Monocle Weekend
Edition: Sunday

This week you’ll find us in Paris, where a New York-inspired pizzeria is providing residents with a slice of international fare. We also kick back on Spain’s Gipuzkoa coast and sip on a glass of pét nat from the sunny Mexican port city of Ensenada. Plus: a Lisbon-based fashion designer talks us through her summer holiday plans and we stop by the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc to see what the stalwart stocks in the way of sunny souvenirs. To kick things off, we catch up with Tyler Brûlé in Italy…

We start today by picking up where we left off last Saturday: in the sunny heart of Südtirol. After a gentle hike and lunch at the Vigilius mountain resort, it was back down to the cosy town of Lana for an afternoon of napping, reading and chatting poolside. Fully restored and ready for an evening on the town, a shuttle whisked colleagues and guests up to the Obermais district of Merano for our summer drinks at The Monocle Shop on Dantestrasse. With Martin Kirchlechner in charge of the focaccia and my colleague Raffi on the drinks, the street started to fill up at 17.30 sharp (see below). Before long, traffic was slowing to check out what all the fun was about. As ever, Monocle readers had travelled from very near (we have a loyal group of locals, which lives within a hundred metres) and quite far (Berlin, Dubai, Miami) for a bit of socialising, shopping and regional intelligence gathering. “Where should we go for lunch tomorrow? Any shopping tips for local linens? Where’s the best place for a swim? Should we go to Venice or Genoa from here?” At about 20.00 the crowd started to thin and we made our way back across the valley to Villa Arnica for an evening of wines from neighbouring villages, beef from the hills above Bolzano and greens from the villa’s garden. The following morning, shortly after my Monocle on Sunday radio check-in, my summer break officially began. A week later, I’m now on the beach in a small Ligurian town, where most of the tourists are Italians from Piemonte, French and Swiss. In between here and Südtirol there was a night at the Villa Feltrinelli, the most refreshing dips in Lake Garda, a little side trip to Nice for a bit of shopping, lunch at Loulou Pirate with my colleague Daphné and a lovely drive along the slow road back to this little stretch of Italy. One question: why aren’t they doing more with Sanremo and its superb, rather faded (some abandoned) grand hotels? Why isn’t this the new stop between St Tropez and Portofino?

Much has been written of late about how Americans have saved the European hospitality economy this summer, boosted room rates, filled aircraft and packed out restaurants. But on this stretch of the Med there’s not a Chicagoan or New Yorker within earshot. I’m wondering why it has been missed by not only Americans but also Brits, Germans, Canadians and the caravan-loving Dutch? Could it be that it’s so Italian that others stay away? Perhaps it’s the lack of recognisable hotel brands and retailers? Or is it just that little bit too far from Nice airport and Malpensa to make it appealing to those who can’t face the drive? This morning I went to local edicola to check whether The New York Times and the FT Weekend were on offer to test how international the crowd is in these parts. I was relieved to discover that it’s a purely Corriere della Sera, la Repubblica and La Stampa corner of the world. I managed to find the FT (the sole copy) in the next town but beyond that it was clear that the only foreign customers were German-speaking Swiss as it was just the NZZ that was on the internazionale shelf, along with a few copies of Gala and Bunte.

It’s increasingly tricky to find ethnically and culturally intact corners of Europe, where the clock and customs work purely for locals and not for Norwegians who want their kids to eat early or Angelenos who want to substitute everything in an insalata nizzarda so it morphs into a chopped-cobb salad that they could eat back home. As many regions fight against mass tourism and chase away visitors, I return to the Monocle mantra that a village, town or city need only stick to its values and rhythms of life to keep the tourism numbers in check. The path to controlled tourism is to not cater for the world but to follow a route that has worked since the start of the “grand tour”. If shutters, cross-breezes and fans functioned in hotels a century ago, then we can go back to more lo-fi ways of staying cool rather than installing AC for Chinese, Gulf and North American visitors. If alcohol and nuts have been present in a restaurant’s dessert recipes for the past three hundred years, why change the recipe? If guests don’t like nonna’s cooking, they can order a gelato or find a corner of the world that offers everything to everyone. In the meantime, you’ll find me stretched out on a lounger, the waves lapping, families laughing and playing cards in the nearby bar, with the smell of sun oil, salt and fig filling the air.

Not so long ago, you couldn’t find much more than a takeaway burger on Paris’s Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud (writes Claudia Jacob). Stretching between Le Marais and Belleville, the area has now become a go-to destination for international fare in a city that’s notoriously resistant to change. Restaurateurs Angela Kong and Antoine Bernardin’s slice shop, Rori, serves the US-inspired comfort food that the street was crying out for. “We had a crush on the pizza at Paulie Gee’s in New York,” says Kong, who wanted Rori to be on the same street as Bouche, their bistro across the road.

Chef Florent Peineau has perfected his airy sesame-seed dough topped with rich tomato sauce, salame picante, lashings of hot honey and melted burrata. Vegetarians should order a smoky scamorza-and-potato slice with dill-pickle dip. Rori’s American-diner-style interiors feature red resin flooring, stainless-steel tables and leather banquettes. Flexible tube lighting from Marseille-based studio Axel Chay and stools from Frama in Copenhagen help to create a casual ambience that is energised by an Italo-disco soundtrack.
roriparis.com

For more of Monocle’s favourite Parisian tips, boutiques and brasseries, pick up a copy of the ‘Monocle Paris Edition’ newspaper, which is available on newsstands and online now.

