Monocle Weekend
Edition: Saturday

Dear restaurant designer,
I hope that you don’t mind me dropping you this note out of the blue but I wanted to have a word about the humble topic of seating. You see, you have started to lose the plot a little (and some diners too) by forgetting a few basic facts about where people like to perch their bottoms as they tuck into a handsome spread. Please take the following notes as well intentioned.

The banquette
These look good on the digital mock-ups where your restaurant clients see jolly people squeezed in tightly, giddily knocking back their margaritas. And they always evoke a certain 1950s American-diner vibe, which can also be cool (if you like ketchup with your fries). But the problem is that someone has to take one for the team by sitting in the middle of the banquette and who wants to do that? It’s a bit like asking for the middle-of-the-row seat on a plane – a move only made by saints and oddballs. Because once you’ve bounced yourself in, that’s you done for the night. You won’t be seeing the bathroom for three hours. And nobody wants their evening to be a bladder-endurance test. That’s what Oppenheimer was for.

Two-tier seating
This is a bit of a phenomenon. You book a table for two and one person gets to sit on a soft couch that sinks low under their weight, while the other is given a solid, firm-backed dining chair. Suddenly two people who arrived in the restaurant looking like height twins are transformed into Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger (and as someone who is already more on the DeVito side of life, I can assure you that I am not taking the couch). In some restaurants with this design scenario, my chin risks resting on the table, which explains why a waiter once asked my dining companion what his child would like for lunch.

Low seating
In a garden setting or at a beach restaurant, I get this design decision. The menu offers small dishes for sharing; the moment is as much about the rosé as the dining. But when this look is taken indoors and the menu consists of Sunday roasts or spaghetti covered in a sauce that could be used to spray-paint a car, we need to have a little chat about this. Nobody can elegantly dissect a chicken while in a position reminiscent of a trip to the gynaecologist (not that I have been personally).

Bar stools
We all love a bar stool – at a bar. You get to see cocktails being made and chat with the staff. But there they should stay. When restaurants start adding the equivalent of standing desks to the dining floor, you know that you’re in trouble. The expectation is that you will be happy to be stuck on a bar stool for a three-course meal. Just make sure that you have your osteopath on speed dial because you will suffer. It’s the restaurant equivalent of flying to Australia on Ryanair.

Tables
They should not be so wide that conversation can’t flow across them. Chinese restaurants are good at circular tables; most other places aren’t. They are also usually of a scale that makes you think that knights will be pitching up any second to claim their favoured spot.

As I said, this is all advice offered in the spirit of being helpful, though I have a feeling that funky computer restaurant-design simulations might win out over common-sense care for perching people.

Oh, and if you ever see what looks like a little chipmunk sitting on a couch opposite a giant on a proper chair, please remember to give me a menu.

In the port city of Kobe, historic architecture is being reimagined as luxury boutiques for international brands and speciality shops (writes Ben Davis). Among the latest additions to the fast-growing scene is Biotop, which opened its doors last month in the former foreign-diplomatic settlement in the east of the city. The 1950s building houses two levels of retail and a café-cum-restaurant. Kobe-based Teruhiro Yanagihara Studio oversaw the design, crafting a pared-back interior with high ceilings and a focus on natural materials and textures.

The clean design sets the stage for Biotop’s signature mix of high-end brands and lifestyle products, ranging from handcrafted ceramics to fragrances. The building’s ground floor is also home to BW Biotop, a 40-seat restaurant with a focus on Western-inspired fusion dishes. Developed by chef Kyohei Nishi of Tokyo-based Songbook, the menu draws inspiration from the district’s unique character and its ties to Western culture. It offers freshly baked breads and natural wines, all served to the in-house vinyl collection’s warm soundtrack.
biotop.jp

On 23 April, Catalans celebrate their patron saint, Sant Jordi (St George), with a tradition in which lovers exchange books and roses (writes Julia Webster Ayuso). Think of it as a more literary Valentine’s Day. Towns across the region transform into vibrant flower markets and book stalls, while the centre of Barcelona becomes a pedestrianised “literary superblock” where vast crowds gather for author signings. Florists can expect to sell as many as seven million roses during the week.

