, Sattahip, Chon Buri, 20250RayongDrink: Drift BarA reliably fun crowd gathers for sundowners at this relaxed beach bar run by three siblings.Ao Khai Beach, Klaeng, Rayong 21190Eat: Laem Charoen SeafoodFresh seafood served with a sea breeze and fishing boats moored nearby.1 Coastal Road, Rayong City, Rayong 21000ChanthaburiStay: EasterlyReserve one of the two well-appointed rooms that sit above this riverside brunch spot and bar in Chanthaburi’s sleepy old town.182 Khwang Road, Watmai, Chanthaburi City, Chanthaburi, 22000Eat: L’OeufA bakery and adjoining café run by a husband-and- wife team. Tasteful branding goes with tasty puddings and cakes.15 Maharaj Road, Wat Mai, Amphoe, Chanthaburi City, Chanthaburi, 22000TratStay: The RetreatA well-engineered two-storey hotel and spa with 38 rooms and a restaurant that extends out into the sea.10/7 Moo 4, Kai Bae Beach, Koh Chang, Trat, 23170Eat: The ViewSushi meets cerviche at one of Thailand’s most exclusive resorts.Soneva Kiri, Ko Kut, Trat, 23000Drink: The Deck BarSpend a lazy afternoon on the sun lounger and stay for early evening cocktails. There’s a pontoon to swim out to should things get a little too hot.Koh Kood Resort, Bang Bao Bay, 45 Moo 5, Koh Kut, Trat, 23120
Quinta do PinheiroAlgarveIt’s increasingly hard to find somewhere off the beaten track in the Algarve but Quinta do Pinheiro, a converted 19th-century farmstead, is one of them. Bordering the sandy dunes of Ria Formosa Park, this property is made up of five terracota-tiled cottages.Lisbon-based architect Frederico Valsassina preserved key features of the buildings, such as their prominent chimneys, and used traditional materials including cane strips to create rustic living quarters.A large water-storage tank once used by farmhands is now a pool. Each cottage comes equipped with a kitchen but Monocle restaurant favourite Noélia is a short drive east of the estate should you have a hankering for superb seafood.quintapinheiro.comStockholm StadshotellStockholmBuilt in the 1870s, this historic building at Björngårdsgatan 23 has been restored as a 32-key hotel with a lounge, a sauna and a cold plunge. “Many of the original details have been preserved,” says founding partner Johan Agrell. Stockholm Stadshotell also offers two restaurants, one of which, Matsalen, is in the former chapel. Chef Olle T Cellton dishes up contemporary Nordic fare, such as wood-grilled fish. “Matsalen is about cooking without ego,” says Agrell.The rooms and suites are rendered in muted tones, with furniture by Swedish company Tre Sekel, Italian linens from Liv Casas and bathroom fixtures by Lefroy Brooks. “The property’s architectural significance made it a compelling choice for a hotel because it has a soul,” says Agrell.stockholmstadshotell.comChiemgauhof Lakeside RetreatBavariaThe Chiemgauhof Lakeside Retreat overlooks Lake Chiemsee, an untamed expanse of water nicknamed the Bavarian Sea. Halfway between Munich and Salzburg in Übersee, the property was acquired by hoteliers Dieter Müller and his wife, Ursula Schelle-Müller, in 2021.Working with Milan-based designer Matteo Thun, they embarked on a major reconstruction. Thun conceived a contemporary barn built from larch, with oak-floored interiors and floor-to-ceiling windows that open up to the surrounding waters. In the restaurant, Maximilian Müller serves hearty Bavarian classics, while at the bar, Japanese chef Naoki Terai crafts sushi using fish caught from the lake.chiemgauhof.comHotelHumanoOaxacaThe so-called Mexican Pipeline on the country’s southern Pacific coast attracts an international surfing community to the town of Zicatela. Steps from the break at Playa Zicatela, Hotel Humano has become a popular stop-off. Architect Jorge Hernández de la Garza developed his idea with design firm Plantea Estudio for Mexico’s Grupo Habita. The result is a striking building defined by brutalist concrete and terracotta-coloured tiles offset by native tropical wood. The lobby, which opens onto the street, allows the interior and exterior to merge seamlessly.In Humano’s 39 guestrooms, handmade hazel-coloured tiles by San Pedro Ceramics nod to the 1970s, while ecru twill curtains divide the ocean-view suites. In the evenings, chef Marion Chateau of Marseille’s La Relève brings a refreshing fusion of French and Mexican flavours to the dinner table.hotel-humano.com
Mariah Nielson is leaning on a heavy wooden door to a cabin in Tomales Bay, California. The house – from the Japanese garden out front to the wide deck that overlooks a valley of mossy forest – was built by her father, modernist sculptor JB Blunk. We step into a serene, shadowy living room, where squares of golden light fall on oak floors and recessed tokonoma shelves arranged with carvings, flowers and trinkets. “I’ve been calling my return here ‘the reckoning’,” says Nielson, a design curator who moved back to California last year after a long career in London. “I’ve been peripatetic for 20 years – always moving, always on flights, always changing apartments or jobs. But here, there’s a consistency and a rhythm that I feel I’m tuning in to.”Blunk apprenticed with master Japanese potters and was a maestro with a chainsaw. He turned fallen logs into fine furniture and petroglyph-like forms, such as the tall, somewhat mysterious archway that welcomes visitors to the house. It sits at the top of a winding lane cloaked in laurel and oak trees, high above the south shore of Tomales Bay. The enclave is only a 90-minute drive from San Francisco but it has a totally different state of mind; poet Robert Bly, who lived locally, wrote about hills that “roll all the way to the sea”. Blunk moved to the area in 1957, seeking space to find his voice as an artist.The Lodge at Marconi“People thought that he was mad to leave the city,” says Nielson. Yet 60 years later, his daughter is following in his footsteps – and she’s not alone. Many people are turning their backs on the promise of the US technology mecca for a quieter life in nature. Nielson, meanwhile, came back to Tomales Bay to continue tending to her late father’s legacy and the Blunk estate, which now hosts designers and artists; somewhere they could take time out to reconnect with their craft. During our visit to the house, London-based ceramicist Francesca Anfossi was just setting the clay on a new body of work. Nielson has also opened an art gallery named Blunk Space in the area’s only proper town, Point Reyes, and new work made at the house is being exhibited there, along with Blunk’s pieces.Blunk’s story is an echo of what many here are trying to achieve: creative renewal beyond the big city. Though close to San Francisco in well-heeled Marin County, Tomales Bay has remained remote. There are no tourist-trap hotels, few estate agents’ signs and dining is low-key (but great). A gentle process of rediscovery is under way as a new generation arrives seeking inspiration.Catherine Bailey of Heath CeramicsMarshall Fisherman’s Camp by HeathThe bay’s first new hotel in years has recently opened and there is a smattering of new places to dine. Nick’s Cove, one longstanding restaurant that draws in fans from the city, has turned its row of waterside cottages into short-term lets and crafting sheds for visiting artists. Some are choosing to stick around: Los Angeles-based design studio Commune is currently working on several houses dotted around the bay, creating holiday homes for city folk, some of whom decamp to the area to turn their hand to ceramics, painting and sculpture.A single two-lane road follows the gently lapping bay that disappears in sea fog in the early mornings. To drive it is to circumnavigate an awe-inspiring geography – the San Andreas Fault bisects the area, so each side sits on a different continental shelf. The south is heavily wooded, with the air perfumed by the cola-like scent of sagebrush, while the opposite side is starker, with rolling hills and working dairy farms that were founded by Swiss émigrés at the turn of the 20th century.River refresherOn the banks of the bay, Catherine Bailey and Robin Petravic – who run homeware brand Heath Ceramics in Sausalito – have restored a fishing cottage for their own weekend retreat, and have begun opening it to guests in the past year. “It was once a fishing village of one-room shacks, all made from redwood trees,” says Petravic, while leading us through a living room adorned with flowers, art and a floor of Heath tiles that has the brown hue of raw clay. Some years ago, a previous owner consolidated these shacks under a single roof. The couple’s restoration has turned what was a fishing cottage with poky windows into a cosy hideaway with broad views of the water and the windsurfers carving up the waves.“We’re happiest when we’re camping,” says Bailey, who spent the morning swimming off the jetty. “This is the closest we can get to that while still being in a house.” Bailey has found inspiration and perspective from being around this body of water. “This place feeds our projects now,” she says. “I’m currently working with seaweed.” The bay’s most sought-after bounty is its oysters. Shellfish that have grazed on this seabed are now shucked all over the state. Some three million oysters were harvested locally last year. One custodian of that brood is the Hog Island Oyster Company, whose co-founder, John Finger, came out to Tomales Bay expecting to return to the East Coast after a few years. But he fell in love with the area and decided to stay. From a tiny shack, named after a spit of land out in the bay, Hog Island’s operations have expanded to several restaurants, a hatchery and saltworks dotted around northern California.Home Studios designed the Marconi’s interiorsMariah Nielson, daughter of JB BlunkThe Marshall Store, a Tomales Bay institution, serves regional oysters and crisp sonoma wine at the water’s edge, with a simple setup of benches and clear views. There are only a handful of restaurants in the area and accommodation in Tomales Bay has always been sparse – but a new arrival is shaking things up. The Lodge at Marconi sits on a forested hillside of national parkland and was once a radio outpost of the Marconi company, built in the 1930s to receive telegraph transmissions from across the ocean. The masts have long since come down, the estate remains mostly intact and has had a bucolic redesign by New York-based Home Studios, with retreat-like rooms of spartan design that foreground bishop pines rustling outside the windows. The charcoal-coloured cabins are reminiscent of the sea ranch architectural style found a little further up California’s coast.Local bookshop Point Reyes Books is a West Coast literary landmark; author Robert Macfarlane held a book launch there and brought the town to a standstill. It has passed through various owners, with each successive owner vetted by the last. Its latest custodians are Molly Parent and Stephen Sparks. They keep its shelves stocked with broad lists of new travel writing, photography books and poetic paeans to northern California’s mountains, forests and ocean. “We had fantasised about this bookshop because we would come up here on day trips from San Francisco and came to love this area,” says Parent. “It is the quintessential small-town bookstore.”Samantha Kimmey of Point Reyes BooksArtist Rio KobayashiEven the local newspaper has a story to tell. ThePoint Reyes Lightunearthed the goings-on of a cult called Synanon in the 1970s and helped to have the group shut down. TheLightwon a Pulitzer Prize and gained national attention. It still has a newsroom in town, keeping an eye on community affairs from week to week.Getting out of the city has the potential to reframe one’s creative endeavours. Nothing offers perspective like a little distance. That was particularly true for Evan Shively, who worked as a chef before moving to the hills outside Tomales, hoping to reinvent himself as a furniture designer. He became fascinated by the sculptural qualities of the logs found in northern California and his lumberyard, Arborica, has a renowned inventory of salvaged wood, from burnt eucalyptus to what he calls “baroque” husks sought out by artists including Welsh sculptor David Nash.Helping others realise their vision in wood, Shively explains, has given him a sense of permanence that’s rooted in the landscape of Tomales Bay. “I gave my youth to the kitchen,” he says, as we stop to admire one silvery and dramatic knot of roots. “But I wanted to make something that didn’t disappear at the end of every day.”Shell company“This is a pristine body of water,” says Hog Island Oyster Company co-founder John Finger, after we’ve polished off a few cucumber-flavoured Kumamoto oysters, hauled up from the bay that morning. Finger, the so-called “head hog”, explains that the tides expose the oysters to the open air every day, causing the sweetest part, the central muscle, to thicken and grow as the shell opens and closes. Originally from Long Island, Finger says that a group including environmentalists and ranchers from the area have prevented Tomales Bay from becoming just another exclusive enclave, a Hamptons of the West Coast. “There’s still that foundation of a working place here,” he says.Catch of the dayThe house of sculptor JB BlunkEvan Shively at ArboricaLounge at The LodgeTomales Bay address bookStayFisherman’s CottageThe couple behind Heath Ceramics have rescued waterside shacks and turned them into a homely retreat.marshallfishermanscamp.comDineSaltwaterServing oysters from the bay and crisp Sonoma wines in a dining room in Inverness.saltwateroysterdepot.comShopMonk EstateLazuli Whitt presents inspiring one-off jewellery pieces from European markets, as well as books and homeware.monkestate.comShopPoint Reyes BooksA bright light of literary northern California with a thoughtful selection of nature and travel writing to inspire local rambles.ptreyesbooks.comSeeBlunk SpaceAn art gallery run by the daughter of sculptor JB Blunk, showing new work relevant to Tomales Bay.blunkspace.com
It’s hard not to be seduced by the French Riviera – a sun-drenched coastline where cerulean waters meet terracotta towns. Sure, it’s also known for flashy Ferraris but a more considered visit takes in its timeless elegance, hilltop views and quiet coves. Here, you’ll find our selection of hotels offering tranquility away from the summer crowds of the Côte d’Azur. And to help you find your feet, the head concierge at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antonio Casinhas-Travassos, shares his under-the-radar recommendations for those keen to venture out from one of these peaceful bases. Into the blue: View over Menton(Image: Alamy)For a leisurely walk, Travassos suggests Le Sentier du Littoral, a coastal path that starts at Plage de la Garoupe. “It offers dramatic views of the Mediterranean, hidden coves and a surprisingly wild natural landscape,” he says, adding that “it’s especially magical at sunrise or sunset, and parts of it feel completely untouched by tourism.” Though it’s more of a leisurely stroll than a mountain hike, Travassos suggests decent shoes as some parts are rocky and can be slippery.If you’re considering prizing yourself away from squashy mattresses and coveted loungers for a daytrip, Travassos encourages a visit to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a picturesque hilltop village full of artistic heritage. His highlight? Exploring the Fondation Maeght, a modern art museum tucked away in a peaceful pine forest, featuring works by Joan Miró, Alberto Giacometti and Marc Chagall. “After the museum, I love heading to Château Saint-Martin & Spa for a leisurely lunch. The setting is breathtaking, with panoramic views over the Riviera, and the cuisine is as refined as the surroundings. It’s the perfect blend of culture, history and indulgence – all just a short drive away.” If that’s enough to tempt you to the Riviera this summer, here’s some hotels that we’re sure you’ll find more than suitable.The best stays in the French Riviera1.NiceBefore heading west from the airport, it’s worth spending some time in Nice’s Hôtel du Couvent. Its 2024 opening has been part of the city’s major revival, which has been drawing a cooler crowd. When the owner, Valéry Grégo, stumbled upon the magnificent building, it was totally dilapidated. The former nunnery was completely overhauled by husband-and-wife design duo Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay, with decor that includes wooden furniture, modest paintings and natural linens. It is understated and restrained, unlike anything that you might expect to find on a coastline otherwise dominated by glitzy villas and over-the-top hotels. Though the property is set in the centre of Nice, it feels worlds away from the busy city. Below ground, you’ll even find peaceful Roman baths. 2.AntibesWhen you eventually decide to head west, make your way straight to Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, which remains one of the area’s most timeless and elegant escapes. The ocean-facing hotel, set on a 22.5-acre property with a grove of ancient pine trees and a carefully clipped rose garden, has been a staple along the coastline since the late 1800s. It has a storied past, once welcoming guests such as Ernest Hemingway and Marlene Dietrich. In the 1960s, Chagall famously sketched inside the oceanside cabanas, which are rentable today.The hotel remains a draw for those shying away from the spotlight and crowds. The rooms – either in the main house or down by the ocean – offer complete privacy, with windows and doors that frame the turquoise sea. At The Grill restaurant, patrons order magnums of rosé and platters of fresh fish. Those looking for even more peace and quiet can check into the newly opened Villa La Guettière, a nine-suite Provençal-style house on 6,500 sq metres of secluded gardens, which is a two-minute drive away and forms part of the hotel’s villa collection. Inside the terracotta-roofed cottage, walls are lined with staggering artworks such as a painting by Tom Wesselmann and a print by Takashi Murakami. Days here are spent lounging by the pool that rolls onto a lawn or eating long lunches under the wisteria-covered patio backed by the Med.Beyond compare: Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc(Image: Romain Reglade)Don’t miss the boat: Seaside dining(Image: JM Sordello)3.Théoule-sur-MerChâteau de Théoule, which opened in 2024, also offers a surprising pocket of calm from the chaos. Set in an old soap factory about 30 minutes’ drive from Cannes, in the town of Théoule-sur-Mer, the property is carved into the cliffside. Relaxation is the order of the day here, whether it’s soaking up the sun on rosy-pink sunbeds under fringed umbrellas on a private slice of the Plage du Château, or lingering over a steaming bowl of squid tagliatelle in the restaurant’s breezy terraces. 4.Saint-RaphaëlContinuing even further west, those looking for something more low-key can check into Les Roches Rouges in Saint-Raphaël, which was recently expanded by Paris-based studio ASL. A bright white mid-century building with nods to modernist architecture, the studio kept the spaces simple, allowing its surroundings – the shimmering Mediterranean and red hills of the Estérel – to shine. The infinity pool is a treat in itself, offering incredible views over an endless sea. Mellow yellow: Les Roches Rouges(Image: Benoit Linero)Cane reaction: The lounge(Image: Bureau APO)On the rocks: Seawater pool(Image: Bureau APO)Want more stories like these in your inbox?Sign up to Monocle’s email newsletters to stay on top of news and opinion, plus the latest from the magazine, radio, film and shop.Your EmailSubscribe