Lisbon-based Ana Penha e Costa is the founder of fashion label +351, which specialises in soft organic-cotton apparel that’s ideal for the sunny climes of Portugal (writes Ivan Carvalho). An avid surfer, Penha e Costa tells us about holidaying in Oaxaca, culture in Comporta and her Spartan breakfast menu.

Where will we find you this weekend?
I’ll be at my property in Santiago do Cacém in the Alentejo region. It’s not far from the ocean and where I like to go to immerse myself in nature.

Ideal start to a Sunday? A gentle start or a jolt?
I like to wake up early and surf with my friends.

What’s for breakfast?
An espresso and a spoonful of peanut butter.

Lunch in or out?
I’ll make myself a simple salad with lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella and good-quality Portuguese olive oil.

Walk the dog or downward dog?
I practise yoga and usually go twice a week to a studio called Baraza in Lisbon. Rebecca and Liza are great teachers.

Your Sunday soundtrack?
I’ll put on a mellow track. I’m currently enjoying “The Line” by D’Angelo.

A Sunday culture must?
My friend has a space over in Comporta called the Kubik Gallery, so I might pop in to see an exhibition.

Where will you be heading for the summer?
I’ll be surfing in Mexico in a remote village in Oaxaca. There are mangoes falling from the trees there and people from Hawaii, California, Australia, Indonesia and Brazil go to catch the perfect wave.

Sun or shade?
Shade. I always carry my sun umbrella and a bucket hat from my label.

Your Sunday-evening routine?
I turn in early and start to think about my to-do list for the coming week.

Will you lay out an outfit for Monday?
I typically start the day exercising. Afterwards, I’ll choose my outfit depending on the weather.

For more of our favourite Mediterranean labels, pick up a copy of the‘Monocle Mediterraneo’ newspaper, which is on newsstands now.

There’s something to be said for the humble wrap and its infinite filling combinations. This week, Monocle’s Japanese recipe writer puts together a variant of the Indian kathi roll, a fast-food staple. Our recipe contains flavoursome florets of cauliflower and a sticky chutney to cut through the spice.

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the spiced cauliflower
250g cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 tbsps olive oil

For the coriander chutney
50g coriander leaves
1 green chilli, roughly chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
10g fresh ginger
1 tbsp tamarind sauce
½ tsp salt
2 lemon wedges
30g salted, roasted almonds, roughly chopped

2 rotis
2 tbsps yoghurt

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 200C.

2
Mix together the spiced cauliflower ingredients on a tray. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes.

3
Now put all of the chutney ingredients in a small food processor and blend into a coarse paste.

4
Remove the cauliflower from the oven and squeeze the lemon juice on top. Add the chopped almonds and toss.

5
Warm the roti in the oven for two minutes. Then remove and place some cauliflower in the middle of each flatbread. Spoon over the chutney and yoghurt. Roll and place in the middle of a sheet of greaseproof paper and wrap it up to form a kathi roll. Slice in half and serve.

In the Mexican port city of Ensenada in the coastal wine region of Valle de Guadalupe, Anatolia produces fresh and fruity tipples (writes Lucrezia Motta). “We try to represent the earth and the diversity of the land,” says co-founder Claudia Turrent, who took over the then-disease-ridden vineyards with a mission to revive them. “We worked hard to provide the ecosystem with proper irrigation, organic pesticides and beneficial insects.”

The bottles are similar to those used for the company’s mezcal, which Turrent repurposed for wine when there was a shortage at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Anatolia’s rosado and pét nat, made from sun-soaked tempranillo, mourvèdre and cinsault grapes, are light on the palette and best enjoyed with a platter of fresh seafood.
anacronica.com.mx

San Sebastián has its draws but those who want to enjoy the region’s rich culinary offerings in a more tranquil setting might enjoy the seaside town of Zarautz, about 20km west of the city. In a mid-century seaside villa on the Gipuzkoa coast, the 13-key Hotel Ur Bare is run by husband-and-wife team Juan Ramón Goikoetxea and Laura Azpiroz.

The interiors, designed by Barcelona’s Trenchs Studio, are warm and homely, while the property’s outdoor terrace and calm infinity pool provide a striking view of the promenade and lapping waves below. The pair behind this coastal bolthole have plenty of hospitality experience; their oyster bar in San Sebastián and nearby restaurant Tarin Taberna are both perfect places to clink a glass on a warm evening.
urbarehotel.com

Few holiday souvenirs are as coveted as those from the elegant Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes. The resort’s nautical-themed inflatable ring packs down neatly into a slim travel pouch to accompany you on your midsummer adventures. It’s proof that mementos of a Mediterranean trip can be as stylish as the sojourn itself.
oetkercollection.com

To discover more of Monocle’s favourite finds and sunny souvenirs, pick up a copy of the July/August issue or our sunny newspaper today. Have a super Sunday.