Catalans take books pretty seriously. When the iconic and aptly named independent bookshop Llibreria Sant Jordi in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter announced its closure in 2024, there was an outpouring of support and queues trailed out the door in the months before it finally shuttered in March. People will again turn out in force on Wednesday to pay homage to both their patron saint and their proud literary tradition.

The opening of Expo 2025 has placed Osaka and the wider Kansai area firmly in the global spotlight. Here are three must-see exhibitions taking place in the region.

‘Tadao Ando: Youth’, VS, Osaka
Designed under Pritzker Prize-winning architect Tadao Ando’s supervision, the VS exhibition complex is a fitting setting for an exploration of the past, present and future of his work. Highlights include a full-scale recreation of Ando’s Church on the Water, built in Hokkaido in 1998, and a deep dive into his work on Naoshima, alongside some of his defining projects in his hometown of Osaka.
Runs until 21 July; vsvs.jp

Kyotographie International Photo Festival, Kyoto
The 13th iteration of this international photography festival takes “Humanity” as its theme. Known for site-specific works spread across the city, the event is showcasing works by Martin Parr, French photographer JR and Tamaki Yoshida, winner of the Ruinart Japan Award, in temples, galleries and stations.
Runs until 11 May; kyotographie.jp

‘The Anatomy of Tategu’, Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum, Kobe
This annual show explores the magic and mechanics of traditional Japanese joinery and has celebrated the region’s rich carpentry culture since 1984. Wooden doors and partitions are dissected and examined in detail, revealing tategu artisans’ often-unseen techniques and ingenuity.
Runs until 11 May; dougukan.jp

Best known for its hard-wearing aluminium suitcases, German luggage brand Rimowa is seeking to get beyond the airport lounge and onto the sunlounger by partnering with Berlin-based eyewear company Mykita (writes Jack Simpson). “This collaboration perfectly expresses the essence of German design, in which innovation and aesthetics come from engineering and manufacturing expertise,” says Moritz Krueger, Mykita’s founder and creative director.

The resulting collection of sunglasses pairs lightweight aluminium frames with anti-reflective lenses, all made in Berlin. Fortunately, functionality doesn’t come at the expense of fashion. The Heritage series showcases chic and classic silhouettes, while the Visor series offers a sportier look. Snap up these smart shades as summer edges into view.

Fashion label Delpozo has been regarded as one of Spain’s finest by those in the know since the 1970s. But following the death of its founder, Jesús del Pozo, in 2011, it became a sleeping-beauty brand. Now former economist and self-taught designer Joaquín Trías is bringing the heritage house back to life as its new creative director. He couldn’t have chosen a better moment, with Spain’s financials firing on all cylinders. Here, he tells Monocle about his ambitions to turn Delpozo into the country’s flagship luxury brand.

What challenges has Delpozo faced in the past?
Delpozo has always had a magical aura. But the price point was wrong. The products were very niche and they cost more than those of most established brands.

Was rebuilding an atelier in Madrid a big part of your process?
We have always been known for our craftsmanship. Everything has been created to couture standards since the brand launched. I started the atelier by approaching artisans in Granada, Toledo and Galicia, who used to work for the brand. It can be difficult to recover those teams but everyone was so excited when they heard that Delpozo was back.

Does the brand’s Spanish heritage play a role in the new strategy?
We want to make Madrid our territory, particularly now that everyone is talking about our city. It has become so much more international. The Spanish love fashion but they’re always realistic and practical about it. I love the concept of the “extraordinary everyday”. Spaniards are neither too dressy nor too dramatic, yet they always look pristine.

To read the full conversation with Trías, pick up a copy of Monocle’s April issue. Have a super Saturday.