Lanzarote is known as the “island of 1,000 volcanoes” and its dramatic landscapes are vivid reminders of nature’s power. “Don’t worry – only one of the volcanoes is considered active,” says longtime resident Adrián Nicolás von Boettinger, as he leads Monocle through Lagomar, an architectural marvel built into an old rock quarry. At first glance, Lagomar’s façade barely registers as part of a building. The semi-subterranean structure features rooms, tunnels and terraces; only the balconies, stairs and footbridges, which cut into the rock surface, offer a sense of structure, while looking like beads of icing flowing down the side of an uneven cake.Lagomar encapsulates how Lanzarote, the easternmost of the Canary Islands, has grabbed the design world’s attention since the 1960s with its idiosyncratic combination of oddity and invention. Its lava-hewn landscapes are arresting spectacles that can help to unlock architects’ imaginations; the inhospitable landscape, however, also prompts sobering civic discussions. The island has long been grappling with questions of how to live within its limitations and make the most of tourism without being overwhelmed.With his sister, Tatyana, Von Boettinger took over the Lagomar property from their parents, architects from Germany and Uruguay, who bought the cliffside home in a state of disrepair in 1989. “There was so much mystique surrounding the building that they put down a deposit for it without even stepping inside,” says Tatyana, who adds that it was once home to Egyptian film star Omar Sharif.View from LagomarAfter a gun-toting squatter was politely paid to leave the premises, the site underwent several years of structural improvements. In 1997 the house finally reopened as an architectural museum; more recently it was renovated as a restaurant, bar and music venue (plans for an artist’s residency are also in the works). It’s a microcosm of the island’s identity crisis: a vision for the future that’s firmly anchored to the past.Lagomar is unique but in some ways it isn’t alone. Since the 1960s the island has walked a tourism tightrope in order to transform an agrarian society into a modern one, while trying to balance economic and ecological sustainability. From the 1960s to the late 1980s, artist and sculptor César Manrique was the island’s visionary-in-chief and, in effect, its architectural art director. Aghast by the postwar construction boom on neighbouring islands Tenerife and Gran Canaria, Manrique championed an ethos for Lanzarote that honoured the landscape, preserved tradition and resisted harmful development. He also designed scores of the traditionally inspired structures hewn into the island’s almost extra-terrestrial looking rocks.Decorative tilesStairwell at Mirador del RioManrique’s less-is-more vision often sat uncomfortably with the island’s financial and political ambitions. The tourism sector, in particular, bridled at the idea of being constrained by an artist’s whims. Over the years, many hotels of varying standards were built and entire coastal towns turned into holiday resorts – much to the chagrin of Manrique, who agitated for restraint until his death in 1992.To some, the artist and sculptor’s message was nuanced and prescient; to others, however, it was plain confusing. The house where he lived between 1968 and 1988, built into a petrified lava field, is now the base of his eponymous foundation. Among its exhibits is a video of Manrique warning about the island’s existential decay and criticising various beachfront hotels, mostly in front of the kind of visitors who stay in such places. It’s unclear whether his fervent approach was persuasive or just made those listening feel unwelcome.“It’s not tourists that people are tired of,” says restaurateur Georgia Coles. “We love them and live off them. The problem is the tired model of tourism.” Today is the soft-opening of her new venture, La Lapa, and the first-day fluster is palpable. Coles steadies the ship, keeping an eye on the hungry guests in the dining room, while telling Monocle about some of the local tensions in the front bar. “In summer the taps in some of Lanzarote’s towns run dry but then we see hotels’ water supply safeguarded,” she says. “Residents can feel like their concerns are secondary.”This delicate balance – between local and visitors’ interests, between too many tourists and too few – is on everyone’s lips. “Lanzarote teaches you how to live with very little,” says Zoe Barceló, an art director from Alicante who started a new life here with his partner, Geo Giner, a fashion designer from Barcelona. They tell us about their previous work lives, in which demanding deadlines meant more than 10 hours of screen time a day. “This is sort of a pre-retirement,” says Giner with a grin, gesturing at his surroundings. Looking for a rental property, the couple found a run-down toolshed andperrera(a house for hunting dogs). They have transformed both into an impressively appointed modern home and studio.“We have seen more people coming to the island looking for peace, sometimes silence,” says Giner. But life didn’t stay quiet for long for the pair, whose new landscape-inspired clothing brand, Latitud Fuego, taps into the surf culture that’s thriving in coastal towns such as Caleta de Famara. Selling pieces sourced mainly from Portugal but embroidered by a Lanzarote-based artist, they started with 200 garments, which quickly sold out. The couple also juggle consulting work with other small businesses, helping to upgrade menus, signage and merchandise. “Manrique remains an inspiration,” says Barceló. “His legacy gives the island a conscience.”Gina and BarcelóFor those working Lanzarote’s crater-strewn land, Manrique-style ideas of minimal intervention are more than just theoretical, given how difficult it is to cultivate crops here. Self-taught winemakers Eamon López O’Rourke and Laura Fábregas Camacho are the married couple behind a winery called Cohombrillo. The 13-hectare site hosts bi-weekly tastings in a garage. “Our techniques help us to make do with very little,” says O’Rourke. “We try to stay attuned to the limitations and wisdom of the land. Lately, we have been getting a lot of visitors from Japan who are curious about how we cultivate the volcanic soil.” He points to a pallet loaded with 300 bottles earmarked for export to Asia, underlining what that means for business.María José Alcántara Palop is the director of MIAC, a fort turned-modern art museum, as well as of Lanzarote’s biennale. The current edition, which runs until 30 June, features excursions around volcanoes that morph into panel discussions and performances staged inside “teleclubs” – rural bars known for bringing the first televisions to the island’s remote villages. “Lanzarote needs more artists and more spaces – to be more courageous and insistent, even in the face of resistance from a bureaucracy that’s stuck in its ways,” says Palop, who worked with Manrique when he was younger. “He taught us to be bold, to honour the island’s singularity. He envisioned Lanzarote as a beacon for creativity.”Room at Villa TenorYves Drieghe and Bert Pieters swapped their 20 sq m rooftop garden in Belgium for a 20,000 sq m hillside farm near the town of Los Valles. They refurbished the farmhouse, transforming it into a residence for writers, painters and makers that they named Hektor. Guests are encouraged to adhere to the island’s logic. “Small is beautiful,” says Drieghe. “Nature and the locals require respect.” The farm has gradually also become a kind of animal shelter, with a donkey, a duck, two pigs, some sheep and Frits the dog wandering the grounds.Older generations of residents have been welcoming of new arrivals, as long as they respect the island and its people. “In our case, we held up a mirror to the beauty of their community and what they did so well,” says Drieghe, pointing to farming practices that harness the soil’s mineral richness despite the paucity of rainfall. “Meanwhile, artists bring with them new visions about what the island is and what it could be.”Kamezi restuarantPrior to this, Drieghe and Pieters ran an agency overseeing big projects, a small magazine shop and a café. “It’s no wonder we were stressed,” says Pieters, laughing. They apply their new stripped down life philosophy to the artists staying in Hektor, who don’t have to submit works at the end of their residency. “We have removed all of the pressure,” says Drieghe. “The same goes for us: there’s no intention to expand.”Lanzarote address bookStayThe Martínez family turned the estate of César Manrique’s grandfather into the 20-key César Lanzarote hotel, operated by the Annua Signature group. There’s also Casa de Las Flores, Palacio ICO and Buenavista Lanzarote. Serviced residences such as Villa Tenor offer more privacy.EatKamez í was awarded the island’s first Michelin star. Its Basque founder and architect Koldo Agurren designed a row of sea-facing domed structures where guests can enjoy a drink before tucking into a dinner prepared by no fewer than 16 chefs. Other high-end restaurants, such as SeBe and La Tegala, have more of the playful flair that the Canaries are known for. La Lapa in Arrecife is a fresh take on a traditional seafood café. Further south, Bodega de Uga offers an excellent wine selection and satisfying meaty dishes.DrinkWinemaker Cohombrillo’s tasting sessions offer more than just insights into wine and cheese: they also reveal aspects of the island’s character. Hand-picked grapes are carried down the mountain on foot. “I call our type of viticulture ‘heroic winemaking’, because it has an enhanced human touch,” says co-founder Laura Fábregas Camacho. Also visit micro-brewery and bar Cervezas Nao in Arrecife.SeeA tour of Manrique’s architectural masterpieces is essential. With architect Jesús Soto, he made fantasy a reality in standout works including Jameos Del Agua, Mirador del Río, the MIAC museum’s sea-facing restaurant and the Monumento al Campesino.Getting your bearingsThe easternmost of the Canary Islands, Lanzarote (population: 163,000) is 125km off the north coast of Africa and 1,000km south of Spain. Its capital, Arrecife, is in the south. The airport serves 84 European destinations. Taxis are fine for towns but the best way to see the island is by renting a car.
It’s pretty rare, as a restaurant critic, that I become immersed in the niceties of theological debate – but that’s the rabbit hole in which I found myself recently. At an Anglican Eucharist service in Cambridge, I heard the priest issue a warning from the pulpit that anyone intolerant to gluten should not step forward to receive the host.Some of the greatest schisms in the church have developed around the complexities of transubstantiation – whether, at what point and how the blessed bread and wine transform into the actual body and blood of Christ. There is a gigantic quantity of writing about the practical details. I willingly plunged in to find out.The Church teaches that to be valid, the Eucharist “must be offered with bread and with wine in which a little water must be mixed”. The Code of Canon Law specifies that bread “must be only wheat, and recently made so that there is no danger of spoiling”. So can you have a “gluten-free host”? Not if it’s made solely from wheat, as prescribed. And so, faced with the awful possibility of having to opine on whether the flesh of the son of God, at the point of transubstantiation, is fully gluten-free, Canon Law has stuck with the marginally less controversial ruling that coeliacs shouldn’t take communion. My point? If you think religious law is confused, take a look at the hospitality sector.As well as writing about food, I run a café and bakery. In common with many of my colleagues in the hospitality industry, we handled the food-intolerance issue badly at first. We were baffled, incredulous and often angry when a vast surge of allergies and sensitivities presented themselves in our dining rooms. When the hell did everyone start thinking that a bakery was a good place to expect gluten-free food? Nut allergies and anaphylaxis, we could handle, we were trained. Besides, we reasoned to ourselves, people with EpiPens had always known how to handle themselves. But this new stuff was uncharted territory.And then the law changed. Governments across Europe began legislating for product labelling and new service behaviours across the food industry to meet the problem. The costs of complying were astronomical, the cost of failure unimaginable. For a while, the genuine rage in the industry was palpable. We knew that allergies were a serious issue; they always had been. But now law was being written pandering to the worried, the neurotic and the self-diagnosers. Ask any front-of-house staff and even today they’ll have 100 war stories of customers ordering an egg-white omelette “with no egg” or finishing a diligently prepared gluten-free meal by spontaneously diving into the chocolate cake. And it’s not just a few tales retold; every single person working in hospitality had regular experience of customers “crying wolf”. Then things changed again.It’s difficult to pinpoint any exact moment. Certainly, as the numbers increased, everyone knew people with intolerances or allergies personally. Allergies and intolerances affected everyone. In supermarkets and food manufacturing, the changes in labelling progressed. You couldn’t miss the aisles of “free-from” food and the increasingly detailed labels wherever you shopped. But hospitality required more nuanced changes in attitudes and behaviour.Today, the question arrives right at the top of the order of service: “Does anyone at the table have any allergies we should know about? Let me get you some menus.” Your preferences are carefully noted and acted on. Restaurants now talk about “dietaries” in the same way they talk about wine preferences or whether a customer is a decent tipper. There’s no more judgement of an individual customer avoiding hot spices or members of the nightshade family than there would be of avoiding peanuts or pork. We’re geared up for it now, and whether your preference reflects millennia of your culture or something you heard last week from a very thin person on Tiktok – be it a diagnosed medical condition or a complete whim – it’s nobody’s damn business but yours as an individual.Is this a sign that the hospitality industry has grown up a bit? Well, yes, but customers have changed too. High-maintenance punters still delight in giving staff the run-around with complicated requirements but there have always been people like that. Before they realised that they could request “nothing red on the plate”, they would have been complaining about the noise of the air-conditioning, the proximity of the bathroom or deploring the placement of a side plate. They’ll always be with us. Meanwhile, the eternally fretful “picky eaters” have moved on to part-time veganism, fear of carbohydrates or plant-based dietary demands. There’s still a long way to go but, importantly, a more mutual trust has grown and people with genuine allergies or intolerances are beginning to feel heard.Perhaps the best indicator of this is the presence on menus, along with a slew of “free-from” options, of the ubiquitous quiet announcement, “While we try to ensure that our products are made without allergens, they may be used in our kitchens. Please ask your server for details.” This isn’t a disclaimer; it’s a discreet invitation to talk. You want to see exactly what allergens are in every dish on the menu, sure. We have a stack of spreadsheets as thick as a loaf of bread. But we can sort this out a lot more comfortably with a 30-second chat, at the end of which everyone feels heard, understood and, above all, safe.There’s a model in psychoanalytic theory called Transactional Analysis, which posits that both sides in a relationship will occupy one of the three “ego states”: parent, adult or child. If one participant acts like a child, the other is inclined to, or sometimes forced into, acting like a parent, and vice versa. In therapy, the aim is to achieve a simple equilibrium, a grown-up state where I, as an adult, speak to you, also an adult.For a long time, the hospitality industry, shocked by the pace and manner of change, behaved like children, refusing to take responsibility for the food we served, forcing the customers to do all the grown-up thinking. Sometimes, customers behaved like children, expecting the industry to cater automatically to their every imagined need, forcing us to take control and responsibility.Today it feels as though we might finally be communicating, talking about a shared responsibility like adults. It’s a more relaxed and hospitable state of affairs. We care about you as guests; you trust us as hosts. It’s how it was always supposed to be. And that should have our blessings.About the writer:Hayward is an award-winning British writer, broadcaster, restaurateur and “unrepentant food geek”. His latest book, Steak: The Whole Story, was published in 2024 by Quadrille.
