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Fennel flatbread is on the menu this week at West London’s new Italian cantina. Then we visit Burgundy’s newest hospitality offering to sample its extensive list of local wines. Plus: ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ at one of Vienna’s most hallowed cafés and we explore Brazil’s contemporary art scene with the director of Art Basel Miami Beach. Leading us out of the gate, Tyler Brûlé has been everywhere and back.
The Faster Lane / Tyler Brûlé
It’s a sunny Saturday morning here in Zürich, the rooftops and trees are covered in snow, the Swedish radio station I’m tuned in to has started playing Christmas tracks and I’m coming down from my three-week tour that wrapped early Wednesday morning. I’ve spent the past few days trying to process all my impressions from Melbourne and Sydney, Dallas and Montréal, Doha and Dubai. The Tokyo, HK and Bangkok parts of the trip feel like a lifetime ago – but observations from these cities have also been creeping into my analysis of the past few weeks. Here are a few things that I feel will inform my thinking over the year ahead and some actions you, dear reader, might find useful.
Tokyo and the return of retail discovery
Japan’s fashion buyers are back on their game following a few timid years of filling shop rails with more dependable (read: higher margin) house labels and perhaps saving on travel costs by not sending large buying teams to Milan, Florence, Paris and much further afield. After a round of scouting and Christmas shopping I can confirm that Japan has figured out what many retailers are struggling with elsewhere: how to serve an informed customer with confidence and an added dash of surprise. It’s rather the opposite in Australia, Canada and the US, with malls and department stores stocked with predictable brands, sterile shop fits and staff who increasingly feel like flight attendants – there for your safety but not to serve. Step into a branch of Tomorrowland or Beams and everyone is playing a role as part of the overall sales strategy. Behind the cash desk there’s a sharp gent pushing 70 in a beret, a chambray button-down, double-breasted blazer and with a perfectly tied silk bandana round his neck to top off the look. Across the floor a young chap is dressed in a voluminous ensemble from The Reracs (a Japanese label that’s having a moment), and in a nearby department a chic older woman is dressed in a long, pleated-flannel skirt, delicate heels, a cashmere jumper and a sheared-fur gilet. She looks as though she might be sitting on a lot of real estate in Hiroo, drives a gleaming white G-Wagon and somewhere along the way has pulled together a look that many women clearly want a part of – especially given the outfits she’s running between dressing rooms, mannequins and the wrapping desk. This is what proper retail looks and feels like.
Thailand and staying in your lane
Drive in from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and take a moment to look up at the passive billboards selling air conditioners, energy drinks and SUVs. What do you see? First, these products are being promoted by a lot of precise eyebrows and perfect noses. Next, you’ll note that everyone is trim and Thai. Bangkok might have a lot of visitors and residents from Australia, Europe and the Middle East but agencies and brand managers don’t seem too concerned about mandates from HQ that might demand a varied cast of people quite removed from their core market – namely Thailand. There’s something rather refreshing, almost retro, in seeing an accurate depiction of a nation instead of contrived executions that speak to no one. The recent relaunch of a venerable UK auto brand comes to mind.
Dubai and the pull of being safely decadent
On Monday evening I sat down for dinner with a couple of colleagues at LPM (La Petite Maison) in Dubai. During the meal we had to pause several times to take in the groups of women arriving in micro dresses, men in tailored suits and many more in casual gear that suggested they were visiting or on long work assignments from Sydney, Paris and Amsterdam. It felt a bit like London or Hong Kong in the early 1990s – boisterous, glossy and expensive. But also a lot of fun. A young gentleman working for a French luxury-goods group said that this was his new home and there was no going back to Paris. “Why would you? It’s safe here, the sun shines, there’s opportunity, people are having a lovely time and you can fly everywhere.” His sentiment is echoed by many other young Europeans you meet who are attracted by easy employment, no tax, an absence of mobile-phone snatchers and a workplace camaraderie missing in Dublin and Brussels.
Automated immigration gates and facial augmentation
When I arrived in the Gulf I forgot which passport I used previously, so wasn’t recognised by the automated-entry gates. After several attempts staring into the camera and trying various passports, I was booted out of the system and sent to one of the nearby officials. I placed my Canadian passport on the counter and waited for the man in uniform to pick it up but he was too distracted by the conversation at the booth next door. I tried to catch his eye but then also felt the pull of what was unfolding beside us. As I tuned in to the conversation the officer picked up my passport, studied my photo and then guided my eyes to the nearby commotion with a smirk and a raise of his brows. A woman who looked 42 but might have been 72 or even 22, was trying to convince her corresponding officer that she was the same person as represented on her laminated passport page. Having invested considerable time in finding the right surgeon, though perhaps not enough money, she had those pudgy feline features that suggested a botched job or two and a lot of recovery work to get her back out in the world. “We’re getting a lot of these lately,” the officer said. “So much surgery that our machines can’t process the new faces.”
