Monocle Weekend
Edition: Sunday

Happy Easter, bunnies, from a breezy terrace above a modernist stretch of Lisbon. A couple of days ago I decided that this column will occasionally be devoted to life in the Portuguese capital as I’m enjoying establishing a new base here and all the good things that go with it: finding forgotten hardware stores filled with dead stock exclusively made in Portugal, meeting charming locals, being introduced to new tunes from Angola and generally getting the feel for a place that’s bursting with opportunity. All that said, we’re not going to be starting that series today dear reader. Rather, we’re off to Jakarta via Dubai for edition four of The Chiefs conference – and it’s time to get packing.

Speaking of packing
My recent flight from Zürich to Lisbon reminded me that we’re officially entering the season of the unlicensed traveller. It was in Zürich that a potentially major incident might well have occurred as a family from San Francisco attempted to manoeuvre six XXXL wheelies, two children and various hold-alls onto the escalators and make their way to check-in. Mercifully, the morning wave of flights had departed and the airport was calm, otherwise the family would’ve found it impossible to move all their suitcases off at once while also panicking about boarding passes that might have been on paper and might have been on-screen – and where were they going to eat? We’ve all seen what happens when an escalator gets blocked by human traffic. Frightening. Thankfully, some quick-thinking locals shoved the luggage aside, glared at the parents and chaos was averted – but this is just the type of family that needs a licence to travel beyond their own neighbourhood. If you have any thoughts on what should be on the exam, how much the licence should cost and what countries should be the first signatories, let me know. In case you’re not sure where to find me, I’m at tb@monocle.com.

Packing: Part Two
Does one become a better packer with age? I say yes! When you’re younger it’s unlikely that you’ve found your style groove and this means that you’re probably caught between multiple trends and influences that demand volume up top, bagginess below a high waistband, a few sportif looks for the morning, a dump of confused daywear and some ensembles that are supposed to pass for the evening. Fortunately, there’s a magic moment when most of us find our uniform and packing for a weekend or a month (all the same really) can be reduced to a few essential items more pared-down even than Donna Karan could have conjured. Monocle is looking at its 2026 book line-up and there just might be something in the territory of “finding your uniform” and packing everything that you’ll need for a lifetime in a bag that’s in the 27-litre range.

Packing: Part Three
Are flight attendants primarily on board for your safety? Depending on who you fly with, the answer is increasingly yes. On a flight out of Dallas this past autumn, I watched in shock as a flight attendant told a woman in her eighties that her bag was too heavy to board with and that if she couldn’t put it in the overhead bin herself then she would have to check it. As is usually the case in such situations, someone swiftly stepped in to lift the bag (with one hand), place it in the bin and offer the woman a knowing nod. Meanwhile, the flight attendant attempted to build a coalition in the cabin by suggesting that the woman should have had someone to support her with packing, to weigh the bag and accompany her on the flight. Seriously? What if she had no family to support her? Maybe her partner died the week before and she was distraught and figuring out life on her own? Or perhaps it could be that assisting a passenger with their bag is a matter of safety too, and said flight attendant should have parked her routine and done the right thing.

To celebrate the launch of Advantage Austria’s brand takeover at The Monocle Shop in Tokyo and the opening of Expo 2025 Osaka, we invite you to an evening of good conversation, nibbles and wine. Our retail team will be on hand to show you a stunning selection of Austrian products, available exclusively in Tokyo and online.

The event takes place on Tuesday 22 April from 18.00-22.00.
The Monocle Shop, 1-19-2 Tomigaya Shibuya-ku, Tokyo.

Amsterdam’s formerly industrial and still largely untapped eastern docklands are home to Esra, a 26-cover Turkish restaurant (writes Rory Jones). Part of its appeal lies in the off-the-cuff menu that adapts to the whims of Selin Kiazim, its London-born chef and owner. “The food scene in Amsterdam is constantly evolving,” she says. “Esra’s menu switches with the seasons, often weekly and sometimes after only a day. If I discover an ingredient or a flavour, I’ll incorporate it. Occasionally it’s not even Turkish.”

The menu has included pollock with pistachio cream and herring roe, and Turkish erişte egg noodles with pickled maitake mushrooms and sheep’s cheese sauce. The wine list features bottles from appellations in Georgia, Croatia and Greece. The neighbourhood might lack the city’s signature gabled façades but Esra ensures that the Dutch capital’s culinary excellence can be found in every corner.
esra.amsterdam

Hungry for more? Pick up a copy of Monocle’s April issue to find the top dining spots to add to your list.

British curator Kieran Long is the director of Helsinki’s Amos Rex art museum (writes Petri Burtsoff). Long, who previously worked at the V&A in London and Stockholm’s ArkDes, tells The Monocle Minute Weekend Edition about his Nordic breakfast, the vinyl emporiums where he finds his Sunday soundtracks and his upscale dining establishment of choice.