Food&DrinkLa BouillabaisseSaint-TropezWhen you think of Saint-Tropez, the glitzy party hot spots along Pampelonne beach are what probably come to mind – Nikki Beach, say, with its lively pool area, bustling bar and pumping DJ sets. But to the west of southern France’s quintessential summer destination lies what many of the area’s residents consider to be the town’s real soul: the Plage de la Bouillabaisse. Once known as Saint-Tropez’splage de la mode, the private beach was a favourite stamping ground of the 1960s jet set, with the likes of actress Jane Fonda andnouvelle vaguefilmmaker François Truffaut holidaying on its white sands. Dining on custom-designed director’s chairsLa Bouillabaisse remains a go-to for many in this part of the world – among them Ludovic Moutet, who runs the laid-back, century-old club that gave this beach its name. “La Bouillabaisse brings together the people of Saint-Tropez, whether they own a villa in the surrounding hills or are just back here for their summer holidays,” he says. “These are the folks who loyally return every year to their table, parasol and sunbed. We’re far away from the DJ sets and champagne-fuelled celebrations that you find elsewhere in the area.”When we join Moutet for a mid-morning coffee on the ocean-facing terrace, he is greeting a steady stream of evenly tanned beachgoers flocking to their chosen lounger for a day under the Mediterranean sun. “You come mainly to come back,” he says. The same holds true for the staff: many of them have worked here for years and know the regulars by name, as well as whether or not they take a slice of lemon in their sparkling water. This summer, La Bouillabaisse reopens with a refreshed look, courtesy of Marseille- and Paris-based agency Mews, which has dreamt up a nostalgia-tinged décor complete with a seashell-inspired bar by Bella Hunt&ddc and custom-designed director’s chairs in the dining area.La Bouillabaisse’s bar menuSundowners“We were working in a territory between memory and reinvention,” says creative director Laëtitia Toulouse, whose team took a deep dive into the club’s archives for the redesign. “Our aim was to restore the venue’s deep-rooted identity, while anchoring it in the present – and looking ahead to its future too.” Of course, no beach club would be complete without a place in which to while away the hours and soak up some rays. As we enjoy the scene from the shade, sunseekers stretch out on the loungers lining the beach, while other guests retreat beneath the pastel-blue-and-white-striped parasols.And because swimming and lounging are sure to work up an appetite, the food menu has been rethought, with Julien Sebbag serving up sunny, sharing-friendly specialities from across the Mediterranean. Think grilled aubergine croquettes, broccoli guacamole and stracciatella-drizzled confit red peppers. The self-taught chef is best known for his meat-free options, having made a name for himself with the all-veggie Créatures on the rooftop of Paris’s Galeries Lafayette, as well as picking up plaudits for his omelette-filled challahs athis first-arrondissement sandwich spot, Micho.Summer uncorkedMixed to perfectionHere he has integrated his vegetable-focused menu with a range of seafood classics, such as fried sardines and sole meunière. It’s a nod to La Bouillabaisse’s origins as a restaurant in the early 1900s, long before it welcomed beachgoers with the addition ofcabine de bainsin 1932. Back then, the spot churned out grilled fish, langoustines and, yes, bouillabaisse for hungry holidaymakers and local fishermen alike. Today, La Bouillabaisse is a place to soak up the ambience of the coast: the only soundtrack playing is the clinking of cutlery and the gentle roll of the waves.labouillabaisseplage.frFood&DrinkOli BarCadaquésWhen Catalan chef Vito Oliva opened Talla in 2012, the people of Cadaqués – a town about an hour and a half by car from the southern French city of Perpignan and two hours from Barcelona – didn’t immediately take to his food. “Back then, the area was just beginning to transform,” he tells Monocle. The rugged fishing town was once a haunt of Salvador Dalí and frequented by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró. It was a place where people were more accustomed to eating the aquatic bounty found along the town’s rocky promontory.Now Oliva has opened Oli Bar with Italian marketing professional Valentina Audisio and Catalan chef Monty Aguiló, who hatched their plan after meeting in London while working for the hospitality group of Extremaduran chef-restaurateur José Pizarro. Oliva and Aguiló had worked in Spain, Germany and Australia over the previous two decades before they cooked up the idea for Talla in Cadaqués.Oli Bar operates from inside a converted oil mill. It serves British-inspiredplatillosincluding scotch eggs and Guinness cake, as well as dishes such as Basque-style seabass and game tartare with Mallorcansobrasadasausage.The wine list is equally eclectic. Drinkers can choose a carafe of Galician albariño, German riesling or a Piedmontese nebbiolo. And instead of Catalanpa amb tomàquet, at Oli Bar you’ll find fresh house focaccia studded with black olives and slathered in irresistible smoked butter from Barcelona-based dairy Rooftop Smokehouse. “When we lived in London, we used to love sitting at the counter at a Thai restaurant therecalled Kiln,” says Audisio. That’s why the stainless-steel bar that encircles an open kitchen is the heart of the dining room.olibarcadaques.comFood&DrinkRadical FarmhouseLiguriaTake a short drive uphill from the pebble beach at Lavagna in Italy’s Liguria region and you’ll soon find yourself in another world. From the gates of Radical Farmhouse, a path winds towards a red stucco villa, in front of which stand tables shaded by a pergola and a canopy of olive trees. From here stretches a smallholding where everything from cherry trees, beans and artichokes to wild strawberries and fragrant herbs is grown.Radical Farmhouse is the new project from Caterina Ravano, who hails from Lugano in Switzerland, and her partner, Segundo Achinelli, from Buenos Aires. “There was a gap in the market,” says Ravano, who launched the business in April. Its farm kitchen is fully vegetarian and sources ingredients almost entirely from the surrounding land. “There weren’t many places like this in Liguria. Our central message is the value of relatively simple food, sharing and understanding the land.”The pair are taking their fledgling farm business step by step as its popularity spreads through word of mouth. There are plans to add accommodation at some point but, for now, olive trees must be pruned and weekend guests be taken care of. “People come here to be outside and in the garden,” says Ravano. “That’s the character of the place.”radicalfarm.bioHospitalityHotel CorazónMallorcaMallorca’s 15-room Hotel Corazón sits on the brow of the rocky Tramuntana, beside a wiggly road that courses down to the hippy- and-rich village of Deià. It is now welcoming guests for its third season, under the watchful eyes of co-owners Kate Bellm and Edgar Lopez. The former is a fashion photographer who has shot for publications such asVogue(think siren-like naked women swimming in the ocean). She and Lopez clearly know how topull a cool crowd. Their house on the hill does away with any primness or need to be on your best behaviour. Instead, it’s a fun spot where models, musicians and other creatives come to holiday.For this summer, the duo have redesigned their dining spaces, including the sunny terrace, with the help of London-based designer and Ballearic regular Tatjana von Stein. Gone are the traditional wooden chairs; in their place are cocooning, circular benches and red-marble tables made by a local stone mason.The food is also a big draw. The hotel’s head chef, Eliza Parchanska, makes good use of produce grown by the farmer in residence, Emma Galea. It’s a partnership that results in bowls of flavoursome salads, dishes strewn with edible flowers and a cheese brioche that will linger in your dreams for days.hotelcorazon.com
The 50-minute flight from Perth to Albany, Western Australia, sets a fitting tone for the rural adventure that lies ahead. We head south in a Saab 340, a 34-seater, twin- engine turboprop. Passengers lean across the narrow aisle to chat and the sole flight attendant joins in on the small talk as she hands out tea and biscuits. Later she whips out a pen to tally how many aboard need taxis upon landing.With a population just shy of 40,000, Albany is the largest town in The Great Southern, a region in Western Australia that is dominated by livestock and crops, delicious and underrated wines, and some of the world’s most beautiful, and emptiest, stretches of coastline. The town’s interlocking influences – its swashbuckling, whale- hunting heritage and the genteel elegance of its colonial architecture – give it an unusual charm.It’s also a port, surrounded by great seafood. Our first stop is Ocean and Paddock for fish and chips and catch of the day, which might be grilled snapper, nannygai, which is native to Australian waters, or even hammerhead shark.Monocle hires a car and heads out of town; within minutes, low-lying bungalows give way to fields studded with hay bales and drowsy cattle. We speed west on National Route One, the 14,500km ring road that circumnavigates Australia, spotting kangaroos and emus as we go.Melissa Boughey and David Britten of Moombaki Wines at home on their vineyardOur next stop, an hour’s drive west of Albany, is Moombaki Wines, run by husband and wife David Britten and Melissa Boughey. They moved to The Great Southern 30 years ago and bought about 40 hectares of land – not quite enough to raise cattle but perfect for a small vineyard. They planted shiraz, malbec, cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, as well as a copse of indigenous tingle trees, which line the driveway and add to the land’s biodiversity. “We love being in nature, growing things and appreciating the seasons,” says Boughey, who is also an artist. “You really notice everything.” Her studio overlooks the valley and its colours and textures inspire her painting. She finds a paper map of the area and sketches a route. We follow her suggestions, wandering under centuries-old trees in the Valley of the Giants and exploring beaches with wide shorelines, lapping waves and not a soul in sight.Valley of the Giants treetop walkWe stop in Denmark, a small town about half an hour’s drive from Moombaki, for that Australian classic, the ham and cheese toastie at a small café, before capping off the day at Elephant Rocks beach, so named for the huge stones that shield bathers from the intimidating waves of the Southern Ocean and provide ideal springboards from which to leap into the turquoise water.For the night, Aiyana Retreat, just outside Denmark, offers private villas and a spa; for a more rustic form of luxury, there are Upland Farm’s chic cabins nearby. We begin the next morning as one must in Australia: with impeccable flat whites and avocado toast at Ravens Coffee in Denmark. After exploring the town, we drive 10 minutes to The Lake House, a winery with a picturesque restaurant and the option to pick up a packed lunch in a hamper for a lakeside picnic. “It ticks all the boxes,” says Gary Capelli, who runs the winery with his wife, Leanne Rogers. He calls Denmark “an idyllic country town”.Olive groves at Alkoomi WinesBack in the car, we pass handwritten advertisements for organic honey and blueberries and spot more kangaroos. We opt for the scenic route through Mount Lindesay National Park. The lush pastoral countryside turns into a sparser, drier beauty as we drive, crowded with thin, fraying spines of jarrah, karri and tingle trees. All of a sudden we’re in open country – no more trees, just low-growing bush and rock – and the dirt track beneath us is the unmistakable red of the Australian outback. Then the red becomes white and we see black husks of trees, survivors of a recent bush fire. We keep going, mesmerised by the starkness. But this is four-by-four terrain and the tyres on our rental are shifting uneasily on the sandy ground, so we turn back – this is not the best place to be stranded with no phone service. Soon after turning around, we pull over to help a holidaying Scottish motorcyclist haul his glossy Honda CB500X out of the deep rut in which it has become mired – a reminder of what might have happened to us. About two hours later we reach Frankland River, a town of about 350 residents that makes Denmark look like Albany, Albany look like Perth and Perth look like Tokyo. We drop into the general store, where a man in a bush hat recommends dinner at the country club across the road. He promises that the food is good; just as well, since it’s the only option in town. We ask whether we need a reservation and he laughs us out of the shop.We’re staying smack in the middle of the vineyards in Alkoomi Wines, in a wooden chalet with a wraparound veranda, built on low stilts to prevent snakes slithering through the door. We dip warm bread into Alkoomi olive oil – we can see the grove from where we are sitting – and sample wines ranging from a springy young riesling to a rich 15-year-old shiraz with co-owner Sandy Hallett, who is the third generation of her family to run the farm. “People love to stay here because it’s remote and quiet,” she says. “You go to sleep and there’s no noise. And it’s so beautiful.”Friendly dog outside the Frankland Farmhouse DinerAfter our “schniti” (schnitzel) and “parmi” (chicken parmigiana) at the country club, we retire to the chalet. It’s a cool night; at some point the light drumming of hail begins its quiet chorus outside. But it’s a peaceful, natural sound and sleep comes deep and easy.We drive into town for breakfast at the Frankland Farmhouse Diner, Frankland River’s newest – and only – café. There are homemade sausage rolls and stacks of the local newspaper,The Franklander, on the counter. We take our coffees outside to sip in the sunshine and, during a lull in service, owner Aleksandar Sasa Bacich emerges for a chat. After 22 years working as a chef in Margaret River, Bacich bought a farmhouse in Frankland River. He has a vineyard and enough olive trees to make his own olive oil for the diner, which opened in October. “I love the pace here,” says Bacich. “In Margaret River right now, the surf is busy, everyone’s kind of stressed. It’s much more relaxed here.”Frankland Farmhouse DinerTuna crudo at Liberté restaurant in AlbanyThe drive back to Albany takes about 90 minutes and completes our triangular route. We visit Blush Retail Gallery, which exhibits artists from The Great Southern. Founder Angie Fryer-Smith, a painter herself, shows us around the space. For dinner we walk down the block to Liberté, a restaurant run by chef Amy Hamilton, who serves cocktails, wine and a seasonal menu of French-Vietnamese sharing plates. Through the bar window we watch the sun set over the bay.A morning flight delay lets us squeeze in one more beach outing – time seems to move slower here anyway. We drive along the bay to Torndirrup National Park on the peninsula, struggling to choose between delightful names: shall we investigate Bald Head, Salmon Holes or Frenchman Bay? In the end we choose Misery Beach. The name speaks to a time when whale blood dyed the sea red during hunting season. Now little is left to divulge Albany’s fierce history: Misery Beach is a stunning, secluded spot, with glassy aquamarine waters, white-gold sand and only a couple other people enjoying the splendid isolation.Beachgoers at Misery BeachThe Great Southern address bookAlbanyEat: LibertéCocktails, wine and French-Vietnamese sharing plates.162 Stirling Terrace, Albany WA 6330See: Blush Retail GalleryA contemporary art gallery showcasing artists from across the Great Southern.York House, 133 York Street, Albany WA 6330Eat: Bred CoA bakery serving sourdough, sausage rolls, pies and pastries. It mills its own flour onsite using The Great Southern grain.15 Albany Highway, Albany, WA 6330DenmarkVisit: Butter Factory StudiosAn art gallery and artists’ studios in an old butter factory.10/12 Mount Shadforth Road, Denmark WA 6333Eat: Bar TarifaFor tapas and live music.89 Strickland Street, Denmark WA 6333Drink: Moombaki WinesDrop by the cellar door for an excellent wine-tasting at a boutique family-run winery. 341 Parker Road, Kentdale WA 6333Frankland RiverStay: Alkoomi WinesWine, olive oil and vineyard chalets stays in a beautiful setting.1141 Wingebellup Road, Frankland River WA 6396Eat: Frankland Farmhouse DinerTop-notch coffee and simple fare, open for breakfast and lunch.Lot 1 Shop 6 Cranbrook-Frankland Road, Frankland River WA 6396
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Just a short drive to the east of Helsinki, Porvoo is popular among day-trippers who come for its 18th-century Old Town, with its riverside warehouses and pastel-painted wooden architecture. Today the city of about 50,000 is often compared to San Sebastián, thanks to its diminutive size and the growing pull of its drinking-and-dining scene.Monocle follows a winding country road through fields of rye and oats to Ylike Farm on the outskirts of Porvoo. Its history can be traced back to the 18th century but Emily and Thomas Simpson brought the land back into production in 2022. Originally from England, they now grow more than 50 varieties of vegetables, herbs and edible plants here, including chard, fennel, cabbages and (this being Finland) five types of potato.View over Porvoo Old TownEmily Simpson“What I like about Porvoo is that it has a very distinct food identity that you can’t find anywhere else in Finland,” says Emily, uprooting a plump beetroot from a bed of soil. “There are almost no chain restaurants and much of what the independent bistros have on their menus comes from close by.”The Simpsons sell their produce to both restaurants and individual customers. “We’re building an earth cellar for preserving vegetables over the winter,” says Thomas. “We would also like to get more involved in local cookery classes, bake our own bread and learn fermenting.”Less than 5km north of Ylike is Bosgård, another organic farm that is one of the main suppliers of beef to Porvoo’s restaurants. When Monocle visits, more than 300 Charolais cattle are grazing in the fields surrounding a 19th-century manor in a setting far removed from industrial farming. There’s also an on-site farm-to-table restaurant. “The farmers here work together and there’s a strong sense of community,” says Aarne Schildt, Bosgård’s owner. “Restaurants and residents alike want to buy local produce, which keeps the food scene vibrant and gives it a unique feel.”Finns love fish and you’ll find it on the menu in most restaurants in Porvoo. Borgå Fiskhus is a leading supplier and works with many of the region’s fishermen. Inside, the sweet aroma from an in-house smoker fills the air and a counter displays fresh fish such as salmon, zander, perch, white fish and pike. When Monocle visits, it’s crayfish season and most of the patrons exit the shop carrying bucketfuls of the freshwater crustaceans. The fishmonger’s biggest hit? “Restaurants love our warm-smoked salmon more than anything else,” Theo Skogberg, the shop’s service area manager, tells Monocle from behind the counter.Niko LehtoLocal greens at VårPorvoo’s Old Town, where you’ll find most of the city’s restaurants, cafés, bars and bakeries, is a compact maze of cobblestone streets that boasts dozens of culinary attractions. These range from Michelin-starred finery to cosier bistros and quaint little cafés that serve the local speciality cake: the runebergintorttu, a rum-and-almond torte named after Finland’s national poet, Johan Ludvig Runeberg, who lived in the city.Monocle stops for lunch at Ravintola Salt, a restaurant inside a wooden villa that dates back to 1780, near Porvoo Cathedral. We feast on a simple but satisfying meal of smoked fish, potatoes, courgette, mustard seeds and beurre blanc, served with sweet malted bread. In the kitchen we meet the head chef, Erik Tornberg, a Porvoo-native who went to the city’s culinary school and worked his way up the local restaurant scene. “This is a city where a chef will never go unemployed,” he says, even though many culinary professionals have relocated from Helsinki to Porvoo in recent years, in search of a gentler pace of life and other benefits that small-city living offers. “Don’t get me wrong,” says Tornberg. “You can’t rest on your laurels here.”The brightest star of Porvoo’s food scene is Vår, which earned its – and the city’s – first Michelin star in 2023. When Monocle visits, its menu includes crayfish, cold-smoked pike, a beetroot vorschmack and malt brioche, served with fennel and cucumber. “We are lucky to be surrounded by independent farms that cater to our needs,” Niko Lehto, the restaurant’s co-owner, tells Monocle as a voileipäkakku (a savoury sandwich cake) is served. “This allows us to source things such as garlic flowers, which are impossible to find even in Helsinki.”Breakfast at Runo hotelRuno Hotel’s 1912 façadeVår is an example of how Porvoo’s food scene and the wider city is evolving. Following international acclaim, it has started to attract more foreign visitors. “Almost a fifth of our patrons now come from abroad,” says Lehto. This is a challenge for the hospitality infrastructure of a city that is more used to catering to domestic day-trippers.Thank goodness, then, for Runo, a 56-room hotel designed by Joanna Laajisto that opened in 2021. It’s managed by Erkka Hirvonen, while the bar – an asset long missing from Porvoo’s culinary scene – is overseen by other team members. “We live in one of Finland’s most beautiful cities and this has had an effect on the food scene too,” says Hirvonen of the talent that has been tempted here to set up new businesses. “Good food is about taste and how it is presented. But it’s also about where you enjoy it.”Porvoo address bookStay: RunoRihkamakatu 4runohotel.comEat: VårPapinkatu 17restaurantvar.fiEat: SaltVuorikatu 17restaurantsalt.fiShop: Brunberg (Finland’s oldest confectionery factory)Välikatu 4brunberg.fiShop: Pieni suklaatehdas, for chocolateTeollisuustie 15suklaatehdas.comGetting herePorvoo is a 30-minute drive from Helsinki Airport or three hours from the capital by boat.
