Editor’s letter
Tyler Brûlé reveals our plans to bring even more of the Monocle experience to you.The opener
Why it’s time to kick off your shoes in the office, the drive to ban drive-thrus and some woolly wanderers flocking to Paris.Building support
Casablanca does a fine line in conserving its colonial architecture but is more inclined to neglect its more recent gems. Meet the duo fighting for modernism.Front vine
When Russia annexed Crimea, Ukraine lost its wine-making region. Now its vintners are clinking glasses with the west.My cabinet
If you’re in charge of policing one of the safest cities in the world, pressure and pride go hand in hand.Cosy corner
Artist and historian Rachel Schreiber is the new head of the celebrated Parsons School of Design. As she rethinks its role, she finds solace in the New York Public Library.
Salut, Italie!
Franco-Italian ties are unusually frosty. How far can drinks, diplomacy and a dancefloor go towards warming relations?Greasing the wheels
The latest stop in our series is Tulsa. Despite a slowing trickle of oil money it is rich in creative vision and optimism for the future; now it just needs to get the rest of the world on board.Politics briefing
Sweden’s politics festival, anti-Semitism in the European Commission and Austria’s election.Diplomacy briefing
We talk to Taiwan’s man in London about diplomatic tussles with China, the Swiss build their second-largest embassy and Russia’s backfire in the Baltics.Defence briefing
Vietnam’s surprising purchases from the US, and France’s defence exports have a moment.Cities briefing
Victoria’s mayor talks unpopular policies, Ghent transforms its cycling culture and Helsinki goes green.
Moving forward
How will you get to work in the future? We consider the role that businesses will play and think about some of the potential travel opportunities and pitfalls – not to mention how long it’ll take.Business briefing
A space-saving office, bricks-and-mortar shops for online brands and bringing craft beer to India.Against the grain
Oatly CEO Toni Petersson has raised the drink’s profile by revamping its brand, tapping into consumers’ eco-desires and antagonising the dairy industry.Striking a balance
Beauty and hospitality entrepreneur Cynthia Chua practises what she preaches.Hive of industry
Soundproofed chairs, high ceilings and yellow upholstery have helped Estonian newspaper ‘Aripaev’ turn a factory hall in Tallinn into a modern office for busy bees.Equal measure
A hospitality venture has transformed its fortunes with a work-ethic makeover.Office politics
The way we work is changing – and fast. This is leaving business owners and managers with more questions than answers. Does flexible working pay off? How much leave is too much? And how important is sustainability? We speak to the people trying to change the way we work.Testing times
What happens if all commutes are free? Or you make young people do national service? Or even pay people for doing nothing at all? We find out.All in a day’s work
From paying your bills to finding your calling, work means many things to many people. But it’s the manner of your approach to the daily grind – your ambitions, your colleagues and your routine – that will define your career. So we’re taking working life to task.
Directors’ cut
The more incendiary the conversation around cultural topics becomes, the more museum directors take on the role of mouthpieces for how society should deal with thorny issues. Four art bosses tell us how they’re making an exhibit of climate change, colonial history, challenging norms and much more besides.Crowd pleasers
An increasing number of independent media outlets are launching via crowdfunding campaigns. But building on this income while delivering on promises is another challenge; we look at seven ventures playing to the crowd.The Ten
After the summer’s megafairs, the art scene is chilling out and the centenary of the Bauhaus movement is being marked on small screens and in a new museum. Plus: emo-pop cures all ills, books and films explore the clashes between generations and a familiar face returns to newsstands.
Business sense
Organic grocery chain Alnatura has gone above and beyond to create a smart and healthy office culture in its new HQ.Aiming high
For Catalans, Gaudí’s Sagrada Família isn’t just a church: it’s an icon of identity and innovation.Room to breathe
Why the design of this 1960s retreat, promoting modernity while embracing its nature, has stood the test of time.
New wave
Northern Spain has long been overlooked by visitors and entrepreneurs but there’s a glint of revival to be seen in its under-the-radar restaurants and inns. We pack a trunk for a roadtrip to meet the food folk doing things differently.Food & Drink Briefing
Food finds, from a microdistillery in rural Japan to new openings in Ibiza, Vienna and Avignon.Francis Mallmann
The Argentine chef on early inspiration, youthful rebellion, meaty domination and the tyranny of interfering waiters.
