Are you one of those people who are prone to post-party depression? Or are you more the type who can celebrate a grand event, collapse, recover and get on with whatever’s lined up next? On this particular Saturday afternoon, I feel wedged between the two. A couple of hours ago we officially wrapped up our Quality of Life Conference in Lisbon (see more details in Andrew Tuck’s column yesterday). As I said my goodbyes to speakers and delegates, I was overcome by a certain melancholy as I descended the stairs at Lisbon’s Museu do Design. 

To say that our annual global gathering is intense not only undervalues the sheer amount of energy generated over 48 hours but also doesn’t quite capture the depth of the connections formed within the varied group of participants. As this was the 10th edition of our conference, matched with the countdown to our 20th anniversary, we looked back at the founding of Monocle and the people behind the scenes – on page, on air and at events – who have built a truly unique, extended, far-flung family. I was about to use the increasingly overworked word “community” to define our crowd but they’re so much more than that – the most loyal and engaged among them are more like first cousins or a dear auntie or uncle. Over the years you learn about people’s stories in depth. Conversations about fresh ventures and opportunities missed, starting out in a new city or a Monocle story that sent someone off on a new trajectory not only inform how we shape our editorial agenda but also creep up as constant, real reminders of who we’re speaking to and the lives that they’ve lived. Whenever we host a party or summit, I want to speak to as many people as possible, to attempt to make connections between those who I feel need to know each other. We’re very proud that we’ve helped form business alliances and been responsible for some long-standing romances, thanks to a couple of extra glasses on a terrace or just one more cigarette on a balcony high above terracotta roof tiles. 

As with most families, there are always pleasantries and basics to cover. But perhaps because they can choose to opt in to the Monocle family, the conversations can be far more candid and raw than they might be with a brother in Oslo or an aunt in Phoenix. Just before I left our farewell brunch, I was approached by a gentleman who wanted to offer a word or two of thanks and a small story. He started by telling me that his partner had died suddenly, that he had the support of friends and family but as he searched for comfort and some kind of perspective, he needed something else to turn to – perhaps a little lift. “I’m here because I started listening to your radio station and I immediately felt connected to the voices, the music and the stories,” he explained. “I really appreciated the type of music you were playing and how you were looking at the world. It was a bit later that I became a subscriber and that’s how I came to be here. I just wanted you to know that.”

I haven’t been able to get this exchange out of my head. It’s why I feel a bit heavy in the heart on this sultry Saturday, as the light fades over Lisbon and I gear up for what feels like official back to school from Monday. I want to say thank you to this most elegant gentleman for telling me his story. It will accompany me as we move into our third decade of heading up this family called Monocle.

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

Chefs Adam Dahlberg and Albin Wessman have worked together for more than two decades (writes Katharine Sohn). In April they opened Michelin-starred restaurant Adam Albin in Stockholm’s historic Norrmalm district, overlooking the Royal Palace, Royal Swedish Opera and Swedish Parliament House.

The three-level space, which was designed by Swedish studio Halleroed, effuses warmth with dark, walnut panelling and a black-and-cream chequerboard trim in the lounge. A vinyl player and drinks trolley strike a smart note, while arched windows, white tablecloths and a built-in wine display elevate the dining experience. Contemporary Swedish art, selected by gallerist Magnus Karlsson, hangs throughout. 

Among the kitchen’s creations when Monocle visits are bread-crusted langoustine with parsley butter and artichoke, mussel rice with grilled pikeperch and whey sauce, and squid and morel stuffed with wild garlic.
adamalbin.se

Monocle’s guide to Stockholm is available on monocle.com. Here you’ll find our definitive directory of the Swedish capital’s top spots for drinking, dining and more.

DJ-turned-restaurateur Layo Paskin is the co-founder of Studio Paskin, the hospitality group behind London restaurants The Barbary and The Palomar. At the studio’s first international outpost of The Palomar – which opened in Sydney’s 25Hours Hotel The Olympia last year – Paskin chats to Monocle about where he gets his coffee in north London, Melbourne’s best bakery and his Sunday playlist.

Ideal start to a Sunday? Gentle start or a jolt?
These days it’s definitely not a gentle start with the kids running into the room and onto the bed. After their breakfast, I usually have time to swim in the ponds at Hampstead Heath or the outdoor pool at London Fields.

What’s for breakfast?
Homemade granola, Greek yoghurt, berries or papaya and coffee – plenty of coffee – either from Square Mile or Carpo.

A Sunday soundtrack?
We have our family playlists on rotation. Right now we’re listening to Billie Eilish, Beethoven and Leonard Cohen, but last month it was Kesha, Keinemusik and [songs from] Barbapapa.