1.RivieraCopenhagenChiara Barla, the Italian chef at Apotek 57, the café by design store Frama, has recently opened a new spot, Riviera, in Nansensgade. Inside the former 1960s bakery, a Frama-designed central trestle table invites customers to sit side by side, Copenhagen-style.On the menu are Danishfastelavnsbollerbuns, figs and Parma ham on homemade sourdough andspandauerpastries. “Most of our dishes are prepared in the same oven in which we bake our bread, which is at the heart of the bakery itself,” says Barla. Don’t leave without trying her pistachio croissants.framacph.com2.Derrel’sSydneyThe sign at the door reads, “Derrel’s, Nana never cooked.” Grandpa Derrel was the chief cook in chef Brendan King’s family. This Anglo-Indian restaurant is named for King’s grandfather, who inspired the diner and the menu at the inner western-Sydney suburb of Camperdown.Known with fondness locally for its late-night bites, Derrel’s is busy from its 17.00 opening time – often with a queue out the door – and serves until midnight. For residents, staff from the nearby hospital and students from the university, it’s a bastion of hope in a city that rarely has kitchens open past 21.00. “Reserved” signs predominate but you can either call ahead or wait for space then order at the counter. Make sure you don’t miss the samosa chaat: smashed samosas on a spicy chickpea curry, minty yoghurt, coriander, chilli and a tamarind chutney.Follow it with a half tandoori chicken plate with a side of chips (a bowl of butter chicken gravy to dip them in can be added to your order) and a bright tomato and cucumber salad laced with cumin. Or why not try a simple tray of butter chicken with roti and rice, washed down with a mango lassi? And it’s not just the food that’s refreshing at Derrel’s – the service is lively and fresh too.89 Parramatta Rd, Camperdown3.Bouchon CarêmeHelsinkiDrawing inspiration from Lyonnaise fare, Bouchon Carême features hearty and full-flavoured Gallic-style dishes. “Lyon is the cradle of French gastronomy,” says chef Hans Välimäki, its founder. Ample use of natural wood and soft light lend the restaurant the air of an unpretentious bouchon.bouchoncareme.fi4.PlutoBerlinThere’s no shortage of wine bars in Berlin, a city now enjoying a glass with the fervour once reserved for craft beer. In Prenzlauer Berg, Pluto draws a devoted crowd. This is partly down to the pedigree of its founders, Vadim Otto Ursus and Sören Zuppke, who made a mark on Berlin’s culinary scene with Otto in 2019. “With Pluto, we wanted to create a place where strangers might find themselves sharing a bottle at the bar,” says Ursus.With ties to organic farmers in Brandenburg, the menu stays true to classic bar fare but with the odd adventurous twist: think fromage de tête, a veal tongue salad or a fiery musselescabeche. The winelist reflects years of research on small biodynamic producers across Europe. Perhaps the most un-Berlin thing about Pluto? No reservations.pluto-berlin.net5.Don’t Tell DadLondon“London’s independent bakery scene is incredible but Queen’s Park has yet to see a standout – and it deserves one,” says restaurateur Daniel Land, who recently opened Don’t Tell Dad in the northwestern enclave of the UK capital.Customers who arrive at the bakery early will find burnt-lemon tarts, brown-butter-and-hazelnut croissants and wild-garlic-and cheddar twirls. Come nightfall, a candlelit bistro-style ambience beckons, with dishes by ex-Noble Rot chef Luke Frankie.donttelldad.co.uk6.SouenTokyoTea master Shinya Sakurai wanted to revive an appreciation for traditional Japanese tea shops without the fuss. “You used to be able to smell tea being roasted everywhere but these businesses have been disappearing,” he says. So he transformed a former sweet shop in Tokyo’s Setagaya ward into Souen, which opened in January.In contrast to the Sakurai Japanese Tea Experience in the Minami-Aoyama district, Souen has a more casual setting. Original seasonal blends are the focus, while various leaf teas, matcha lattes and tea cocktails broaden the appeal. Teas are served in ceramics made by Kagoshima-based potter Shuo Iwakiri. A selection of sweets is produced in-house.3-17-11 Wakabayashi, Setagaya, Tokyo 1540023
1.Rosewood AmsterdamAmsterdamWhat took 10 years to build but 10 minutes to become the most talked-about opening of 2025 (so far)? The Rosewood Amsterdam, of course. Extending across a city-block-sized building on Prinsengracht, the striking hotel, which was once an orphanage and then a courthouse, was reworked by Studio Piet Boon for its spring opening. Current city regulations suggest that this will be the last new hotel to be developed within the capital and it could hardly have picked a finer establishment: think coffered ceilings, velvety nooks and a rich palette of warm bronzes, greys and inky blues across the 134 guest rooms and the Asaya Spa.For those planning a longer stay, there’s a set of five vast canal-side residences. The Netherlands’ favourite garden designer, Piet Oudolf, has rolled up his sleeves to plant the courtyard garden, while drinks and dinner are covered by the Advocatuur bar and Eeuwen restaurant. Is Rosewood resting on its laurels and taking a well-earned break? Not quite: all eyes are already on London for the slated September opening of The Chancery in the former US embassy on Grosvenor Square.rosewoodhotels.com2.Los FelicesIbizaTucked away in Ibiza’s Cala de Bou, The Concept Hotels Los Felices is a technicolour homage to the glamour of Palm Springs. The 113-key property is the inspiration of Diego Calvo, an Ibiza native who feels that hospitality can sometimes be too conservative (you could probably glean this from the colour scheme that he has chosen). “I see myself as a rebel,” he tells Monocle. “I wanted to create a hotel that is a destination in itself.”Los Felices is certainly that. It’s a riot of colour and playful nostalgia, designed by Il Mio Design, an Italian studio based in Madrid that has collaborated with Calvo on all of his projects to date. Here, 1960s motifs are combined with the world of high fashion; each of the guest rooms is named after a designer and decked out with photos from their campaigns, as well as a piece created by them.The pool area is the hotel’s pièce de resistance, a space that is as inviting as it is photogenic. Bespoke flooring, parasol collections created exclusively for Los Felices and floating sunbeds by Canacana Design add vibrant Mediterranean flair that is a world away from whitewashed Ibiza minimalism. And it’s all the more summery and fun for it.theconcepthotels.com3.Taberna BaskGhentIn a fast-changing corner of Ghent’s green belt – a bucolic network of open nature and canals – Belgian restaurateurs Sam D’Huyvetter and Nina de Cuyper are channelling the spirit of San Sebastián’spintxosbars at Taberna Bask. “We saw it as a challenge to create a space where neighbours, families and curious passers-by alike feel welcome without the fuss of having to book ahead,” says D’Huyvetter.Applying Basque thinking to the Belgian terroir, the couple serve homemade morcilla, chorizo and coppa made from family-owned pigs, daily sourdough and imaginative creations including guinea fowl croquetas and red mullet withchipirónsquid. Built with vintage finds, this corner spot strikes a balance between Belgian conviviality and soft ochre walls and warm lighting which evoke a Spanish late afternoon.tabernabask.beImages: Louise De Groote
“There’s this building, the one behind it and the one with the balcony over there,” says Michele Bitetti, standing on aterrazzain the Sicilian town of Ragusa. He’s pointing out various parts of his hotel, the Giardino sul Duomo, to monocle – which might not sound like a particularly challenging task, except that this is analbergo diffuso(“scattered hotel”). That means the hotel’s 16 rooms are dotted around this beautiful neighbourhood. Ten years ago, the buildings that now house them were abandoned, symptoms of a depopulation trend that has hollowed out communities across theBel Paese– a consequence of mass emigration, declining work opportunities and a plummeting birth rate.In Sicily, these factors have dramatically converged and entire villages in the interior of the Mediterranean’s largest island have been boarded up. In the region’s more prosperous coastal areas, piecemeal losses have led to scatterings of abandoned buildings, giving towns a gap-toothed look. This was the case in Ragusa, many of whose citizens had left the old town (known as Ibla) either for the new suburbs that climb vertiginously up the opposite hill or for a new life across the ocean. At around the same time that Giancarlo dall’Ara, a young hospitality consultant from northwestern Italy, devised thealbergo diffusoconcept as a way of reviving tourism in the Friuli-Venezia-Giulia region, the regional government passed a law that provided funding and tax breaks to anyone starting a business in Ragusa or Siracusa.Swimming pool at an ‘albergho diffuso’Ragusa’s new townSicilian trafficMichele BitettiThis is what enabled Bitetti and his family to begin developing some buildings around an ancient garden into Giardino sul Duomo. Neighbours were initially resistant, wary of the effect that an influx of tourists might have on that perennial urban issue of parking. But, as Bitetti puts it, “Now they are grateful because we have renovated their neighbourhood and their houses are worth something.” For tourists attracted to the autonomy of private rentals, but who still appreciate the service provided by more traditional hotels, thealbergo diffusooffers a middle way. “If people start to come back and those who already live here begin to renovate their homes, the story changes,” says Bitetti. “It’s a virtuous circle.” There are currently about 150alberghi diffusiin Italy. At a time when hundreds of communities are facing extinction due to depopulation, such businesses are breathing new life into these beautiful villages.
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Think back to the last time that you checked in to your favourite hotel. Were you welcomed by an affable, familiar smile or proffered a QR code to scan? Were you excited about the unveiling of a proprietary messaging system? At first glance, better technology in the hotel bedroom can be a good thing for streamlined and more efficient communication. For some guests, it’s a way to cut to the chase and avoid pesky interpersonal interactions. But how does it feel to totally replace the faces and the voices of familiar eager-to-please staff members for backlit screens? That’s where most hospitality-tech evangelists come unstuck. The desire for human connection and a local perspective is something that artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms are having real trouble replicating. As a full-time concierge at a top Paris hotel, I should know.Illustration: Studio PongLately, the push for technology to streamline human communication in the luxury-travel industry has escalated. This is especially evident in messaging systems now used by several high-end hotel chains that cater to those guests who shun traditional communication methods in favour of efficiency. The problem? By giving completely anti-social guests what they want – and looking to justify the costly set-up of new technology by suggesting that this is progress – hoteliers are at risk not only of enabling but also cultivating rudeness and bad behaviour. AI has already started handling simple guest requests. Some tools appeal to the convenience-oriented traveller who thinks that calling a human at the front desk is somehow outdated or banal. It’s not always bad for staff either, especially if it saves time. The only real difference between a good hotel and a great one – décor, location and your own preferences notwithstanding – is the level of service. And in my decades in the job this is rarely, if ever, a matter simply of efficiency. It’s mostly about moments of personal connection that help guests to feel seen and looked after.Perhaps it’s time for a small step back from the precipice. Technology can be convenient, of course, but this shouldn’t be confused with hospitality. Sometimes good service involves making an effort for others.The best hotels must balance the capacity to streamline services with preserving meaningful interactions. People travel for face-to-face time – not Facetime – and that should be the way forward.Adrian Moore is a Paris-based Clefs d’Or concierge and co-author of the book ‘Chefs’ Fridges’ published by Harper Collins.
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Not so long ago, the Brazilian town of Balneário Camboriú was best known as a quiet coastal outpost where holidaymakers from neighbouring states would come to enjoy the beach. In recent years, however, it has undergone an abrupt change and has the skyline to prove it. It’s here that you’ll find the country’s 10 tallest buildings under construction – remarkable for a city with a population of about 139,000 (though that rises to almost a million in peak season).As you approach Balneário Camboriú, you’ll see a long line of oceanfront skyscrapers on the horizon. It’s an impressive sight – no wonder the city is known as Brazil’s mini-Dubai. Driving the property boom is a combination of fresh opportunities, the arrival of new wealth, enviable security (by Brazilian standards) and a bit of luck too. “Balneário Camboriú is sui generis,” TV presenter and journalist Dagmara Spautz tells monocle. “It’s unique. I can’t say that its qualities would be good somewhere else. The city built itself like this and it works.”Night lightsMayor Fabricio OliveiraBalneário Camboriú is in the wealthy southern state of Santa Catarina, which has low levels of unemployment and an enviable safety record – a significant draw for those from urban centres in the north with high crime rates. When monocle visits the office of its mayor, Fabricio Oliveira, he offers an explanation for the boom that his city is currently experiencing. “In recent years, there has been a repositioning of Balneário Camboriú, especially since the pandemic,” he says. “With some infrastructure and action, we have managed to establish it as a cultural and economic hub, bringing in international events such as Fight Week, a martial arts tournament. For our New Year celebrations, we partnered with the uae, which sent more than 1,000 drones for Brazil’s largest-ever show of its kind. We have also worked on the expansion of our beach, creating economic benefits. We have shown that we are an entrepreneurial city that is capable of change and innovation.”Like many residents, the mayor was not born in Balneário Camboriú. “I am from Curitiba,” he says. “I came here in 1986. I sold ice cream on the beach and worked in a nightclub, then became a city councillor. I always knew that it was a place of opportunity, no matter your surname.”Estate agent Bruno CassolaBruno Cassola, one of the city’s most in-demand estate agents, was preparing to move his business to a new office to cope with the influx of Brazilians seeking to buy a home here. “Balneário Camboriú is small but there are so many things happening that it gives off the vibe of somewhere bigger,” he says. His clients range from industrialists from wealthy southern cities, such as Joinville and Blumenau, to people who have made money in the country’s flourishing agribusiness sector. This explains why Balneário Camboriú now has the most expensive property per square metre in Brazil.The region’s leading construction company is FG Empreendimentos. You can see the fruits of its labour across the city – as well as its poster campaign that highlights its partnership with the Aveiro clan, Cristiano Ronaldo’s family. “The Aveiros are wonderful,” says Jean Graciola, ceo of FG. “And Cristiano is such a cool guy. We started the partnership with them in 2021. They wanted an apartment here and the partnership has worked very well.” Graciola is responsible for many of the tallest buildings in Balneário Camboriú, including the 290-metre One Tower, which has 84 floors, and FG’s Triumph Tower, now approved for construction, which, at a planned 544 metres, will be the world’s tallest residential skyscraper.The city’s Expocentro exhibition centre is helping to make Balneário Camboriú an important host city for trade events. “We have a huge area and can do six events simultaneously,” says former commercial manager Cristine Fabbris. “This city used to be a summer destination but now it’s buzzing all year round, thanks to places such as Expocentro. The average business-tourist spend is three times that of a leisure tourist.”Vanessa Lima, who moved here from Porto Alegre in the neighbouring state of Rio Grande do Sul, is the founder of Boutique do Pão de Ló. She launched her bakery in 2013 with a food truck and recently opened a branch of her business in a space designed by architect Vanessa Larré. The new outpost (there are others in Itajaí, Itapema and neighbouring Praia Brava) is doing well. “Balneário Camboriú is a city that’s growing,” she says. “We opened a few months before the pandemic, which was challenging, but the growth has been incredible.” Vanessa’s husband and business partner, Tomás Santos, says that one of the reasons why the city works so well is that it’s open to those from other places. “We have people from everywhere in Brazil so they are receptive to new ideas,” he says.Larré is one of the city’s key architects and is adapting her practice to designing for high-rise buildings. “I really enjoy living here and especially appreciate the security,” she says. “I have a teenage daughter and I am glad that she’s able to be out and about, having fun with her friends. It’s a safe city. The place is also very alive. There are always people in bars and restaurants.”Larré’s office is at Casahall Design District, an open-air mall with shops, architecture offices and Brazilian design brands such as Artefacto that want to ensure that they have a presence in a city that’s experiencing a property boom. Larré’s next project is the interiors of a high-profile residential building by Tonino Lamborghini of the Italian automotive empire. “We have done projects in São Paulo, Miami and Qatar but, because of the high-demand, we mainly stay in Balneário,” she says.The city is attracting people from other countries too, such as Serbian chef Bojan Petrovic who, with his partner, Venise Manif Petrovic, opened Maka, a Latin-American restaurant in a charming boulevard full of bars and restaurants. Manif Petrovic is entranced by the city. “It has the soul of a big city but it’s safe, clean and growing gastronomically,” she says.Venise Manif Petrovic and Bojan Petrovic of Maka restaurantTV presenter and journalist Dagmara SpautzBut this city that everyone is talking about can also be a divisive subject because of its politics: it voted overwhelmingly for hard-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro in the 2022 presidential elections. “Santa Catarina is a conservative state,” says Dagmara Spautz. “Bolsonaro had about 70 per cent of the vote here.”Balneário Camboriú’s skylineBut one thing that Balneário Camboriú has in abundance is a sense of pride. It’s not a perfect city but in a country known for its social inequality and sense of insecurity, it is like no other. — L
