The neighbourhood-building power of good retail shouldn’t be underestimated. Here’s a tour of the best, from Munich to Lisbon
Today’s column is dedicated to those who do things well, who understand their customers, who have an understanding of scale and, above all, who don’t overdo it. We start in Munich, jump to Geneva and move through to Lisbon at a reasonable clip.
A Kind of Guise has opened a new outlet in the heart of the Bavarian capital, just beyond the entrance of the Rosewood and an easy stroll from either branch of Schumann’s. The space is airy yet inviting, with plenty of room to admire its garments and, for the more conservative among us, there’s a nattily designed wall devoted to the brand’s Permanents collection of classic items that it will never abandon. Of course, good design isn’t everything and what made this visit a cut above was the warm and engaged young woman who offered the right level of service and allowed us to partake in her coffee-making experiment. Danke schön!
A few hours later, I checked in to the Cortiina Hotel in Ledererstrasse. I’ve been staying there since it opened and it ranks as one of my favourite city hotels in Europe. The owner gets lighting, good materials that endure and also how to offer up fine food and drink – particularly within the Cortiina but also at his other establishments such as Bar Centrale across the street. Many an excellent day has started with a perfect camp on the pavement amid the comings and goings of cool Bavarians.
Geneva is a very good town. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Don’t let them tell you it’s a city either. If you embrace its tiny footprint, its rail connections and well-formed (if slightly outdated) airport, it may just be the best town in the world. On the culinary front, Marc Popper’s Bombar might be my top restaurant in Mitteleuropa and the addition of the Marius wine bar to his operations has taken things up a notch or two. He attracts a funky crowd (yes, such creatures really do exist on the shores of Lac Léman) and they’re drawn in by great wines and a knock-out menu. I enjoyed an endive salad with a miso vinaigrette along with a wild-boar terrine. C’est super!
Lisbon is a project. The apartment renovations are going well and I’m starting to imagine what living and working in the Portuguese capital might look like when the lid covers Lake Zürich in January and I need a bit of sun and 20C; and also a bit of mall time. I’m a card-carrying mall rat, having grown up in Canada and all, and I’m rather proud of the fact. Over the past few trips I’ve become rather fond of the sleepy looking but clearly well performing Amoreiras shopping centre. Inside I’ve discovered the buzzy Bento Cabeleireiros barber shop, a good newsstand and also a few speciality shops of note. It’s on the tiny side by modern retailers’ standards – and that’s why it works. It’s upmarket for Lisbon and you can still buy groceries, get your laundry done, stock up on wine and even get a presentation printed. Obrigado!