Speaking of round the world…
Santa is powering up his entourage for his annual visit to our Christmas market in London. See right below for more details and looking forward to some Glühwein fun times with you at Midori House.
House news / Christmas Markets
When it comes to Christmas markets, Monocle believes the more the merrier. So get in the holiday spirit this December at our joyous Christmas markets in London, Tokyo, Toronto and Zürich. Browse handsome products from some of our favourite retailers, enjoy hearty fare and a warming cup of Glühwein, live music and exclusive Monocle treats. Monocle’s team of editors is looking forward to welcoming you in:
Tokyo, 1 Chome-19-2 Tomigaya, 7 December
Toronto, 776 College Street, 7-8 December
Zürich, Dufourstrasse 90, 7-8 December
London, Midori House, 1 Dorset Street, 14-15 December
Eating out / Canteen 310, London
First there was The Pelican in Notting Hill; then came The Bull in Charlbury, Oxfordshire; and, more recently, The Hero in London’s Maida Vale (writes Claudia Jacob). Each one is a pimped-up Victorian-style tavern that manages to immortalise the UK’s pub culture without so much as a whiff of stale booze nor the sticky tread of red carpet underfoot. Canteen 310 is Phil Winser, James Gummer and Olivier van Themsche’s latest opening – but this time, it’s not a pub.
Located in Notting Hill – familiar territory for the trio – Canteen 310 is a contemporary nod to the Italian cantina, or cellar (underground taverns serving salami and wine). At the helm is Jessica Filbey and, as a River Café alumna, her flair for capturing the culinary spirit of italianità needs little introduction.
When Monocle bags a coveted-lunchtime barstool, there are wood-fired pizzette topped with radicchio, taleggio and rosemary; a seasonal pear, walnut and castelfranco salad; and indulgent plates of chewy gnocchi in duck ragù. The yellow benches and light-concrete accents create a suitably minimalist ambience for the clientele of West London creatives, a well-heeled demographic that the team has come to understand remarkably well.
310 Portobello Road, W10 5TA
Sunday roast / Bridget Finn
American art dealer and gallerist Bridget Finn is the director of Art Basel Miami Beach, North America’s most prestigious contemporary art fair, which kicks off on 6 December. Finn chats to The Monocle Weekend Edition about the art scene in São Paulo, her coveted coffee machine and her bespoke Sunday soundtrack, as curated by her husband.
Where do we find you this weekend?
I’ll be in São Paulo, immersing myself in the vibrant art scene by visiting some of the 20 Brazilian galleries participating in Art Basel Miami Beach this year.
Ideal start to a Sunday? Gentle start or a jolt?
Seeing as I’m travelling for work, it’s definitely a jolt – every moment counts.
What’s for breakfast?
Coffee, yoghurt and the occasional egg. When we moved to New York a year ago we swapped our beloved Moccamaster for a Miele countertop coffee maker. It’s effortless, fast and capable of making powerful espressos. It’s a small luxury that keeps our busy home feeling welcoming and warm.
Walk the dog or downward dog?
We love exploring the city with our senior pooch, Caesar, who is 10. As a rescue with a unique look, Caesar turns heads and gets plenty of attention from passersby. He’s also my daughter’s personal bodyguard and the perfect companion for our family adventures.
A Sunday soundtrack?
My husband is a musician and curates the perfect Sunday playlist. It has more than 2,000 songs from the likes of Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock to Quincy Jones, Joni Mitchell, Erykah Badu and Sza.
Sunday culture must?
Museums, of course. We make it a priority to visit at least one New York museum a week – having access to world-class exhibitions is a privilege that we don’t take for granted. Moma, The Morgan Library & Museum, The Met and the American Museum of Natural History are our favourites. We also enjoy popping over to Queens and visiting Moma PS1, Sculpturecenter, Socrates Sculpture Park and the Museum of the Moving Image.
News or not?
Always. We’re devoted radio-news listeners. It’s as much a part of our routine as it is a way to stay informed. We are proud to be sustaining members of WDET, Detroit’s public radio and NPR station.
What’s on the menu?
We love making the most of fresh produce from nearby farmers’ markets. Our meals are often inspired by my Midwestern roots but with a healthy twist. You might find us serving up grilled corn and tomato salad with feta and fresh herbs to accompany baked salmon with polenta.