Macakizi is almost hidden by Golturkbuku bay’s olive groves, fuchsia-hued bougainvillea and pine trees. The restaurant, hotel and beach club is nestled in one of the most picturesque inlets on Turkey’s Bodrum peninsula. The venture’s owner, Sahir Erozan, believes that its charm lies in the surrounding nature, as well as in its family roots. In 1977 his glamorous and bohemian mother, Ayla Emiroglu, opened the original Macakizi hotel at another site in Bodrum. “Back then, you would see cows grazing on a stretch of land behind the hotel,” says Erozan, squinting in the bright, late-summer sunlight as it glints off the water. “It was a different time. Bodrum still had an untouched beauty.”Macakizi relocated to Golturkbuku in 2000, having outgrown those humble beginnings. It originally offered just 16 guest rooms; now its team of about 350 staff oversees a 72-key hotel with four kitchens. The ambitious expansion didn’t stop there. In 2018 the brand added a 10-room private villa, located less than five minutes away by boat. In other words, a lot has changed. When Emiroglu ran things, almost 99 per cent of the business’s clients were Turkish. Now some 75 per cent of them are international visitors.Arriving by private boatView from the teak deck of Macakizi’s pierErozan says that, despite all of this, the fundamentals of Macakizi’s approach to hospitality are exactly as they were in the beginning. Visit it today and there’s still a sense that it’s a refuge from all that surrounds it – an oasis of calm far removed from whatever might be happening in Turkey’s economy or politics (though many movers and shakers holiday here). “We’ve always tried to be natural, kind and aware,” he says. He credits his mother with instilling in him this philosophy, which has steered him as both the industry and the business have evolved over the decades. “I didn’t go in different directions,” he says of running the company. “I kept building.”Bougainvillea-covered guest roomsLooking out from the pierMacakizi has become a favourite retreat for notable guests, some of whom you’ll recognise. Regulars greet waiters with a kiss on both cheeks; the staff never hover awkwardly but are always on hand to help. Drinks are topped up before the sun melts the ice cubes – a service overseen by the hotel’s charismatic, Australian-born long-term manager, Andrew Jacobs.Andrew Jacobs, the hotel’s manager“A lot of people don’t realise that there’s a hotel here,” says Erozan, sitting in the breakfast hall nestled in the heart of this green stretch of land overlooking the Aegean. Only about a third of the visitors are hotel guests; the rest come to enjoy the beach club, drink and dine. The property’s layout is designed to give patrons privacy. Labyrinthine pathways framed by Mediterranean shrubs link the white, two-storey villas, each of which has a private garden or a sea-facing balcony.Lunch at Macakizi’s balcony restaurantStaff at the beach clubLifeguard on dutyHomemade iced teaErozan refers to the Mediterraneo Pavilion, where breakfast is served every morning and dinner is hosted on off-season nights, as “the winter garden”. It’s a striking, black-metal structure with expansive windows that make you feel as though you were sitting outside among nature. For the past three years, Macakizi has stayed open well beyond its usual summer season into winter. Built in 2019, the pavilion was designed by Ahmet Alatas; Istanbul-based firm Tabanlioglu oversaw the hotel’s reception area, built in 2000, as well as the recently opened Ayla restaurant.Private sitting area in the Mediterraneo PavilionNatural light in the Mediterraneo Pavilion“I don’t let any architect touch the interiors,” says Erozan with a smile, peering over his round, metal-framed sunglasses. “They make things look too pristine, too uninhabited. I like some chaos. I want this place to feel lived in.” Erozan has personally overseen every detail of the hotel’s interiors, from the carpets and the lighting to the artwork. He describes his aesthetic sensibilities as “eclectic, bohemian and modern”.That eclecticism is perhaps most evident in the art. Antonio de Felipe’s pop art painting of Audrey Hepburn hangs in the entrance next to a work by Turkish contemporary artist Haluk Akakce that features the marque of the hotel: a queen of spades playing card. It breaks the otherwise uniform layout of the couches and tables. An almost human-sized metal mirror ball by Mihat Sen is one of three statues in the pool area, exemplifying Erozan’s sometimes hard-to-define style.The Macakizi hotel’s three dogs: Lucy, Vasilis and AlexisThere’s no formal check-in counter or receptionist. Instead, there’s a laid-back lounge where you might find one of the hotel’s three dogs – Alexis, Vasilis and the newest addition, Lucy – running up to greet you or lazily curled up like a pretzel on the plush carpet. Inside the white-painted guest rooms, vintage photographs of social gatherings at Macakizi from Erozan’s mother’s time hang above the beds, which are adorned with colourful Rifat Ozbek-designed pillows.While Emiroglu laid Macakizi’s foundations and cultivated a community around the brand, Erozan spent many years refining his craft abroad. Before fully committing to Bodrum and Macakizi, he spent some 26 years in Washington, starting from his university years. During that time, he worked in and owned several restaurants. That was how he first crossed paths with Istanbul-born chef Aret Sahakyan, who ran the kitchen at Erozan’s Georgetown restaurant Cities, which was open from 1987 to 2007.Chef Aret SahakyanSahakyan, who trained in French and Italian culinary traditions, has been with Macakizi since Erozan moved back to Turkey. Over the years, he says, the country’s food culture and tastes have changed. “When I arrived, chefs weren’t viewed in the way that they are today. A chef was simply someone who cooked in the kitchen, not someone who crafted and designed dishes.” This summer the Michelin Guide made its debut in Bodrum and Macakizi earned its first star. “We have a concept,” says Sahakyan proudly. “We stay true to it.”Preparing for dinnerBreakfast bowlIn the busiest season, the restaurant regularly welcomes more than 500 guests for Sunday lunch. Its menu features traditionalmanti– tender Turkish dumplings filled with ground lamb and topped with yoghurt – made using a recipe passed down from Emiroglu’s time. Sahakyan says that the magic of themantilies in theyufka(thin flatbread) that accompanies it, carefully layered on a tray and baked until perfectly crisp. This lighter version of the classic dish has become a favourite among regulars.Erozan inherited more from his mother than the community that she fostered around the hotel and its legacy. She also passed down some of her staff. Ayhan Hanagasi began working at Macakizi as a bus boy and has been with the hotel for 34 years. “AylaHanimhad high standards and she could be tough but I grew both personally and professionally under her guidance,” says Hanagasi. “She was an endlessly generous teacher.” He was among the staff members invited to an exclusive 60th birthday celebration of a regular hotel guest held at Macakizi over the weekend on which Monocle visited.Bodrum’s global rise in prominence as a luxury-travel destination has brought new challenges. Almost every corner of this breathtaking peninsula is being altered – its trees felled, its ancient heritage looted and the old ways abandoned. The most contentious development has been the Bulgari Resort Bodrum, which is being built in Cennet Koyu (Paradise Bay) on an area of archaeological importance and natural beauty with what its detractors suggest is scant regard for preservation.So what does Macakizi think about the area’s new popularity – and does it feel a sense of responsibility for its role in Bodrum’s change? Sahakyan believes that it’s all about balance, gesturing to the breakfast bar. “Over there, you’ll find only the highest-quality selections, hand-picked by us and sourced from trusted partners who share our values,” says the chef. “I’m not offering 40 different types of cheese or 50 varieties of honey just to let them go to waste.”Erozan, meanwhile, explains that the region’s recent success is part of a bigger picture. “First, there’s Turkey’s brand, then Bodrum’s, then that of Macakizi too,” he says. “All three things must evolve in tandem because you can’t thrive in isolation.”Macakizi was the first beach club in Bodrum to introduce a happy hour but it chose to abandon the tradition this summer. “As a brand, we are always evolving and adapting,” says Erozan. “When we first introduced the happy-hour idea here, it was unique to the area. But now, with many others following suit, it no longer aligns with the direction we want to take.” The owner smiles as the pink-hued sun hovers low in the sky. “Today we’re a more mature brand.”macakizi.comMacakizi’s top tableIn 2024 the hotel launched Ayla, a new 18-cover restaurant with just five tables, named after Erozan’s mother. “The experience unfolds in three acts, each offering four choices,” says Sahakyan. Over a two-and-a-half-hour sitting, diners are treated to dishes crafted from locally sourced ingredients, including olive oil from Memecik village, honey from Comlekci and blue crab from Datca. Among last summer’s signature dishes were courgette flowers stuffed with Turkish rice and a new take on Macakizi’s belovedmantidumplings filled with fermented salsify, accompanied by yoghurt, chicken broth and oil infused with roasted sumac.Getting here:Just a 50-minute drive from Milas-Bodrum Airport, Macakizi has five Land Rover Defenders, each subtly marked with a spade, ready to transport guests anywhere. As you approach the secluded bay where the hotel sits, you’ll leave behind the bustle and find a serene escape.Swimming in the private bayGuests soaking up the sunOur pick of Bodrum’s other restaurantsDerekoy LokantasiWith its classic taverna tables, this restaurant provides a peaceful respite from the bustling crowds. Try its refreshing starters, such aslabnehwith green olives.Derekoy, Derekoy Yolu No: 133, 48960 BodrumBagarasiSet amid a citrus orchard, Bagarasi is a fine ambassador of Bodrum’s cuisine. Its menu features the freshest ingredients sourced from local markets. Don’t miss its artichoke with ice cream.Bitez, Pınarli Caddesi No: 59, 48470 BodrumKurul BitezAnocakbasispot in a converted stable that serves up authentic Turkish barbecue, despite having the ambience of a French bistro.Bitez Mahallesi 1936 sok No: 2, 48470 BodrumOrfozThis family-run fish restaurant andmeyhane(tavern) showcases whatever the fishermen netted, including sea snails in wine sauce.orfoz.netLucca by the SeaFor the past two decades, Lucca has drawn crowds in Istanbul’s vibrant Bebek district. Now it has opened a new site at Bodrum’s Mandarin Oriental.luccabythesea.comLimonThe best sunset in Bodrum. Whether you’re here for breakfast or sunset drinks, it’s timeless. Book early.limongumusluk.com
OshomBali, IndonesiaBali is the jewel in Indonesian tourism’s crown but the island’s popularity has come at the cost of the serenity that it’s known for. Look hard, though, and you’ll still find pockets of the blissful solitude that made it a global destination. Oshom is a new hotel that overlooks Nyanyi beach. This waterfront property is in the recently launched Nuanu Creative City, about 90 minutes’ drive from Denpasar Airport. You’ll find all of the amenities that you’d expect from a top health retreat, such as well-appointed rooms and a saltwater pool.oshombali.comVipp GuesthouseTodos Santos, MexicoFamily-owned Danish design brand Vipp, known for its slick homeware, has cut the ribbon on its first North American guesthouse on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Having opened a string of small properties around Europe, Vipp’s hospitality can now be enjoyed in Todos Santos on the Baja California Peninsula. Informed by the area’s natural beauty, the brutalist four-bedroom property is decked out with natural materials in sandy tones. Wedged between the Sierra de la Laguna mountain range and the Pacific Ocean, the views extend over a landscape dotted with cacti on one side and waves on the other.vipp.comArlberg Club HouseLech, Austria“Lech’s a town that values powder over pomp,” says Patrick Krummenacher, who co-owns Hotel Arlberg with his husband, Benjamin Schneider. They have repurposed the old tourism office to create Arlberg Club House. The restaurant’s menu departs from alpine staples, instead serving Mediterranean dishes such as gnocchi with caviar and lobster bisque. A shop offers Austrian Mühlbauer hats and skiwear from Aspen’s Aztech Mountain. You can also find cashmere from Iris von Arnim and Meta Campania’s workwear-inspired collection by Bottega Veneta alumnus Jon Strassburg.arlbergclubhouse.comSolo PalacioAsturias, SpainIf you’re seeking Spanish sun but without the crowds, Asturias should be on your radar. The cooler climate of this mountainous region is a pleasant alternative to the sweltering south. Head to the Las Ubiñas-La Mesa Nature Reserve, where you’ll find the 11-key Solo Palacio hotel in a converted 15th-century palace. Madrileña Sofía Tejerina began restoring the property in 2023, incorporating thewabi sabiphilosophy of embracing imperfections. “Tourists are looking for alternatives to Spain’s sunny beaches,” says Tejerina. “Here guests can find a pleasant microclimate away from Spain’s cities.” Asturian and Japanese touches extend to the restaurant, where you’ll find dishes such as tempura vegetables with soy mayonnaise and noodles with sobresada (Spanish cured sausage).solopalacio.comGundariFolegandros, GreeceGundari sits atop a cliff at the southern end of the Cycladic isle of Folegandros. Echoing the island’s wild, rocky landscape, Gundari’s interiors feature earthy browns and limestone chosen by Australian owner Ricardo Larriera. The 25 suites and two villas are designed by Athens-based architects Block722. All have windows framing ocean views but some include subterranean rooms carved into the cliff where infinity pools and dark-wood joinery enjoy shelter from the summer Meltemi winds. Chef Lefteris Lazarou brings city flair from his Michelin-starred Athens kitchen while one of the capital’s best bars, Line, helps with the cocktails. Best of all, the swarms of tourists are nowhere to be seen – just the Aegean Sea stretching away to Crete.gundari.com
When Cenk Debensason is hungry, he rarely reaches for a Michelin guide for tips. “Whenever I think of food in Istanbul, I think of this,” the chef behind the celebrated Arkestra restaurant tells Monocle as he stands beside a vendor while a fish sizzles on the grill atop a simple cart. Debensason is here by the edge of the Bosphorus forbalik ekmek: mackerel with onions, parsley, sumac and cumin, served in a hunk of fluffy white bread. Alongside thesimit– sesame-crusted rings that are sweetly caramelised outside and pillowy soft within – such simple snacks are the city’s staples. But for all of the tiledlokantasi(workers’ bistros), black-tea sellers and kebab shops, Turkish fare has undergone something of a reinvention of late.Cenk DebensassonDebensason trained in France and, with his wife and business partner, Debora Ipekel, creates simple yet sophisticated spins on modern European and Turkish classics, using ingredients grown and caught around the city. The Michelin guide arrived in Istanbul in 2022 (the inspectors went to the western provinces of Izmir and Bodrum a year later) and Arkestra, based in a discreet modernist villa in the Etiler district, was one of the establishments that earned a coveted star. It marked a major step up in the city’s culinary reputation.The Arkestra kitchenWarm interiors invite guests to lingerMeanwhile at Turk, a sleek establishment with a months-long waiting list in fashionable Bomonti, Fatih Tutak fuses Turkish flavours with techniques that he learned during his 15 years working in some of Asia’s top restaurants. At Neolokal, set in the grand building that housed the Ottoman empire’s central bank, Maksut Askar riffs on the flavours of his home region of Hatay (Turkey’s gastronomic capital, according to some), adding a sustainable slant by using regional produce and providing a vegetarian menu – something that would have been hard to come by just 10 years ago.There’s a fierce wind whipping across the Bosphorus when we arrive at the packed terrace restaurant of the Sakip Sabanci Museum. This landmark building in Istanbul’s affluent northern suburbs has one of the best waterside vantage points in the city and a menu to match. It is the training restaurant for the MSA (the Mutfak Sanatlari Akademisi, or the Culinary Arts Academy), Turkey’s premier school for chefs, meaning that the food here, as affordable as it is, reaches the standards of the city’s most elite institutions.Here we meet Sitare Baras, the managing director of the MSA, and Sabiha Apaydin Gonenli, one of Turkey’s foremost sommeliers. Baras is keen to try the new dishes on the menu, so we order delicate slivers of beef tartare in a tangy sauce;icli kofte, tiny meatballs stuffed inside bulgur dough; hummus; and delicatelahmacun, crispbreads topped with meat and tomato. Dessert is a twist on an Istanbul street-food classic: candied chestnut, reimagined as a creamy mousse topped with feather-light whipped cream. “We didn’t have avant-garde chefs before the 2000s,” says Baras. “Turkish food used to be very local. We transformed the quality of the education in the country. Our graduates work in all of the biggest restaurants and a lot of them who came from Anatolia want to go back to their hometowns and raise the bar there.”MSA students working in the Sakip Sabanci Museum restaurantThe MSA’s premises in Maslak, a bustling business district on the European side of Istanbul, is a mix of nostalgia and cutting-edge efficiency. In the foyer are glass-fronted cabinets stuffed with vintage food tins and wine bottles but the training kitchens are kitted out with stop clocks and viewing windows that allow visitors to watch the trainees in action, replicating the high-octane atmosphere of a working kitchen. Here, Baras hopes that chefs will be able to hone their skills to the millimetre-fine accuracy required in the top kitchens.“We tell the students that it should be a reflex when they are cutting – their mind should be on the next stage,” says Sergin Keyder, one of the trainers, who started as a student at the school eight years ago. “At first I was working with a ruler and stickers on my cutting board. I ate carrot purée for two months.”The MSA’s diploma is internationally recognised and its former students, who number about 30,000, have gone on to work in kitchens worldwide, as well as refilling the city’s culinary talent pool. Turkish cuisine is the school’s bedrock but it also teaches other styles, reflecting the increasing appetite for variety in Istanbul. Birol Can is one of the 2025 cohort. The 27-year-old had already completed a degree in cinema and was living in his home city of Tekirdag when he decided to pursue his childhood dream and sign up at the MSA. He hopes to open a French or Italian restaurant in his hometown once he graduates.Perfect platingGreen shootsTurkish wine is also stepping up after years of obscurity. Apaydin Gonenli is a former chief of front-of-house operations at Mikla, an Istanbul institution where she was responsible for food and wine pairings. In 2019 she organised the first Root, Origin, Soil conference to showcase Turkish viticulture, an event that is now held biannually. “We were always drinking the same six Turkish grape varieties and I wondered why,” says Gonenli. “In Turkey we have about 800 unique varieties and I started promoting them. When I set out, there were 20 indigenous varieties available commercially. Now there are 60.”The bottles are now making their way into high-end restaurants and a few pioneers are popularising wine bars. Chief among them is Foxy in Istanbul’s smart Nisantasi district, a venture by Maksut Askar and wine expert Levon Bagis, where an extensive and ever-changing selection of regional varieties is available by the glass, alongside fresh twists on classic mezze.Above all – and despite the role that Michelin has played in internationalising and glamorising Turkish food – there is still something pleasingly democratic about the restaurant scene here. “Our customers come here for a good time, not to feel overwhelmed,” says Debensason, while explaining why Arkestra offers à la carte rather than the tasting menu often favoured by Michelin inspectors.On the weekday evening that Monocle visits, the atmosphere at the restaurant is fittingly fun and informal. The tables are full but Debensason and Ipekel mingle with guests, explaining new dishes and recommending wine pairings. When Monocle asks where he would head for a taste of the city, Debensason suggests Donerci Engin, an unassuming hole in the wall with plastic furniture in Beyoglu that serves nothing more complicated than a classic doner kebab. Prices might be on the rise but don’t let anyone tell you an international reputation has cost Istanbul’s food scene its authenticity or its originality.Tastes of the cityHere are some of Istanbul’s culinary attractions beyond the white tablecloths and polished dining rooms.Lunch at Ismet Baba in KuzguncukBoiled corn-on-the-cob vendor at Eminonu portOne of the city’s vitamin bars, where fresh juice is squeezed to orderPandeliThis canteen feels like a hidden palace and is the best spot in the city for a quick, inexpensive lunch with views over Eminonu port. Turkish staples have been served here for about a century and the quality has never dipped. Arrive early or reserve to secure the best table.pandeli.com.trA lunchtime plate at PandeliKarakoy historic fish marketYou need to venture to the lesser known side of Karakoy to get to this market. Cross through the underpass that runs under the Galata Bridge and you’ll find it just a few steps beyond. This is where locals come to buy the freshest catch to take home. But you can also ask one of the adjoining restaurants to cook your choice for you or get it served in a sandwich or wrap to eat by the waterside.Catch of the day at the Karakoy fish market‘Simit’ stands, citywideYou’ll findsimiteverywhere but if you want the freshest available, look for the vendors with the highest turnover. You can’t go far wrong at any of the city-centre ports, where thousands of people pass by every hour. One of the most atmospheric is the cart just outside Besiktas port, which has a lovely backdrop of the historic terminal and the Bosphorus beyond.Basta!Founded by two chefs who worked in Michelin-starred restaurants outside Turkey, this no-fuss spot has the best wraps (dürüm) in the city. The menu is tight, with options that you can count on one hand, but the flavour combinations are so well balanced that you’ll keep coming back for more. Try the lamb with harissa and yoghurt. The pavement seats make for prime people-watching spots.bastafood.comKebapci Zeki UstaProprietor Yilmaz Omeroglu uses only the freshest meat for his kebabs and meatballs. There’s no doner here, however. Zeki Usta’s specialities areadanaandurfakebabs, richly spiced and served with pillowy pitta bread. This atmospheric café is in the heart of Kuzguncuk, a quaint neighbourhood of coloured houses and ancient churches on the Asian side.Kuzguncuk, Icadiye Caddesi 31Moda Tea GardenTea is a way of life in Istanbul and you’re never too far away from a seller brewing a fresh batch. Seek out the tea gardens if you want to retreat from Istanbul’s chaos and sip your drink in peace. Our favourite is in the Moda district on the Asian side, on a bluff overlooking the Sea of Marmara.Caferaga, Park Ici Yolu, 34710 KadikoyLocals spend an afternoon at the Moda tea gardenRising to the challengeMuch has been done to improve Istanbul’s drinking-and-dining scene but there remain challenges – not least the Turkish economy, which continues to suffer from sky-high inflation that has pushed the once famously low dining prices up to levels that you might expect in London or Paris. The government is also slapping punitive taxes and restrictions on alcohol producers and retailers, including a wide-ranging ban on advertising, which even precludes wine-tasting events. “We can produce but not promote,” says Sabiha Apaydin Gonenli, wine director of Istanbul’s Mikla and co-founder of Heritage Vines of Turkey. “When I am teaching front-of-house courses, I ask my students how many grape varieties they know. Most still don’t know any Turkish varieties.”Luckily, Gonenli’s work and that of many of the city’s best chefs is helping to create a market for Turkish wine. Several vineyards are now also opening to the public, many of them in pleasingly unexpected places. Monocle recently enjoyed an afternoon at Eskibaglar winery in the mountains of Elazig in eastern Anatolia, where ancient vines have been brought back into commercial use and complemented by a smart on-site restaurant and hotel.