Reap what you sew
How can fledgling fashion labels make an impact in the industry? Here’s some inspiration from those who’ve done it.Fascinating case study
Why does Japanese luggage firm Ace travel so well? We check in with the CEO for a lesson in product development and diversification.Fashion Briefing
LA’s menswear upstart, an impressive new perfume shop and a beloved designer making a comeback.The fashion files
As autumn heads our way, it’s back to the office. Feelgood fabrics and elegant accessories will help you look the part.
In pursuit of perfection
Think that all the best work is done in cities? A chef hitting the heights in a remote Swiss village is proving otherwise.Take your pick
Do you fancy a 19th-century palace in Porto or a 1920s office building in LA? All bases are covered here.Back to basics
Visit a modern hotel with old-fashioned values that’s housed in a century-old villa.No big thing
What do you do when you can’t find a neighbourhood to suit your needs? Make your own.Best in class
Hidden inside an imposing townhouse, Graanmarkt 13 is a step ahead of routine retail.Game on
A line-up of beautifully crafted toys and games for some light-hearted respite.
S. Pellegrino Monocle
Food meets future
Sparkling evening
In 2019, S.Pellegrino, the world’s leading sparkling mineral water, celebrates its 120th anniversary. To mark this special occasion with the gastronomy community, the brand hosted Food Meets Future, a special event included within the programme of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards at the National Gallery in Singapore on 24 June. This year the awards shortlist was extended from 100 to 120 to commemorate S.Pellegrino’s 120th anniversary. The star-studded party took place at Marina Bay Sands. A sparkling sculpture of the famous green bottle took pride of place in the middle of the ballroom, honouring the iconic Italian heritage brand’s 120-year heritage. Leading lights from the culinary world mingled with the future stars of global gastronomy before moving to the Sands theatre to hear the results and honour the overall winner, Argentinian chef Mauro Colagreco’s Mirazur restaurant on the French Riviera. “We will always be rooted around the table,” says Stefano Marini, director of S.Pellegrino’s international business.
S.Pellegrino and the World’s 50 Best Restaurants share a belief that the future of gastronomy requires the community to come together to nurture talent, act responsibly and inclusively, and inspire each other with creativity. The Food Meets Future event, which took place later in the day, was devised to explore four key pillars as the focus for discussion and action to secure the future of gastronomy: inclusion, inspiration, responsibility and talent.
Setting the tone with an impassioned introduction, larger-than-life Italian chef Massimo Bottura kicked off this convivial four-course feast by talking about talent with a panel of illustrious guests: Yannick Alléno, Anne-Sophie Pic, Julien Royer and Garima Arora. Bottura, owner of last year’s best restaurant, Modena’s Osteria Francescana, spoke about feeding talent and stepping back to leave space for this younger generation. True to his word, he and the panel took questions from rising chefs in the audience, including the current holder of S.Pellegrino’s young chef award, Yasuhiro Fujio. How does Bottura spot talent? “I look at the sparkle in their eyes, not their curriculum vitae,” he says.
José Andrés served up the main course: responsibility. The Spanish-American delivered a cooking call to arms in front of a captivated audience about how he came to found World Central Kitchen after his experiences of volunteering in Haiti in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. Since then the NGO has been flying into disaster zones with a team of cooks to make meals for those affected. Andrés has subsequently led his team in Puerto Rico, Colombia and Venezuela. “We just show up and start cooking,” says Andrés, whose team of 25,000 volunteers prepared some four million meals in Puerto Rico. “Never wait – when people are hungry they are hungry today, not next week.”
The message of inclusivity in gastronomy reached far beyond the chefs who presented on the da: S.Pellegrino presented a video showing pledges and commitments made by prominent chefs from around the world. “More and more, the new generation of diners are looking for inclusivity, not exclusivity,” says Marini. Achieving gender parity was a popular pledge, as was a commitment to improve the working environment in a kitchen; it’s a notoriously hot and steamy atmosphere. The need to challenge this accepted norm was echoed later that evening when Daniela Soto-Innes of New York’s Mexican-inspired Cosme restaurant (number 23 in this year’s list) picked up the award for the world’s best female chef.
An edible dessert art wall, which perfectly represented S.Pellegrino’s support for creativity and talent, was dreamt up by Singapore-based pastry chef Janice Wong. “Culture is the biggest inspiration for all of my desserts,” says Wong, standing beside her latest creation. As delegates tucked into the food art, Wong’s inspiring creation became a physical representation of how food can bring people together and bring down barriers. “The future of food, for me, is more women chefs – and S.Pellegrino is putting a lot of work into that.”