Where do we find you this weekend?
At home in Helsinki, having a rest. I have been in Berlin, Edinburgh, London and Vienna over the past month for research, teaching, connecting and seeing art.

What’s your ideal way to begin a Sunday – a gentle start or a jolt?
Always gently. The sun is back after months of darkness, so I’ll take a walk with my wife and son along the water somewhere.

What’s for breakfast?
Yoghurt, muesli, Nordic things. Maybe knäckebröd with Kalles Kaviar, a Swedish spread made from roe. Breakfast only became an event when my son was born. He is obsessed with bacon; we classify it as a cultural experience from the land of his birth. English breakfasts will be his equivalent of a Proustian madeleine.

Lunch in or out?
Out. We’ll go to the romantic and ridiculous Café Regatta. It’s an old shed for fish nets where people grill sausages over an open fire.

Walk the dog or downward dog?
If the snow has gone, football in the park with my nine-year-old. The springtime thaw is wonderful in a country this cold.

A Sunday soundtrack?
A visit to Fresh Garbage Records or another of the vinyl emporiums in the city to pick up something nostalgic. Last weekend it was Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: music from a more innocent America.

Sunday culture must?
I get lots of high culture in my working week. The other day I went to a mind-blowing performance of Mahler’s second symphony at the Musiikkitalo concert hall in Helsinki, conducted by hometown superstar Esa-Pekka Salonen.

News or not?
I’m trying to avoid it but I’m addicted. I subscribe to the print versions of the London Review of Books, Art Forum, The Art Newspaper and The New Yorker. The Guardian is exhausting but what else can you read from the UK these days? I speak Swedish so Hufvudstadsbladet gives me Finnish news in a language that I can manage. My Finnish is still worse than elementary.

What’s on the menu?
My royal chicken korma. The iconic Helsinki pizzeria Puttes is my son’s first choice for dinner out. I love Ravintola Savoy for an upscale dinner or the gorgeous 19th-century pavilion of Kappeli on Esplanadi for a lunchtime salmon soup.

Do you lay out an outfit for Monday?
I get the feeling that the person asking these questions doesn’t have children…

Monocle’s Japanese recipe writer Aya Nishimura has whipped up a version of a Middle Eastern baba ghanoush. Serve this to guests while they wait for the main event or on the side with meat or vegetables to add a deep, smoky flavour.

Ingredients

For the dip:
2 large aubergines (approximately 750g)
4 tbsps tahini
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
2½ tbsps lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, grated
1 tsp pomegranate molasses (or honey)
1 tsp sea salt

For the garnish:
30g roasted almonds, roughly chopped
10g flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 tbsps extra virgin olive oil

Method

1.
Preheat your grill to its highest setting (250C). Place the aubergines under the grill and cook for about 20 minutes, turning them halfway through. The aubergines should collapse and become very soft. Remove from the grill and allow to cool until they are easy to handle.

2.
Peel the aubergines, catching any juices released during the process.

3.
In a food processor, combine the aubergine juices, most of the peeled aubergine (reserve about a quarter), tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, grated garlic, pomegranate molasses (or honey) and a teaspoon of sea salt. Blend until smooth. Roughly chop the reserved aubergine and fold into the mixture for added texture. Adjust seasoning to taste.

4.
Transfer the dip to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the chopped roasted almonds and parsley, and drizzle some olive oil on top. Serve with warm flatbread as a starter or as part of a larger meal.

The Chiemgauhof Lakeside Retreat overlooks Lake Chiemsee, an untamed expanse of water so wild and vast that it’s nicknamed the Bavarian Sea (writes Florian Siebeck). For decades it has attracted visitors with its dramatic views of the lake, framed by the Alps in the distance. Located 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 Matteo Thun, they embarked on a major reconstruction that wrapped up in February. The Milan-based designer conceived a contemporary Bavarian barn built with larch on the exterior, with oak-lined interiors and floor-to-ceiling glazed windows that open up the building to the surrounding blue waters.

At the bar, Bavarian chef Maximilian Müller crafts sushi. It’s a pairing that feels appropriate, since most of the fish is delivered from lake to table. It’s also an example of the elevated version of Bavarian hospitality that the owners hope to champion.
chiemgauhof.com

Sauvignon blanc is one of the Loire Valley’s signature exports but Cinot offers a modern, alcohol-free alternative to the region’s coveted grape variety (writes Claudia Jacob). The retro-style label and slim apéritif bottle recall the glamorous valley’s heyday in the 1960s and 1970s. A popular filming location courtesy of its picturesque chateaux, the region became an enviable hangout for discerning holidaymakers.

Made in small batches, the Alpine-grown gentian root gives Cinot its distinctive ochre hue and its botanical undertone, while the chilli-pepper infusion packs a punch. Mix with tonic water, a healthy serving of ice and garnish with a slice of grapefruit for a nightcap that won’t leave you with a hangover.
drinkcinot.com

For more from Monocle’s team of editors and correspondents, and to support our independent journalism, subscribe today. Have a super Sunday.