Confirmed: 05.25 is an ugly number set of numbers – especially when it has “am” tacked on the back followed by the words “boarding” and “time”. That was how the week started in Lisbon. It was an 03.45 wake-up call for mom and me, a last-minute review of three bags to check, a couple of coffees and then down to the car for a 04.15 pick-up. Thankfully it’s only nine minutes to the airport at this time of day and the Air France (AF) handling agents were ready for us. Onboard, mom napped, I stayed on top of emails from Asia and the Gulf and after 90 minutes in the air the captain announced our approach to Paris-Charles de Gaulle – neatly ahead of schedule.
 
At the aircraft door, an AF agent was on hand to meet us with a sunny “bonjour”. She took my mom’s too heavy purse (I thought I did a final edit before we set off but mom has a habit of sneaking at least another five kilos of print, tech and toiletries in her bag before she leaves the apartment), led us along the airbridge, down the stairs and to a waiting car below. “Well, this is quite special,” mom remarked while buckling up. I confirmed that this was indeed special treatment and that mom should savour the moment. “Very spoily-pants,” she agreed. “Thank you.”

After a few roundabouts, lots of passing luggage and cargo containers, and many AF Airbuses (brand new and nearly vintage) we pulled up at the terminal, showed our passports and were taken through to the La Première arrivals lounge. The connection to Ottawa wasn’t the shortest (three-and-a-half hours), so we settled in with the weekend newspapers, coffees, and plenty of retailers and dealers heading home from Watches and Wonders in Geneva. A table of Texans (they seemed to own a group of jewellery stores) gave a full forecast of how they saw the market performing till year-end and I’m happy to report that, at least when it comes to Dallas and Houston, they were feeling very good about things and would be ordering “big” for 2027.

Thirty minutes before departure, our agent returned and said that she was ready to take us to the plane. A trip outside the lounge to stock up on mags meant that mom’s purse now needed wheels and I took charge of her movable library as we made our way to the car. The crowd in the front of one of Air France’s more elderly 777-300s seemed to be a mix of African diplomats and Canadian military types heading back to the nation’s capital. I consulted the menu while firing up the screen and started to scroll through the various films and boxsets on offer. The plan was to catch up on lingering emails and get some marching orders sent while crossing the Atlantic but while in the new releases section I noticed French actress Léa Drucker pop up in a promo for a film that I hadn’t heard of. I was about to click on the description for Dossier 137 but decided it was best to order lunch and get on with my work. Or maybe not? While drinks were being poured I got on with my correspondence but also decided to watch the trailer of Drucker’s film as we crossed what must have been the western coast of Ireland.

Without giving too much away, it’s a gritty cop film about the internal affairs investigation division and the complexity (bureaucratic and otherwise) of a case from a gilets jaunes protest. I hit play and can highly recommend it if you’re looking for something to watch at your local review cinema or on the sofa this eve. As the credits rolled, I was reminded that it has been Air France and not Apple TV, Amazon or Netflix that has offered up some of the best films that I’ve watched over the past three years. Hokkyoku Hyakkaten no Concierge-san (The Concierge at Hokkyoku Department Store), Novembre and Pas des Vagues (The Good Teacher) should all be on your viewing list if you’ve not managed to catch them yet.

People crisscross the world to attend film festivals, design biennales and art fairs but, if you choose the correct carrier, some of the best in contemporary culture can be found in the seatback in front of you. Happy viewing dear reader. 

Enjoying life in ‘The Faster Lane’? Click here to browse all of Tyler’s past columns.

We have opened our first pop-up shop and café in Shanghai at the Jing An Kerry Centre. Enjoy good coffee and classic bites in a space designed for reading, shopping and lingering, created in partnership with Switzerland’s USM and Shanghai-based Stellar Works. 

Whether you’re stopping by to perk up your morning, searching for a special gift or discovering us for the first time, this pop-up offers a unique chance to experience the world of Monocle in the heart of Shanghai.

Dates: Saturday 25 April – Tuesday 30 June 2026
Time: 10.00 – 22.00 
Location: Jing An Kerry Centre, No 1515 Nanjing Road West, Jing An District, Shanghai

Nicolas Rouzaud, the French chef behind The Connaught’s coveted Maison de Haute Pâtisserie, has recently established his own venture (writes Julia Jenne). Le Café in London’s glittering Burlington Arcade offers a menu inspired by the pastry chef’s childhood spent in Toulouse. Here we catch up with Rouzaud about his love for Madagascan vanilla and why he’s been spending more time in Paris. 