Sunday arts & culture must? 
The Well Walk Theatre – a theatre, bookshop and café in Hampstead.

What’s on the menu?
Roast chicken [either a Sutton Hoo or Fosse variety] and pizzas made with homemade dough.

And to drink?
Coconut water by day and white wine in the evening. I try to look at what we’re doing in the restaurants and choose from our wine lists.

A pantry essential?
The Dusty Knuckle’s potato sourdough or Bread by Bike’s rye bread in Kentish Town with peanut butter. I love well-made bread. My favourite is from Melbourne bakery Baker Bleu.

Which brands does your wardrobe currently consist of?
Massimo Alba, Salvatore Piccolo, Common Projects, The White Briefs, Luca Faloni and Aspesi are the main contenders.

The warm, nutty quality of Kinako – Japanese roasted soybean flour – makes for a great fruit topping. For this dessert, Monocle’s Japan-born chef and recipe writer uses strawberries with some added vanilla for sweetness and a pinch of sea salt to round things out.

Serves 4

Ingredients
450g strawberries
½ tbsp caster sugar
¼ tsp vanilla paste
4 tsps kinako (toasted soy powder)
2 tsps fresh lime juice
4 tsps condensed milk
A pinch of flaky sea salt

Method
1. 
Wash and hull the strawberries, then halve them. Mix with the sugar and vanilla paste, then let them macerate in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. 
Toast the kinako in a dry pan over medium-low heat for a minute, stirring constantly until fragrant. Then remove from heat and leave to cool.

3. 
When ready to serve, squeeze a little lime juice over the strawberries and stir gently.

4. 
Divide the strawberries between four bowls. Drizzle a teaspoon of condensed milk over each serving, sprinkle generously with the toasted kinako and finish with a pinch of salt.

It’s 07.00. I’m already up, so I step onto the balcony to take in the view, just as guests have done since the mid-1960s (writes Andrew Tuck). Beyond the pine trees gently twisted by a lifetime of sea breezes is the Mediterranean. The bay is punctuated by boats with their sails down, still asleep like their owners.

This is Punta Negra, a rocky outcrop of land where, in 1966, the Blanes family opened a modern hotel designed by Spanish architect Felipe Sánchez-Cuenca Martínez. While the original (and heritage-listed) hotel buildings still dominate the headland, they have been joined by a series of softly rendered casas, six restaurants and a vast spa that together mark Mandarin Oriental’s entry into the Mallorcan market – just at a moment when the island’s hospitality scene is seeing a decisive shift to high-luxury accommodation.

This shift is, in part, down to a new cohort of visitors being drawn to the island, thanks to two long-haul flights – a United Airlines one from Newark and, just launched this summer, an Etihad connection from Abu Dhabi. The expanded hotel now has 131 rooms, with 26 suites, including a series of casitas. “And 80 per cent of the inventory has interconnecting doors,” says Raul Guerra, the hotel’s director of commercial strategy, of this simple update that gives Mandarin Oriental a market advantage.

The interior design by French designer Laura Gonzalez, in collaboration with BG Studio, also feels free, spirited and perfect for Mallorca. And then there’s the art. Paloma Fernández-Iriondo, who began her career at Sotheby’s in Madrid, has curated the pieces in all the rooms and public spaces. And she has done an amazing job. 

After taking in the view from my room, I head out past the pool and walk down the steps to one of two tiny public beaches beside the property. I dive into the silent waters and swim out, before turning back to look at the handsome hotel on the rocks. In the orange blush of the morning, it looks glorious.
mandarinoriental.com

For the full Mallorca report as well as a postcard from Latakia, the Syrian port city, pick up a copy of Monocle’s summer newspaper, ‘Med, Mountains & More’. On newsstands now.

Chef Giuseppe Iannotti cooked up the concept for Pastai Sanniti from his food laboratory in an ancient farmhouse in Benevento, Campania (writes Claudia Jacob). The computer engineer was more intrigued by the science of cooking pasta and its ability to interact with the sauce than creating a brand for the mass market. “We’re not interested in becoming the next big pasta producer,” says Iannotti.

Iannotti’s restaurant, Krèsios (located next to the lab), uses durum-wheat-based Pastai Sanniti for its signature spaghetti allo scoglio. The brand is also expanding outside of its native borders. “I like the idea that an Italian product can become an ingredient in the hands of a chef in London, Bangkok, Singapore or New York,” says Iannotti. Try adding Pastai Sanniti to reductions and broths – you might just be surprised.
pastaisanniti.com

Hungry for more of the same? Monocle’s September