Tiffany’s X 1905ThessalonikiA classicmageirio, Tiffany’s served homely dishes to Thessaloniki’s diners for some 40 years before closing in 2013. Now, Tiffany’s X 1905 (pictured above) is bringing it back – with a twist. “We didn’t want to copy the original but to invent a modern version,” says restaurateur Nikos Nyfoudis, who draws inspiration from Crete, Kefalonia, London (where he lived for 13 years) and his native Thessaloniki. Oenologist Anestis Haitidis procured about 550 varietals for the wine list, for pairing with thekontosouvli(spit-roasted pork), Tinos pickled artichokes and braised lamb with yoghurt. For dessert, try thekiounefe– a pastry shell filled with mozzarella cheese.tiffanys1905.grDa CostaSomersetSince Hauser & Wirth opened its Bruton outpost a decade ago, tasteful types have flocked to the Somerset village to see the best art that England’s southwest has to offer. But leafy Bruton boasts more than just contemporary culture. Named after co-founder Iwan Wirth’s maternal grandfather, Da Costa is a new addition to the gallery and to Bruton’s culinary scene. The restaurant serves northern Italian fare made with seasonal ingredients – think salt-baked beetroot risotto and cured trout with smoked ricotta and blood orange. Tiramasù will wrap up your food tour of the Italian Alps via the West Country.da-costa.co.ukJasonHelsinkiFinland’s Jari Vesivalo, a chef with decades of experience in his capital’s Michelin-starred kitchens, has shifted gear to open a casual joint, Jason. “The goal in the kitchen is to make good food without unnecessary gimmicks,” says Vesivalo of the 50-cover venue in a dark-hued art nouveau building. Monocle is treated to seasonal dishes on our visit: mushrooms with sour plum and white soy, and pike perch served with lobster butter sauce. “Our portions are hearty and we don’t align every salad leaf on the plate,” says Vesivalo with a chuckle. “But I still organise the kitchen like I used to.”ravintolajason.fiLuna RestaurantBolzanoLuna Restaurant has opened in Bolzano’s Parkhotel Mondschein, parts of which date back as far as 1320.Head chef Mathieu Domagala’s menu features carpaccio of pink shrimp from Porto Santo Spirito, tagliatelle with duck ragù and salted cod with Taggiasca olives, with all vegetables courtesy of the kitchen garden. To finish? A zu Plun Rum babà. Merano-based Biquadra’s design pays homage to the building’s history with a rich red colour palette, accented with brass and offset by velvet seats and travertine tables.parkhotelmondschein.comSommaSingaporeAfter the success of his seaside bistro Fico, Singapore-based Italian chef Mirko Febbrile embarked on a fresh fine-dining venture: Somma. Within the city-state’s New Bahru retail and hospitality complex, this collaboration with The Lo & Behold Group takes inspiration from Febbrile’s home province, Puglia. The intimate 36-cover restaurant offers a tasting menu, while the bar is more casual, with options from taralli crackers to handmade pasta with river crab. Cocktails include Italian aperitivos and experimental creations: the whiskey-based Bolognese Muse is unmissable.somma.worldEel BarNew YorkNew York’s Lower East Side doesn’t exactly need another new restaurant. But when the team behind much-loved Iberian-style bolthole Cervo’s announced that its new venue, Eel Bar, was opening around the corner, locals regained their apetite. “We knew that we wanted to be in this neighbourhood,” says partner Nialls Fallon. Inside, diners share olives and anchovies, fried and marinated mussels, and hunks of pan de cristal. It can be hard to snag a table in this wood-clad dining room but you can sink a cocktail at the bar while you wait.eelbarnyc.com
Few places provide a better swimming experience than Paris’s Piscine Pontoise. With its yellow walls, blue decorative motifs and glass roof, this art deco pool in the 5th arrondissement is a jewel of the city’s architectural heritage. Designed by architect Lucien Pollet, whose works include the Piscine Molitor (now an M Gallery hotel) and Piscine Pailleron (in the 19th), the Pontoise has been open to the public since 1934 and has earned a place on the city’s list of historical monuments. But wear and tear had left the pool in a state of disrepair and the city of Paris closed its doors in 2019 for some much-needed renovations.Pierre Marchand Architectes, a studio specialising in heritage buildings and restoration, took on the work. “We wanted to bring back the core elements that made this pool unique,” says Pierre Marchand. “Mainly the notion of light and transparency, which had been completely lost due to the glass-roof damage.” The project was a balancing act between technical upgrades and the building’s historic integrity. “The pool is 33 metres long,” says Marchand. “It’s an atypical length but a stylistic choice from Pollet, which we had to work around.”Beyond the structural work, the aesthetic renovation of the Piscine Pontoise required the expertise of paint-restoration specialist, who uncovered the layers of paint to ensure a perfect match. They also brought back the original letterings of the pool’s signage, which Marchand incorporated into the new space. “We voluntarily kept the old expressions ‘Messieurs’ and ‘Dames’ instead of the contemporary ‘Hommes’ and ‘Femmes’,” he says. “We were also allowed by the council to have our own colour and signage, instead of the standard City of Paris ones”.The result is a bright and welcoming space complete with a gym, sauna and squash court. For Marchand, extending the life of the pool in the heart of the Latin Quarter meant ensuring the continuity of the life around it. “The pool is a small building but people have an emotional attachment to it because it has been a meeting point for so many years,” he says. A swim at the Piscine Pontoise is a dive into the small pleasures of the French capital, enjoyed by generations of Parisians. “A 1930s bathing suit isn’t required,” adds Marchand with a grin. “But you are welcome to use them for historic effect.”Opening times:06.30 to 22.45 on weekdays and 09.00 to 18.45 on weekendsRenovation budget:Between €10m and €12mDepth of the pool:1.4 metres to 2.8 metresAverage water temperature:27.6CShades of yellow used:Jaune Rousseau for the masonry and Jaune Delaunay for the changing roomsOther colours used:Bleu Garonne for the woodwork and Vert Souvenir for the ironworkFilms shot at the pool:Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain by Jean-Pierre Jeunet; Trois Couleurs: Bleu by Krzysztof Kieslowski; Tanguy by Étienne Chatiliez; and Nelly et Monsieur Arnaud by Claude Sautet
High-pressure design studios in Milan and Paris are at the heart of the fashion industry. But when temperatures rise, even the busiest designers choose to slow down, don swimwear and decamp to the Mediterranean – a pause very much encouraged by luxury Italian manufacturers’ religious commitment to the extended August break.Brands have also been discovering that there are new ways to meet clients while lounging by the beach and have been embarking on a series of less expected, sunny collaborations with their favourite beach clubs, seaside hotels and even restaurants. Designers aren’t just creating exclusive summer collections for these destinations – they are now also custom-making parasols and sunloungers in their favourite shades or adding cocktails to a hotel’s menu. We round up some of our favourite fashion and hospitality tie-ins.1.Zeus+DioneLake VouliagmeniAthensLegend has it that nymphs once inhabited the waters of Athens’ Lake Vouliagmeni, drawing unsuspecting men beneath its serene surface. A quiet pull endures today – one glance at the lake’s majestic landscape, framed by a large rock formation, lush greenery and glassy waters, is enough to lure you in. “When we visited the lake we saw the dramatic rock and the beautiful still waters,” says Dimitra Kolotoura, co-founder of Zeus+Dione, Athens’ flagship fashion label. “It started a fascinating design process for our creative director, Marios Schwab.”Recently, the popular summer destination has become accessible again having been given a fresh look by creative consultant Athan Mytilinaios. Naturally, the Zeus+Dione team started spending more time in this corner of the Athenian Riviera, swimming in the clear waters or feasting on the seafood at Abra Ovata, the site’s Mediterranean restaurant. As a result, Kolotoura, Schwab and Mytilinaios joined forces to custom-design sunbeds, loungers, umbrellas and cushions for both the beach club and the restaurant. “Zeus+Dione is a custodian of Greek craftsmanship and a fantastic ambassador of Greek culture,” says Mytilinaios, explaining why it made sense to bring a fashion label on board.Kolotoura is adamant that Zeus+Dione has never been a traditional fashion label so working with new mediums was part of the appeal. She tapped wood engraver Pantazis Tselios to create a one- of-a-kind motif that was printed on the sunloungers and umbrellas all around Lake Vouliagmeni’s beach club. “We’re used to working with people who have an ability to create with their hands,” she says, pointing to the intricate pattern, which pays homage to Byzantine art as well as the lake’s natural landscape. A closer look reveals details including rock, seaweed and Mediterranean flora carved into the wood. The finished pattern was then printed on durable technical fabric, used to upholster the club’s furniture. Lake Vouliagmeni formed naturally some 2,000 years ago when a cavern collapsed following an earthquake. It is now protected under the Natura 2000 network of conservation areas across Europe and its beach club differs from the traditional approach. “The place is about Zen and wellness, which is why we wanted to work with a brand that understands that good things take time,” says Mytilinaios.For Zeus+Dione, the partnership offered a chance to tell its story away from the shop floor. “When someone visits the venue, they can discover how it aligns with our values and what we stand for,” says Kolotoura, who plans to unveil new phases of the collaboration next year. “Fashion wants to sell experience,” says Mytilinaios. “But there’s a limited number of experiences that you can offer if you only stay within your own realm.”zeusndione.com;lakevouliagmeni.gr2.Louis VuittonTaormina cocktail barSicily & Saint-TropezThis summer, Louis Vuitton is diving deeper into hospitality by opening a series of culinary outposts around the Med. In the Sicilian town of Taormina, the French luxury house’s shop on Corso Umberto is opening its rooftop for guests to enjoy a cocktail at the new Le Bar Louis Vuitton. With views of the sea and the medieval town, the venue also offers contemporary takes on Sicilian classics courtesy of chef Dionisio Randazzo, who heads the nearby Nunziatina restaurant.Meanwhile, in Saint-Tropez, the brand is once again taking over the White 1921 hotel. For the third year in a row chefs Maxime Frédéric and Arnaud Donckele are working together to infuse different cultural flavours in the menus. “Louis Vuitton is all about travel so the dishes have touches of Bangkok, France and Italy,” says Donckele. The result is a sun-soaked atmosphere in which French culinary excellence meets Mediterranean flavours, just a few steps away from the Louis Vuitton shop. “It’s a vibe: gastronomy with friendly service and music,” says Donckele. “We’re thinking about a lifestyle.”louisvuitton.com3.CDLPHotel PassalacquaLake ComoWhen Andreas Palm, co-founder of essentials and resort-wear label CDLP, first met Valentina de Santis, the CEO of Hotel Passalacqua, the pair were still students in Minneapolis. They couldn’t have predicted that, 20 years later, they would be sitting by Lake Como, orchestrating fashion and hospitality projects together.Palm, who is based in Stockholm, began his career in hospitality and spent a few years organising guests’ trips to the Grand Hotel Tremezzo, the second Como hotel property belonging to De Santis and her family. When CDLP first ventured into swim and resort wear, it designed an exclusive capsule for the hotel. “This was before collaborations between fashion brands and hotels were so common,” says De Santis. “But we had so much fun. Andreas is so creative so I just follow his process.”This summer the duo decided to continue the fun – and think bigger – with a fully fledged swim and resort-wear collection for men, which will be sold at the hotel’s boutique and on its e-commerce site, Sense of Lake. There’s also a sleek campaign featuring celebrated menswear stylist Robert Rabensteiner sporting the line. Think printed shirts inspired by vintage postcards, tailored swimming trunks made from recycled ocean waste and pool sets that can be worn for a relaxed sunset dinner. “If someone loses their luggage, they’ll find everything they need in this collection,” says Palm.This type of tie-in might now be a lot more common in the worlds of fashion and hospitality but, for De Santis, there needs to be a personal story behind each project for it to be successful. “There isn’t really a strategy behind these collaborations, if I’m honest,” she says. “But each one has a lot of heart in it and, in this case, there’s a friendship behind it all. We don’t want to follow trends or create something according to guests’ expectations. The hotels are also our homes so we do what we love and aim to surprise our visitors. Giving a personality to a hotel and making people dream is important.”Palm echoes her ideas, stressing that cultural value outweighs commercial motivation. “People are tired of collaborations that are just meant to drive sales,” he says. “It’s getting a bit boring. We want to work with people who we feel that we are aligned with in terms of values and aesthetics, and build something that will stand the test of time.” The eye-catching prints featured on some of the shirts and scarves in the collection are inspired by vintage postcards and represent quite a departure for the Swedish label, which is known for its understated aesthetic and monochromatic colour palettes. But to capture the visual richness of the Hotel Passalacqua, it was worth veering into new territory. “We always want to take things to a new level with this type of collaboration,” says Palm. “People are ready to go a little wild on holiday. You’re in a different mood if you’re in the Amalfi or Lake Como, rather than spending a regular Tuesday at home. It’s like stepping into a role – the holiday version of yourself.”Our holiday selves also happen to be more willing to splurge, creating fertile ground for brands to meet new customers and encourage them to take sartorial risks. “A hotel director who I was speaking to called holiday spending ‘funny money’,” says Palm, who plans to celebrate the summer season and the launch of the collection with boat rides and long lunches with friends at the Passalacqua garden. “I think this is the most beautiful hotel in the world,” he says.cdlp.com;senseoflake.com4.Jacquemus Jondal beach clubIbizaBorn and raised in the south of France, designer Simon Porte Jacquemus is the fashion industry’s resident Mediterranean: always in favour of breezy linens, sunny stripes and dance parties that end at sunrise. The sun is inscribed in his eponymous label’s DNA and over time he has perfected the summer uniform with signature striped shirts, lightweight dresses and raffia handbags.This year, to celebrate the arrival of warmer days, the Paris-based brand is leaving its home turf and flying to Ibiza – more specifically, to Casa Jondal on the island’s rocky southern coast. As part of a new, hospitality-focused collaboration, Jacquemus is fitting out the chic beach club with banana-yellow parasols and sunloungers that have playful polka-dot details echoing the brand’s spring/summer 2025 collection. Our favourite addition? An area reserved for playing pétanque, the French summer ball game par excellence.Since founding his business in 2009, the French designer has been cleverly tapping into the power of sunny locations for his runway shows, inviting guests to Provençal lavender fields, modernist houses in Capri or art museums in Saint-Paul-de-Vence. Extending this approach beyond the runway and into the realm of hospitality offers an opportunity to experience the label’s Mediterranean charm off-season too.At Casa Jondal, you can spend the day under the club’s bright-yellow parasols, settle in for a sundowner with a tequila-based cocktail or enjoy signature seafood dishes such as fried squid, red prawn carpaccio and caviar.You can also visit the temporary boutique on the beach and browse an exclusive resort collection of menswear, womenswear and accessories, including raffia hats and shirts featuring the same banana-yellow shade as the sunloungers. A series of novelty items including caps, keyrings and mugs double up as souvenirs of a beach holiday well spent.jacquemus.com5.Ulla JohnsonQuinta da Comporta CarvalhalNew York-based designer Ulla Johnson has always embraced a sunny, bohemian spirit, no matter which season she is designing for. Her summer ranges in particular are filled with breezy dresses, lightweightbroderie anglaisefabrics and elegant swimwear, inspired by Johnson’s travels and the artisan communities that she works with across the globe, in countries from Peru and Brazil to the Philippines.This summer the designer is indulging her love of travel even further with a takeover that is soon to come to wellness resort Quinta da Comporta in Portugal during the first two weeks of July. The project includes ikat-print and hand-loomed robes and towels, which will be available for guests to use around the hotel and purchase at its boutique, alongside Ulla Johnson’s ready-to-wear range.There’s also a new cocktail and health tonic concocted by Johnson – ideal for enjoying after a visit to the Oryza Spa or following a dip in the infinity pool.ullajohnson.com;quintadacomporta.com