Cooking the books / ‘Le Paul Bert’
“A bistrot should be a second home – in fact it is your home,” writes Bertrand Auboyneau and Gwenaëlle Cadoret, the founding husband-wife duo of Paris’s iconic Le Bistro Paul Bert in the 11th arrondissement (writes Claudia Jacob). The epicurean establishment opened in 1997 but its tender attention to detail gives the bistro character far beyond its years.
Hachette’s new release, Le Paul Bert: les recettes cultes d’un vrai bistrot parisien (The Paul Bert: cult recipes from a real Parisian bistro), offers the institution’s most beloved recipes including silky egg mayonnaise and beef tartare, while leaving space for the unctuous crème caramel and the signature praline-buttercream filled Paris-Brest.
But it’s not all about the food – the bistro’s bible is peppered with nostalgic musings from its creators, tracing the roots of Le Paul Bert from its humble beginnings to an institution which resurrected the Parisian bistro with classic French comfort food. hachette-pratique.com
Recipe / Aya Nishimura
Monocle’s Japanese recipe writer prepares some autumnal chestnut muffins. Add some black sesame seeds for an extra nutty flavour.
Serves 12
Ingredients
1½ tbsps black sesame seeds
125g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
160g light-brown sugar
2 medium eggs, beaten
100ml whole milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
150g chestnut purée
240g plain flour
2 tsps baking powder.
1 large pinch of salt
150g roasted, peeled chestnuts, roughly chopped (save six for decoration, halved)
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin-paper cases.
2
Toast the sesame seeds in a small frying pan over a low heat. Once fragrant and starting to pop, remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
3
In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
4
Gradually add the beaten eggs in two portions, mixing well after each addition.
5
In a separate bowl, mix the milk, vanilla essence and chestnut purée until combined. Add to the butter-sugar mixture and stir.
6
Add the flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl. Mix quickly. Then fold in the toasted sesame seeds and chopped chestnuts.
7
Spoon the batter into the muffin cups (an ice-cream scoop makes this easier). Top each muffin with a halved chestnut.
8
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and enjoy.
Weekend plans? / Bellevigne, Burgundy
Situated in the former manor house of a Côtes des Nuits vineyard halfway between Dijon and Beaune, Bellevigne is the latest in a flurry of luxury hotel openings in Burgundy (writes Annick Weber). The Bellevigne follows the newly renovated Château de Gilly in nearby Gilly-lès-Cîteaux and the Como le Montrachet in Puligny-Montrachet. “With Bellevigne, we have embraced the typical French wine and village culture, a pillar of our heritage,” says Matthieu Évrard, president of the Les Hôtels (Très) Particuliers group, which runs the Bellevigne. “We want to offer a convivial form of oenotourism.”
The 37-key hotel is set in a grand manor house, surrounded by vines and a sprawling park complete with centuries-old chestnut trees and an outdoor pool.
Designer Jordane Arrivetz converted the historic structure to strike a thoughtful balance between the sophistication of a château and the warmth of a storied family home, from the antiques scattered throughout the property to the central kitchen, where guests gather over a bite to eat. And, of course, it wouldn’t be Burgundy without a wine bar, tasting room and cellar, chock-a-block with an impressive selection of 300 local wines. Santé!
bellevigne-hotels.com
For more on our favourite French getaways and best-designed boltholes, pick up a copy of Monocle’sNovember issue, which is on newsstands now.
Hospitality holdouts / Café Sperl, Vienna
Monocle has been celebrating the hospitality holdouts that have become metropolitan must-haves thanks to dependable menus, smart service and a determination to keep cherished house recipes. This week we take a seat in a Viennese Kaffeehaus for a slice of traditional chocolate torte.
The distinctive atmosphere of Vienna’s coffeehouses is legendary, as is the endearing gruffness of their waiters (writes Alexei Korolyov). There are all sorts – some coffeehouses date from the 1950s or even the 1980s, though the real gems are those from the 19th or early 20th century. Café Sperl, established in 1880, is a prime example. With its sombre wood panelling, parquet floors, creaky chairs and generous windows perfect for watching the world go by, it’s an ideal place to while away an afternoon.
Just around the corner stands the Studio Building of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (formerly Semperdepot/State Theater Scenery Store), a studio and occasional exhibition space, and many of its students can be found idling away the hours at Sperl after (or perhaps instead of) classes. Other details transport you back to the fabled world of old Vienna: daily newspapers on special wooden racks, an unhurried pace and an unchanging menu featuring the signature Sperltorte – an almond-and-chocolate-cream creation that pairs perfectly with a mild Melange coffee, another Viennese classic.
cafesperl.at
For more Viennese adventures, pick up our annual business special,‘Monocle: The Entrepreneurs’, featuring our Austria survey. Find it on your favourite newsstand. Have a super Sunday.
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