What do we find you doing this weekend?
On Saturday, I’ll spend time with my team at Le Café in Burlington Arcade. We’ve only just opened and there is always something to observe and refine.

Ideal start to a Sunday? Gentle start or a jolt?
Gentle but I am up early regardless because the dogs insist on it. I have two whippets, and they need a walk first thing. There is something quite meditative about being out before the city is properly awake. 

What’s for breakfast?
A good brioche with butter – I am working on the brioche à tête at Le Café right now and it’s very much on my mind. Perhaps I’ll also add some seasonal fruit and a good jam. 

A Sunday soundtrack?
Right now, I’m really into the singer Two Feet.

What’s on the menu?
Something deeply French and indulgent, the kind of food I grew up eating in Toulouse, such as roast chicken with a good gratin. My wife is Polish and so we sometimes lean into her traditions with a generous soup. Either way, it’s always about good ingredients and enough time to prepare them properly.

And to drink?
I always come back to white wine – something from a small producer, a good chablis or a Loire white. I am more interested in what the wine does with the food than any grand label. And always a proper coffee to finish.

A favourite product for the pantry?
Madagascan vanilla. It is transformative – the aromatic intensity is extraordinary. I use it across many of my pastries not simply for its flavour but because its fragrance creates a perception of sweetness without adding more sugar. 

Next on the travel itinerary?
Paris. We’re working on the next opening there and I’m spending more time in France to develop it. There is something quite emotional about Paris. It’s where I trained and where I formally became a patissier under Laurent Jeannin at Le Bristol. It feels like a homecoming in the best possible sense.

Further reading:
- In a world of food fads, this is why the real French baguette reigns supreme

- How an American chef broke through the Parisian culinary scene to open Chez Carrie

Monocle’s Swiss chef is honouring asparagus season with this appetiser, which can be served cold or hot. Add some peperoncino for a kick and for something a little more indulgent, try adding guanciale.

Serves 4 

Ingredients
500g green asparagus, ends peeled and roughly chopped
1 tbsp butter
8 eggs, beaten
½ bunch mixed herbs
2 tbsps grated mountain cheese
Pinch of salt and pepper
150g fresh goat cheese
50g rocket 

Method
1.
Sauté the asparagus in a frying pan with hot butter for about 5 minutes. 

2.
In a bowl, mix the beaten eggs with the herbs, add the grated cheese and season.

3.
Pour the egg mixture into the frying pan and let it set over a low heat. 

4.
Serve the omelette with fresh goat’s cheese and rocket.
ralphschelling.com

Once on the verge of ruin, the Ca’ da Mosto palazzo has been reborn as the 43-key Venice Venice Hotel (writes Laura Rysman). Its unique setting on the Grand Canal, just above the Rialto Bridge, makes it one of the most delightful places for a bite.

Mornings here mean fluffy eggs and granola served on the pier, which also acts as a dining terrace and enjoys views of the lively Rialto market across the canal. Its proximity to the water turns the passing gondolas, ferries and private boats into daily theatre. The pier opens to the public in the afternoon and evening, allowing everyone a chance to enjoy the unparalleled vista.
venicevenice.com

Monocle’s annual travel special makes tracks for the Gulf of Guinea to explore the island of Príncipe, takes a road trip down Grand Pacific Drive on Australia’s east coast and checks into a hotel at the foot of Mount Fuji. Subscribers can read online here, or tap here for Monocle’s complete City Guide to Venice.

Zaynab Issa’s debut cookbook, Third Culture Cooking: Classic Recipes for a New Generation, draws on a life lived between multiple cultures (writes Noor Amylia Hilda). Her dishes are shaped by her East African and South Asian roots as well as her American upbringing. 

Issa brings together family recipes such as biryani and baklava alongside playful mashups including French-onion ramen and a steak sandwich with date chutney, as well as takes on American classics such as an artichoke dip inspired by dish from chain restaurant TGI Fridays. “If a flavour combination sounds delicious in my head, I’ll likely give it a go,” she says. For Issa, these third-culture recipes evoke comfort and nostalgi