1.Le DoyennéSaint-Vrain, Île-de-FranceDistance from Paris:47kmMode of transport:CarTime spent travelling:About an hourDirection:SouthLe DoyennéGreenhouse effectAussie chefs James Henry and Shaun Kelly made a name for themselves in the restaurants of Paris. But after years in the kitchen, they turned to growing organic vegetables on their farm in Saint-Vrain. Housed in a lovingly restored barn, Le Doyenné opened as a restaurant and guesthouse in 2022 and has had a fine following ever since. Inside the restaurant, glass-paned walls provide views of the garden.Head of the tableIn full bloomThe menus change with the seasons, starring the likes of raw peas in spring and juicy tomatoes in summer. “What works one week won’t work the next,” Henry tells Monocle. “But when we came here our aim was to be self-sufficient and express ourselves.”ledoyennerestaurant.com2.Le BarnBonnellesDistance from Paris:49kmMode of transport:CarTime spent travelling:Less than an hourDirection:SouthwestPond lifeThe main lobby of Le Barn, a 73-room hotel southwest of Paris, doesn’t have a reception desk or a grand sweeping staircase but rather a wooden shelf, lined with Aigle wellies. The sight sets the scene for a stay at this rural retreat. It is nestled amid a sprawling 200 hectare site, complete with paddocks, a vegetable garden and a pond.Le Barn opened in 2018 and has become a favourite weekend getaway for Parisians. Guests typically arrive on Friday afternoon in time for goûter or apéro but it’s on Saturday mornings that the place really comes to life. Outdoor yoga classes are held beside the pond and weekend plans are made over breakfast on the verdant terrace.Rider and studBoot campRather uniquely, the hotel is nestled within Le Haras de la Cense, a distinguished stud farm. Other hotels in the region boast luxurious château settings but this one offers the chance to immerse yourself in nature and get up close and personal with the site’s horses.“We didn’t want to block off access to the stables or riding arena,” says Franco-American entrepreneur William Kriegel. “The routes are the same for everyone, whether you’re a hotel guest or a student at the Haras de la Cense.”Kriegel bought the estate in 1980. His decision to expand the stud farm into a hotel came from his desire to offer an innovative hotel concept that was an alternative to the country house, while still offering a closeness to nature.Serene guest room at Le BarnOn-site garden“The aim was to create a place with a countryside feeling,” Kriegel tells Monocle. “I wanted to have simple architecture and use humble materials.” So, he teamed up with Antoine Ricardou of Parisian design agency Saint-Lazare to devise Le Barn’s aesthetic. After an influential research trip to Montana, the look and feel of the hotel took shape. Many of the bedrooms are arranged in two bright-red barn-like structures with walls clad in cork and wood; meanwhile, a custom-built tiled stove warms the lobby. “US ranch culture was a major inspiration but we were conscious of avoiding anything that would look too faux Western,” says Kriegel. And, though guests have the opportunity to book outings on horseback and pony rides for children, the hotel is just as suited for cycling enthusiasts, hikers or those seeking to do very little.lebarnhotel.com3.D’une îleRémalardDistance from Paris:160kmMode of transport: CarTime spent travelling:Over two hoursDirection:Southwest, towards the Perche Regional Natural Park.Meet the team“We have borrowed from the codes of classic hospitality,” says D’une île’s co-owner Théophile Pourriat. “But our vision is more relaxed: we simply host in the way that we like to be hosted.” While a lot of care is put into offering a personalised service, D’une île is doing away with many amenities that are traditionally associated with hotel stays, such as a porter or zippy wi-fi; even mobile phone coverage is unavailable. True to the inn’s rural setting – in the Perche National Park – the 10 guest rooms feature rustic decor that appeals to urban sensibilities but doesn’t clash with the historical facets of the 17th-century former farmhouse.“We describe D’une île not as a hotel but as our maison de campagne,” says Pourriat. Together with his business partner, Bertrand Grébaut, Pourriat is better known in hospitality circles as the co-founder of Septime, a Michelin-starred restaurant on Paris’s Rue de Charonne. Branching out from drinking and dining wasn’t something that the duo had previously considered. But after staying at D’une île a number of times, they decided to take over in 2018. In Paris they were used to daily changing clientele, here they have more time to finesse the guest experience. Food, of course, is central to D’une île; it’s more a restaurant with rooms than rooms with a restaurant.D’une île’s rustic charmCosy hearthPourriat and Grébaut put a lot of care into distilling the region into their cooking rather than infusing the countryside with Paris. Running a rural inn means that they can anchor themselves in the community and forge close relationships with producers. In the city, they relied on a network that stretched the length and breadth of France. All of the ingredients on the vegetable-centric menu at D’une île are from local farms and markets. Most of the fruit and vegetables are grown in the on-site garden and the fish comes from the Chausey Islands. Kitchen staples such as olive oil and lemons are replaced by Perche rapeseed oil and vinegar. “Whether the way we do things is the future of hospitality is unclear; there will always be space for palatial hotels where everything is available at all times,” says Pourriat. “But for us, this close-to-nature approach is fundamental to who we are as restaurateurs.”duneile.com4.Tuba ClubLes Goudes, MarseilleDistance from Paris:786kmMode of transport:TrainTime spent travelling:Five hoursDirection:Make for Marseille by rail then hop in a cabTuba Club’s no-frills interiorsSince opening in 2020, Tuba Club in Les Goudes, a pretty fishing village just south of Marseille proper, has quickly become a summer institution in France’s second city. Founders Greg Gassa, an entrepreneur, and film producer Fabrice Denizot saw the potential of this no-frills former swimming club. They lured a smart, younger crowd to soak up the laidback atmosphere amid dramatic rocks and lemon-andcream-hued loungers. The founders tapped their childhood friend, architect Marion Mailaender, to take the bones of a bathing club and create something to match Marseille’s sultry summer mood. The brief? A friendly space that riffs on Le Corbusier’s wooden cabin at Roquebrune-CapMartin and the fetching bar that neighbours them, L’Étoile de Mer. In 2023, Tuba Club added a new villa to its five fuss-free Cabanon-style huts, providing an ideal platform to dive into resident chef Sylvain Roucayrol’s excellent cookery.Let’s dive!Rocking outtuba-club.com
When the city quiets and the shutters come down, the bestlate night restaurants are just getting into their stride. Far from greasy spoons or after-hours diners, these are refined addresses where you can still find a crisp tablecloth, an elegant glass of wine and service that never rushes you out the door. Whether it’s a brasserie in Paris serving scallops at midnight, or a Manhattan dining room that hums into the small hours, these spots prove that dinner can – and sometimes should – begin long after dark.1.The cinematic stop-outLe Grand ColbertParisDon’t let its old façade fool you – Le Grand Colbert’s best days are ahead of it. This spot, just north of Palais Royal, is one of the most fêted brasseries in a city that’s brimming with great places to break bread. When Monocle pays a visit, there’s an appreciative hum during evening service and a fleet of smart waiters clip across the floor and between busy tables.The building dates to 1828 and has had many lives, including becoming a restaurant – a bouillon – in 1900. The current owner, businessman Joel Fleury, took over in 1992. The architecture is a draw: soaring ceilings, mirrors, a mosaic floor and sculpted pilasters all in the pleasing curves of art nouveau. If it all looks a little familiar, it’s perhaps because the dining room has lent that grandeur to several films and TV series, including the 2003 Hollywood hit Something’s Gotta Give with Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves (shot at table 29).But film credits and finery only count for so much when tummies start to rumble. People still come to this hallowed dining hall for one reason: to eat. Service here runs from midday to midnight and in a relative rarity for such a traditional joint, it is – as the neon sign outside reads in pleasing Anglo-French – “non-stop” (as in not broken up into sittings).Chef Fabrice Cornée uses seasonal produce to prepare classic French cuisine with a modern twist. But the result is anything but anodyne: just-so sole meunière, tender coquilles St Jacques (scallops) or blanquette de veau (veal stew) are all the tastier – and yes, perhaps a little cinematic – when consumed under the establishment’s golden lights and fluttering palm fronds. legrandcolbert.comYear founded: 1900Number of covers: 110Best dish: Free-range chicken roasted in thyme. The morel-stuffed sea bass within a puff pastry crust is a close second.Drink to order: Room 64 cocktail (champagne, lime, raspberry liqueur and a rosemary sprig).Interesting fact: It’s a popular filming location. If you can’t visit, you could see the place as a backdrop in French espionage thriller The Bureau.Best table: If you’re making a statement then number 46, which is in the middle of the restaurant. Numbers 24 and 58 are the quietest.2.The whimsical wonderBemelmansNew YorkIn the late 1940s, Ludwig Bemelmans, the US writer and illustrator of the beloved Madeline children’s book series, made a deal with a friend. In exchange for a protracted stay at the swanky Carlyle Hotel on the Upper East Side (of which his friend was fortuitously the manager), Bemelmans agreed to paint the walls of the hotel’s new bar. He opted for a fantastical depiction of nearby Central Park –giraffes with parasols, besuited bunnies and even an appearance by the famous Madeline character and her school chums. The murals remain vibrant to this day and add a touch of whimsy to the sumptuous, leather-and-wood snug that still bears Bemelmans’ name.If you can snag a table (walk-ins are welcome, though there is sometimes a queue) then come hungry. The bar fare is no-nonsense and decadent: caviar, oysters, charcuterie and cheese, plus finger foods such as beef sliders, mini tuna tacos and andouille sausage pigs-in-a-blanket.Bemelmans has accomplished a rare feat: staying perpetually popular while preserving the charm and atmosphere that made it so irresistible to late-night patrons when it first opened in 1947. The glamour is understated, the red-jacketed bartenders discreet and the martinis stiff. There is live music every day until closing – Emmy Award-winning pianist Earl Rose’s weekly performances are a treat – and on raucous nights guests have been known to crowd around the Steinway and join in.35 E 76th Street, New York, NY 10021Year founded: 1947Number of covers: 87Best dish: The complimentary trio of bar snacks served on a silver stand.Drink to order: An ice-cold martini served with a classic sidecar.Interesting fact: The bar is named after Ludwig Bemelmans, the creator of the Madeline children’s books, and the walls are adorned with his hand-painted murals.Best table: A spot at the bar, where the red-jacketed bartenders are always within earshot.3.The trusty trattoriaRosy e Gabriele 1MilanAs bars and restaurants come and go in Milan’s Porta Venezia, Rosy e Gabriele 1 remains, well, number one for late-night dining. Established in 1967 (at one point there was a second, hence the name), the trattoria has been run by a Serbian-Montenegrin family for four decades. The restaurant, which opens for lunch and dinner, is marshalled by brothers Cedo and Cuca Mikic, with the all-male waitstaff entirely made up of family members.The restaurant has a timeless and slightly kitschy air. There are paintings of Rome and Pisa on the walls, a world map above the fish fridge and a hanging wooden Montenegrin insignia, with a wolf in its centre, which was gifted to Cedo. There are brightish lights – the true mark of an old-school joint in these parts – and 1980s and 1990s Italian ballads on the stereo. The large dining room is busy on the Thursday night when Monocle visits, as patrons drink wine and plump for something from a menu of some 300 dishes, featuring everything from fish crudo to pizza. The piano at the far end of the bar is regularly tinkered on in the wee hours by a maestro from La Scala.One thing that’s kept Rosy e Gabriele lively is the diverse crowd. When Monocle visits, a politician is here, as well as a group of footballers. An architect takes a pew at the same table that he’s been eating at for the past 40 years and by 22.30 several young fashionistas sit down. There’s an air of bravado about the crowd that’s echoed in the owners’ pride in the place. “All the most famous people have come here – actors, politicians, sports stars,” says Cedo. “Maradona was here.” Yet he seems a little saddened that people aren’t dining as late as they once did. “Before the pandemic, people would eat here at 02.30 like it was 20.30,” he says. Still, he adds, there’s no problem showing up at the restaurant at midnight. “Just give us a call.” 26 Via Giuseppe Sirtori; 139 02 2952 5930Year founded: 1967Number of covers: 180Food served until: 01.00Best dishes: Lobster spaghetti, Grand Plateau Royal of crudo or pizza.Drink to order: There’s a 1971 Barbaresco from Angelo Gaja that the restaurant claims is the only bottle in Europe.Interesting fact: The courtyard out back and the next-door stables once housed trams and the horses that pulled them.4.Good for a yarnSnob BarLisbonIt’s a new era for Snob Bar but thankfully one marked by little obvious change to this legendary Lisbon restaurant. “My goal is to keep things as they’ve always been,” says Miguel Garcia, who took over the Lisbon address last year from its previous owners’ 50-year custody with a promise of safekeeping and continuity. “There are places that simply cannot disappear. They are part of a city’s history.”Opened in 1964, Snob belongs to a special strain of establishments known for a discreet, closed-door policy, behind which lie dimly lit wood-panelled interiors and the possibility of late-night dining. Founded by an illustrator at the O Século newspaper (whose newsroom was nearby but shut in 1977), Snob continues to draw in a clientele of journalists, writers and politicians. “We want Snob to remain primarily a Portuguese house, with regulars who recommend it to the new generations through word of mouth,” says Garcia.The intimate decor of red carpet, leather seats and books on shelves has remained the same but the place has been given a facelift. The tin on the table lamps and the wooden ceiling and walls have been polished and the sofas reupholstered in their original bottle green. The food is the same as always, with croquettes and “Snob steak” with fries as the calling cards. This said, the drink selection has been jazzed up with classic cocktails, a careful selection of spirits and a good line-up of whisky. What feels different is the absence of the previous owner, Albino Oliveira (who almost single-handedly served while managing Snob’s door policy). However, the hope is that a new staff of eight can offer on-point service while keeping some of the place’s time-tested allure. The aim? To become part of the furniture.snobbar.ptYear founded: 1964Number of covers: 40Food served until: 02.00, with last orders at 01.00Best dishes: Snob steak or mango mousse.Drink to order: Sazerac.Interesting fact: The old landline still works but its number is now only to be found in the phonebooks of Snob’s oldest clients and today serves as a red telephone of sorts for VIPs. Pure snobbery.Best table: Table 10 by the entrance continues to be the choice of journalists in the know.5.Get the ball rollingKaniya HontenNagasakiA quick stop for an after-dinner onigiri (rice ball) is common practice in Nagasaki these days but the origins of this ritual started with one restaurant. “My father opened Kaniya in 1965 when there were no conbini (convenience stores) and fewer restaurants,” says current proprietor Hideki Fujikawa. “This was the first onigiri speciality shop in Nagasaki and once it opened, it became part of the local culture to have an onigiri after a night of drinking. People started saying, ‘Nondara Kaniya’, which means ‘After you drink, it’s Kaniya.’”On any night, Kaniya is rammed. The onigiri are made to order with A-grade Koshihikari rice from Niigata, seaweed from Ariake and Hakata salt from Ehime. “We’ve always prepared each onigiri at the counter in front of the customers,” says Fujikawa. “Regulars often say that the taste hasn’t changed but it has. Customers have a more sophisticated palate today so we always try to make subtle improvements and use the best ingredients.” A Kaniya onigiri is small enough to wolf down quickly, allowing diners to try more of the 33 variations on the menu.Popular orders are iwanori (seasoned seaweed), takana (pickled mustard leaves) and the signature shio-saba (salt-grilled mackerel). “Unlike convenience-store versions, we carefully remove the bones by hand and grill each piece without any additives,” says Fujikawa. A bottle of Asahi Super Dry and the popular akadashi red miso soup complete the picture. The convivial hum is the sound of a room full of satisfied customers of all ages. “We are seeing a lot more younger people lately, alongside our loyal regulars,” says Fujikawa. The Kaniya tradition looks set to continue.Year founded: 1965Number of covers: Kaniya usually serves between 500 and 1,000 people; on particularly busy evenings that’s up to 3,000 onigiri.Food served until: 03.00, Fridays and Saturdays; 02.00 rest of the week.Best dish: Shio-saba (salt-grilled mackerel).Drink to order: Bottled Asahi Super Dry.Best table: Zashiki (tatami seating where you take off your shoes) are the most popular with the young.6.The spot for a singalongEl Primo SanchezSydneyIn a 1940s pub on Oxford Street, Paddington, on Sydney’s eastern fringe, is a colourful Mexican haunt that’s a go-to for a late bite. Serving drinks until 02.00 with a resident DJ in the corner, the technicolour decor, old-school Mexican music and a private karaoke booth make it an ideal spot for a late-night margarita, mezcal or a plate of tacos and a singalong.Bartender Eduardo Conde oversees the shaking and stirring, showcasing his talent with a menu of creative and curious cocktails. With a focus on tequila and mezcal, the extensive drinks list includes adapted classics, such as the negroni made with raicilla (a Mexican spirit distilled from the agave plant) and the viva la vida, a piquant take on the humble margarita that arrives with lashings of mango, mint, a kick of Ancho Reyes chilli liquor and native lemon myrtle.Head chef Diego Sotelo’s menu includes tostadas with diced raw tuna served with edamame, while the pick of the tacos are the al Pastor (pork belly with pineapple) and the campechano (with smoky brisket, chorizo and salsa). Desserts run to piping-hot churros with dulce de leche for dipping and brown-butter madeleines dotted with white chocolate and Australian wattle seed.For a more intimate experience, venture into La Prima, the private speakeasy within the bar. This cosy space, its walls adorned with colourful Mexican prints and lit by candlelight, also has a dedicated bartender service. Barkeep, another viva la vida, por favor!elprimosanchez.comYear founded: 2023Number of covers: 250Food served until: 00.30Best dish: Al Pastor taco.Drink to order: Try a sanchez paloma (tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda)Best table: For groups, a spot in the private La Prima room offers a journey straight to Oaxaca. The more intimate Blue Room is quieter. And for the people watchers, table 3 is your front-row seat to all the action.7.For the grown-upsThe DoverLondonAfter 15 years as COO at Soho House Group, Martin Kuczmarski amassed an enviable amount of experience and inspiration from the bar and restaurant world. The Dover, his instant classic in London’s Mayfair, is the distillation of all that he’s learned – a meticulous amalgam of Kuczmarski’s favourite late-night establishments and his design-led philosophy.Once through the heavy velvet curtains, the softly lit, slender bar is a blur of bartenders kitted out in white double- breasted Savile Row jackets made from the same cloth as butchers’ aprons. The drinks list is long and classic but majors in martinis. The signature Dover martini sums up Kuczmarski’s pedigree: an American drink made with Italian vermouth and Konik’s Tail vodka from Poland and is accented with an orange twist and bitters. Trays of the things float out to the candlelit tables, while a barback selects records to suit the sultry, grown-up mood.Beyond the bar, a stretch of conspiratorial booths leads to the oblong dining room, which is all sinuous swoops of walnut panelling rising to a glazed barrel ceiling. This club-like space, designed by Quincoces-Dragó, a Milanese architecture practice, takes cues from an age of steam-powered travel and art deco dining cars. Here you’ll find an international set tucking into Italian-American fare of courgette fritti, spaghetti meatballs, hamburgers and beef arrosto, all served on bone china plates and pleasingly bereft of the usually hefty Mayfair price tag for the pleasure. Kuczmarski’s next venture? A hotel in Parma.thedoverrestaurant.comYear founded: 2023Number of covers: 30 in the bar, 56 in the restaurant.Food/drinks served till: The bar serves until 01.00 and the last sitting is at 23.30.Best dish: Spaghetti meatballs or beef arrosto.Drink to order: The Dover martini.Best table: In the bar it’s table 40, which sits in a nook on the banquette and gives the best vantage point of the action. In the restaurant, table 17, a corner table for two, feels secluded for whispered sweet nothings but remains part of the hubbub.Interesting fact: Veteran restaurateur Jeremy King can sometimes be spotted enjoying a bite or a drink here after service at his own fêted establishment, The Arlington.
