Today we’re going to play a little word game to set the tone for this fine Sunday (at least here on the Athenian Riviera) and guide us through the days, weeks and months ahead. Ready, readers? Here we go!

Lojel
This Hong Kong-based luggage brand might not (yet) have the fame of a bigger German label in the wheels business but just you wait. With a more competitive price point and a growing distribution network, the company is becoming recognised as a leader and innovator in the top-opening space. In simple terms, it means that you don’t have to look for a flat expanse to crack open your clamshell wheely. Instead, you can just zip it open from the top and avoid the explosion of socks, tees and undies while still saving on space – particularly in rooms that don’t have the dimensions or common sense to offer proper space for hard-side luggage.

Kikiya
If you find yourself in Tokyo now or over the coming months then make your way to the newish Takanawa Gateway City development and secure a perch at Kikiya. This 60-seat counter set-up reinvents the classic beef bowl with a selection of premium cuts and an array of accompanying dishes. They also pour a crisp, dry koshu white from Yamanashi. Go late when it’s a bit quieter and more relaxed.

Timsum
If you want a perfect table for eight outside in Nihonbashi that pairs great wines with dim sum and excellent service, then ring up and reserve. For now the crowd is local, so avoid over-sharing this little tip.

Margot
This is a woman who deserves the Monocle Service Award for Diplomacy, Enforcement and Charm. On my Etihad flight from Tokyo to Abu Dhabi on Wednesday evening, Margot (a Filipina flight attendant of the old school) was taking no prisoners when it came to inconsiderate passengers watching their HBO shows without headphones or chatting to colleagues as if they were working from home. Thanks to Starlink and ever-faster connectivity on board, digital indecency is likely to become a bigger in-flight flashpoint than drunken British hen parties to Portugal.

6-0
On Friday, an Emirati gentleman of senior rank came up to me to offer a word of thanks. “Thank you my Canadian brother for thumping Qatar.” It even came with a fist bump.

Lisbon 
By now you will have seen that the Portuguese capital will play host to the 10th edition of our Quality of Life Conference and the stunning Gulbenkian will be the backdrop. The conference is timed to work with North American Labo(u)r Day and we’ll be opening up the best of the city as we bring the sharpest minds to the stage for discussion of what makes for the best possible life in urban centres, whether massive or mid-size. All your favourite editors will be onstage and possibly in swimwear for a side trip down to Comporta.

Astir Beach
Need a jolt to get into your summer groove? I can recommend a set of loungers at the Astir Beach Club in Vouliagmeni, south of Athens. The staff are polite and fast, the guests mostly local and the sea superb. You can even stay at The Ilisian (check our wares and those from our brother company Trunk at The Store at The Ilisian) and pop down for the day for some sunshine and assyrtiko.

And on the topic of retail, three letters for you: ZRH. We’re back for the summer season at Zürich Airport – right outside the main Swiss business class lounge.

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

London seafood bar and fishmonger The Sea, The Sea has opened a smart new premises across the road from its original Chelsea location (writes Laura Kramer). As well as serving day-catch dishes such as Isle of Skye scallops, cuttlefish ragu and silver mullet with mussels and nettle, the expanded site sells smoked and cured options in its shop section, plus different kinds of seaweed – an underused ingredient, according to the business’s founder, Alex Hunter.

Hunter entered the hospitality industry after a stint brokering private jets, having spotted a gap in the market for a more casual type of seafood restaurant. The Sea, The Sea also has the goal of celebrating sustainable seafood caught using traditional fishing methods. “We import some kingfish from Japan and tuna from Spain,” says Hunter. “But overall, we’re still very UK- and small-boat focused.”
theseathesea.net
 
To hear more from Alex Hunter, tune in to Monocle’s business podcast, ‘The Entrepreneurs’.

Arnaud Zannier is the founder of French hospitality group Zannier Hotels (writes Claudia Jacob). The brand operates boltholes across the globe, from Megève to Bãi San Hô in Vietnam – and in May it opened its latest outpost on Île de Bendor on France’s Côte d’Azur. Here, Zannier tells the Monocle Minute Weekend Edition about his lunches in Menorca, his summer wardrobe staples and the contents of his beach bag.