In Taiwan, breakfast can be a rushed affair. On the curb in front of a street-food vendor, you’ll see scooters hastily parked as their riders, helmets still fastened, queue beside smart office workers and uniformed students, waiting for their turn to order. Now and then, a retiree or an idle auntie claims a low plastic stool, savouring their choice with unhurried ease. But for many, breakfast is eaten on the go as they sweep through the city.Century egg and pork-floss sandwichLion’s head meatball flatbread and ‘dan bing’ at Miss Qin’s Soy Milk ShopBeef and spring-onion ‘dan bing’The Taiwanese breakfast shop is a product of the region’s postwar history: its origins lie with the steady flow of wheat that came as part of Cold War-era aid programmes from the US and also with the arrival of mainland Chinese refugees who knew precisely what to do with it. Until then, rice, not wheat, was the island’s staple stodge and the latter was a foreign commodity, largely unfamiliar to most. For breakfast, wheat flour was used to make long, deep-fried dough sticks, flaky flatbreads or pillowy buns. Sometimes the flatbreads were rolled up with spring onions and an egg to form adan bing, a morning staple. The first breakfast shops in Taiwan were street stalls, stacked with layers of bamboo steamer baskets and bouquets of fried dough sticks. Eventually, bricks-and-mortar locations began to crop up, though many maintain a certain simplicity: they tend to be humble, utilitarian spaces where food is prepared on a single stainless-steel flat-top griddle facing the street.“Dan bingis usually pan-fried but we deep-fry ours,” Cheng Hsu-Chong, the second-generation owner of the Chongqing Soy Milk and Fried Egg breakfast shop, tells Monocle. The 50 year-old institution on the edge of a traditional market has neither a front wall nor a door. Why deep fry? “It’s faster,” he says. “And it tastes better.”Queue outside Fu Hang Soy MilkThe main action takes place at a vendor cart in front of the shop, where Cheng’s son is poised over a fryer. He drops a thin flatbread speckled with spring onions into the bubbling oil, then cracks an egg into the fryer. As the bread crisps and expands, he folds it around the egg, lifting it from the oil, before adding a diced pickled daikon radish. With a swift motion, he hands it over to the cashier, who finishes it with a few generous shakes of ground white pepper. Thedan bingis paired with a hot cup of sweetened, freshly brewed soy milk, a popular drink at Taiwanese breakfast shops.Interior of Lao Jiang’s HouseThe precise origins of thedan bing, which is more like a light puff pastry than fried dough, remains as murky as the bubbling oil from which ours has just emerged. In Mandarin,danmeans “egg” andbingmeans “flatbread”. It is thought to have originated in Taiwan as an extra-thin riff on the spring-onion pancake. Variations exist, some more crêpe-like than others.Order counter at Lao Jiang’s HouseDiner at Fu Hang Soy Milk“Many people use the batter method but we just roll it out from dough,” says Qin Hui Lin, the owner of Miss Qin’s Soy Milk Shop. “It’s what I grew up with.” Qin’s parents came to Taiwan by way of the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu during China’s civil war and she grew up eatingdan bingstuffed with chopped-up fermented long beans, served with finely minced chilli and a thickened soy sauce flavoured with bean curd. It’s one of the specialities at her family’s shop, which began as a modest stall under an awning 76 years ago and has since expanded into two adjacent shopfronts. One of them, positioned on a street corner, has a deli-style counter, while the other is for those who want to eat in. A solid wall divides the two areas.Qin’s son, who is now in charge, refreshed the shop recently with a new coat of paint and professionally taken photos of the dishes, displayed both on the menus and in the décor. The food bears plenty of influences from the family’s Jiangsu heritage. Among the highlights are the lion’s head meatballs, a dish that consists of pork with soy sauce and spices. “The meatballs were originally just for the staff but our customers liked them too and now they’re one of our signatures,” says Qin. Traditionally served in a broth with cabbage leaves, they’re now sold by Qin in a sesame-dotted flatbread that resembles a meatball sub. “You have to keep adapting,” she says.Deep-fried version at Chongqing Soy Milk and Fried EggDespite such willingness to adapt, most breakfast shops have remained little changed for decades. That said, a new wave of younger entrepreneurs is taking a different approach. You’ll find Lao Jiang’s House, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, not in an old market but on the edges of Taipei’s financial district. The owners are five friends who quit their day jobs to start the business after the coronavirus-related lockdowns.“Most of us have worked at traditional breakfast shops at some point,” says co-owner Din Tsung-Hsiung. “We just wanted to create something a little different.” Servicing mostly white-collar workers during rush hour and late-night club-goers on the weekends, Lao Jiang’s House has a menu that offers all of the classics but with subtle updates. For example, there’s adan bingstuffed with spring-onion-scented beef instead of just egg and another with a rice-paper exterior. “It’s stuff that we want to eat ourselves,” says Din.What to order‘Dan bing’Thin flatbread flecked with spring onion, wrapped around an egg and cut into bite-sized pieces.Soy milkServed warm, this breakfast-shop staple is made from freshly ground soy beans and comes in sweetened or salted varieties.‘You tiao’Fried dough stick with a golden-brown, crispy exterior and a light, airy centre.‘Shao bing’Sesame-crusted flatbread.‘Fan tuan’Rolls made using sticky rice and packed with pickled vegetables, meat and egg.What makes Lao Jiang’s House stand out is its décor. With white tiles, light-wood trimmings and solid timber tables, it looks more like a Western coffee shop than a traditional breakfast shop. The space has been carefully designed to encourage diners to linger. Across Taiwan, the idea of a more design-forward breakfast space – albeit with the same level of comfort as the original breakfast shops – is gaining traction. Few do it as effortlessly as Nite-Nite Breakfast, a newcomer that has quietly entered the scene. Tucked away in the Neihu district, it has floor-to-ceiling glass windows and is branded with a smiley-face logo with bright-yellow accents. The dining area is spacious and flooded with natural light, a deliberate counterpoint to Nite-Nite’s often cramped competitors.Lao Jiang’s House“Most breakfast shops are on busy street corners. We chose this spot to help people to unwind,” says Jane Hu, a marketing manager – a position that few old-school breakfast shops employ. When Monocle visits on a Monday afternoon, the shop is full of diners sitting down for their meal. The menu is full of unexpected flavour combinations. There’s amapo tofu dan bing, stuffed with tofu, minced meat and fermented chilli sauce; we’re also tempted by an egg sandwich featuring pork floss – dehydrated pork with a candy-floss-like texture – and century egg, a preserved duck egg with a distinctive blackish hue.Traditionalists might scoff at new establishments of this kind (as well as at the tendency of their clientele to take photos of their food) but they are attracting footfall. Perhaps this evolution of the breakfast shop is a quiet rebellion against the sameness of so much brunch culture, with its bland avocado toasts, or the relentless pace of Taipei’s commuter hours? That’s something to discuss over adan bing, anyway.Address bookChongqing Soy Milk and Fried EggKnown for its deep-fried ‘dan bing’.32, Lane 335, Section 3, Chongqing North RoadFu Hang Soy MilkA traditional favourite with long queues.108, 2nd Floor, Section 1, Zhongxiao East RoadLao Jiang’s HouseOpen around the clock, all week.110 Yanji StreetMiss Qin’s Soy MilkTry the signature ‘dan bing’ with long beans.7-6, Yanji StreetNite-Nite BreakfastA quiet place with quirky flavour combos.37, Lane 127, Gangqian Road
The Swiss are rightly proud of the efficiency and speed of their SBB railway system – but journeys along the nation’s breathtaking Alpine routes are best enjoyed at a slower pace. Constructed in 1925, the Furka Steam Railway is a living relic of European train travel’s golden age. Sometimes, rushing it would be to miss the point.The 18km mountain pass is about 2,000 metres above sea level and begins in the village of Realp in the canton of Uri. It chugs through rugged pastures and frozen mountain lakes before finishing in Oberwald in Valais. Along the way, you’ll glimpse striking views of the Rhône Glacier, the Saint-Gotthard Massif and the Urseren Valley, all from the comfort of your seat.The mountain pass reopened in 2010 after almost three decades, thanks to the construction of a 14km tunnel through a high-altitude section of the trail that’s prone to extreme weather conditions. Painstakingly restored by the Furka Cogwheel Steam Railway Association, the picturesque route is run by an independent body called the Dampfbahn Furka-Bergstrecke and operates between June and October.The red locomotive passes by the Grand Hotel Glacier du Rhône in Gletsch, which is expected to reopen in 2026 (as well as the 19th-century belle époque Hôtel Belvédère, perched on a hairpin bend, which closed in 2016 after almost 150 years). The hope for the region is that, after a fresh lick of paint, the former might encourage more scene seekers to venture this way. In the meantime, if you do make the trip, we recommend that you buy a First Class ticket, order a glass of wine and toast a Swiss success that proves that there’s more to railway excellence than simply reaching your destination on time.dfb.ch; glacier-du-rhone.ch
Melbourne PlaceMelbourne“There’s a sameness about many Australian hotels that we wanted to get away from,” says Patrick Kennedy, co-principal of architecture firm Kennedy Nolan. When the practice was commissioned to design a 16-storey hotel in Melbourne’s CBD, it took inspiration from “family-owned properties in Europe”. Melbourne Place has a brick and tinted-concrete exterior that reflects the spirit of the area’s older buildings. “Melbourne has been keen to preserve 19th- and 20th-century masonry buildings,” says Kennedy. “We engaged with those aspirations closely.” The hotel offers 191 guest rooms and suites. melbourneplace.com.auSandìMilanHidden away on a residential street in Porta Venezia, bistro Sandì has swiftly become a neighbourhood favourite. The project is overseen by chef Laura Santosuosso, originally from Modena, and her partner, Denny Mollica (pictured, on left, with Santosuosso), who takes care of front of house and pulls together an unconventional, ever-evolving wine list.Sandì – a portmanteau of Santosuosso’s surname and Mollica’s nickname – occupies a beautiful 1960s street-level space that was once a bakery. Original design details have been preserved, including a Palladian marble floor with flashes of pink. In-demand design studio Parasite 2.0 is behind the subtle refurbishment work and the striking metal-and-glass wall at the far end that opens like a kiosk.Santosuosso has worked at some of Milan’s finest restaurants – from Erba Brusca and Remulass to Nebbia – and has also spent time in Paris. “The menu’s departure point is always Italian regional food,” says the chef. “But there are influences from all of our travels too.” Dishes such as roasted cauliflower in a green pepper sauce are bursting with umami flavour. Other standouts include slow-cooked leeks in red wine, blue cheese and dark chocolate, and cabbage stuffed with red prawns and pork shoulder, served with a flavoursome bisque.The couple, who have a young son, currently only open Sandì for lunch, except on Fridays when the bistro also serves dinner. The aim, says Mollica, is to have “a place that is buzzing during the day” and to maintain a healthy work-life balance. The à la carte options are excellent but the set menu is undoubtedly Milan’s best meal deal: €25 for three inventive and scrumptious courses. “We want to have all of the comfort of dinner but at lunch,” says Santosuosso. We like their way of thinking. Via Francesco Hayez, 13Hotel RumourLeidenStudio Modijefsky – the Amsterdam-based firm behind the handsome Gitane restaurant and bar, as well as the revamp of the Blauwe Theehuis pavilion in the Vondelpark – is at it again. This time it has transformed a 17th-century carriage house in Rembrandt’s home city of Leiden into the cosy Hotel Rumour.The hotel’s terrace is dotted with tan parasols. There’s a downstairs brasserie clad in brown terracotta tiles and a travertine bar beneath original wooden ceiling beams. You’ll find texture everywhere, from the smooth sage-hued upholstery of the bar seating to the marble tabletops and bobbly beige stuccoed walls that hint at the age of the building. A staircase leads to La Suite Petite, which is available to rent for private bashes. It has space for 12 people and a private dining option. There’s also the Salone Royale (with room for 100) amid the attic’s atmospheric wooden rafters.Chef Thomas van der Slikke oversees a bistro with a menu of crowd-pleasers, which range from brunch staples to a dinner of sea bass or steak with a great wine list to choose from. It’s easy to stray into hyperbole when painting such a comely portrait of a new opening but let’s just say that the hotel’s success isn’t just a rumour. hotelrumour.nl
As well as a thriving capital, Nairobi is a layover city for those on the way to Lamu Island or the plains of Masai Mara. Travellers zipping in and out often find themselves with lengthy layovers: domestic and international flights aren’t always well timed and the two airports – Jomo Kenyatta and Wilson – are a 30-minute drive from each other, making for tense stopovers.To buy time, some travellers book into generic airport hotels. But those in the know opt for The Retreat, a collection of day rooms at Giraffe Manor. The hotel is located in the leafy suburb of Langata and known, as the name suggests, for its wildlife. Here, layovers can be maximised and enjoyed rather than endured.The Retreat was created specifically for those who have a couple of hours to kill between flights. Upstairs, a collection of suites overlooks the gardens. Travellers can take a nap or spend time in the communal areas; swimming in the pool, lounging around the fireplace or eating at the hotel restaurant, Daisy’s. The spa is probably the biggest pre- and post-flight draw, with a sauna, steam room and gym, as well as treatments for tight neck muscles and dry skin.After checking in and freshening up, there are ample ways to maximise a layover and whittle away the hours in Kenya’s capital, a buzzing metropolis worth exploring in its own right. The city’s art scene is booming thanks to the Nairobi Contemporary Art Institute highlighting the work of East African artists. Gallery hopping and long meals at restaurants such as the highly recommended Cultiva are best enjoyed once you’ve scrubbed up post long-haul flight.For those passing through Nairobi, finding the right base camp from which to recharge can set the tone of a trip. Perhaps in-between hotels would work elsewhere too.thesafaricollection.com