What’s on the breakfast table?
I start every morning with fresh fruit and green tea, followed by boiled eggs and a bowl of porridge.
 
Talk us through a perfect summer’s day. 
I would start with a run, bike ride or swim at about 06.30, followed by breakfast outdoors. I love to spend time on the water so I would pack a picnic and go sailing.
 
What destination means summer to you and why? 
I have been spending the past few summers on Menorca. We have several projects on the island and, more recently, I have become involved in farming there.
 
Any lunch plans? 
At least once a week, you’ll find me at Nonna Beach in Menorca, one of my favourite spots on the island. 
 
Tell us about your summer wardrobe. Which brands do you like? 
I motorbike a lot in the summer so comfort is a priority. I usually go for a pair of chinos, an American Vintage T-shirt and a pair of Birkenstocks. In the evenings I wear shirts from Salvatore Piccolo or Gitman Vintage.
 
Three beach-bag essentials? 
My Oliver Brown swimmers, goggles and Mēditatif sun cream.
 
Where would you go on a sunny weekend?
Capri on the Amalfi Coast. My wife and I got engaged there so it holds a lot of special memories. 
zannierhotels.com

As temperatures rise across the northern hemisphere, Monocle’s Swiss chef Ralph Schelling shares a fresh take on Spain’s traditional cold soup, featuring cherries. For a hit of flavour with a kick, you can also serve it in a shot glass with a splash of vodka. Prepare it a day in advance for the best results.

Serves 2

Ingredients
1 cucumber
2 red bell peppers
3 cherries
4 beef tomatoes
1 clove garlic
Pinch of salt
50g white bread
300ml vegetable stock
2 tbsps red-wine vinegar
50ml olive oil
Tabasco, to taste

Method
 
1. 
Peel the cucumber and peppers. Pit the cherries. Roughly chop the vegetables and garlic.

2. 
Add salt to the vegetables and leave to stand for about 30 minutes, allowing the salt to draw out water. This makes them easier to blend.

3.
Soak the bread in the vegetable stock for 10 minutes. Blend the vegetables, bread, stock, vinegar and oil using a hand blender until smooth. 

4. 
If you don’t want any chunks, pass the soup through a sieve. Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco to taste. Chill before serving.
ralphschelling.com 

Hotels with art on the walls might be nothing new but Lisbon’s Museu de Arte Contemporânea Armando Martins (Macam) has taken the idea to a new level (writes Joana Moser). In the restored 18th-century Palácio Condes da Ribeira Grande, guests sleep beneath works by the likes of Maria Helena Vieira da Silva and Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso.

The interiors by Portuguese studio Andrez Andrez are warmly contemporary, with oak floors and Perlina Bianca stone. Palace rooms have retained their original decorated ceilings, while other more modern rooms open onto balconies above a courtyard garden. 

The biggest challenge was rebuilding the chapel, which took two and a half years. But it was worth it: the result won Macam a Gulbenkian Heritage Prize. “This simply started as a way to fund the museum,” says Macam’s founder, Armando Martins.
macam.pt

Looking for an itinerary for your next trip to Lisbon? Monocle’s City Guide has got you covered. 

When people take an interest in pickling, they often start with cucumbers – and, during the coronavirus pandemic, Jon Bussell pickled a lot of them (writes Callum McDermott). “I was running a small charcuterie business in Melbourne and people kept coming back for the pickles,” he tells the Monocle Minute Weekend Edition. This inspired him to shift his focus to preserved foods and the whole constellation of condiments, fermented vegetables and sauces that make up the category.

The result was Acide, a range of jarred foods that celebrate sour, spicy and zingy flavours that can enliven even the dreariest dinner. Every product – from the salad-amplifying pickled fennel to the deli-style mustard that will elevate any sandwich – is made from Australian ingredients. “Without acid, dishes tend to feel flat,” says Bussell. “It’s the element that sharpens and lifts everything else.” 
acide.au 
 
Monocle’s June issue, on newsstands now, is packed with stories of plucky entrepreneurs, tuned-in collectors and hot-shot coffee brands. Pick up a copy now.