What a difference six days and 6,000 kilometres makes, especially in the business of selling newspapers. On Saturday morning, I woke up at my mom’s place in the Old Mill district of Toronto and plotted a course to the nearest good cup of coffee. While I’ve sampled a few places in The Kingsway and Bloor West Village, the best flat white is found at the Organic Press Café on the corner of Annette Street and Willard Avenue. There’s usually a cyclist or two enjoying a hit of espresso before setting out on their circuit and a couple out for a stroll with their pooch. Coffee in hand, I keep heading east and then cut down toward Bloor Street and the local Circle K convenience shop. No, I’m not in search of a five-litre beverage or a pack of John Player Lights but the weekend papers. 

Picking up a copy of the Toronto Star or The New York Times used to be a rather simple exercise in this stretch of the city but some of the classic, family-owned-and-operated convenience stores have closed down; Book City no longer deals in dailies or even weekend editions so Circle K is the only option. Just inside the front door, to the right, you can find the Toronto Star, WSJ, The Globe and Mail, National Post, The New York Times, The Toronto Sun and FT Weekend. It’s not exactly an outlet that celebrates the beauty of the printed word but as the only game in mom’s part of town it’s a bit of an oasis – most people popping in around 07.30 aren’t after five-litre beverages either, just their favourite trusted source. It also gives a sense of where the sector has ended up. You can commit to a subscription delivered to your door or venture farther afield to get some ink on your fingers.

A week earlier on a grand boulevard in the heart of San Sebastián, at roughly the same time of day, the needs were similar but the retail experience rather different. Open to the street and bursting with periodicals and newspapers from across Spain and Europe, it’s one of the finer examples of class news trading that you’ll find anywhere in the world. It’s the kind of place that still has seven editions of Vogue (not that it matters these days as you largely get the same stories whether it’s the Deutsch or French edition), the lovely Manera, all spin-offs of ¡Hola!, Le Monde diplomatique and a very good special niche – you can buy the previous month’s editions of all your favourite weekend newspaper supplements just in case you missed them. Very clever. 

Behind the counter, the man in charge of the Saturday morning shift knows all of his customers and is doing one thing and doing it very well. There is no wall of vaping products or a Chupa Chups takeover, just the mags and papers that you might want to enjoy with your coffee, take to the beach or save for a quiet moment on Sunday evening. It pains me to say this but it’s an experience to enjoy while you can. There’s a good chance that you already live in a ‘news desert’ (a real industry term for people who have no access to a newsstand or even a Circle K that stocks a few papers) and they’re only expanding. 

During a transit through Abu Dhabi airport a few weeks ago, I wanted to check on the news offer at WHSmith and was alarmed to find that this particular brand had completely exited the print-news business. There was one slim, point-of-sale stand with some titles from a local publisher – but that was it – no Der Spiegel, no The New Yorker, no Monocle. “What exactly were they selling?” you ask. The usual mix of plush toys, device chargers, canned beverages and general Abu-D merch. If you believe in the power of print and feel that it has a place in the media landscape, then take this as a call to action to make sure that you support your remaining kiosks (see our round-up of favourites around the world here). And if you reside in a parched corner of the world for printed-word news then please subscribe to Monocle (becoming part of our global club also helps to finance this gratis newsletter) or whatever title that you feel is missing from your line-up. 

Now off you go, get out there and give your newsagent a little cuddle, pay a visit to your nearby Monocle Shop to grab the latest Konfekt or simply sit back and join from here. Happy week ahead.

To support Monocle’s independent journalism, subscribe today. Alternatively, you can pick up a copy of our bumper July/August issue and the ‘Monocle Mediterraneo’ newspaper online or at your closest remaining newsstand. 

Samuel Nataf and Charles Ganem managed to convert Paris’s hankerings from côte de boeuf to humble burgers when they opened Dumbo in Pigalle in 2019 (writes Divya Venkataraman). A streamlined menu and minimalist interiors attracts a tidy stream of Parisians looking for more informal fare. Now, they’ve set up shop in London. 

Its first location outside the French capital is housed in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shopfront in Shoreditch. The location is Nataf’s old stomping ground, which adds a nostalgic flavour. “That period when I lived in east London shaped me,” says Nataf. “It gave me confidence, independence and made me grow up quickly. That’s why opening Dumbo here feels like coming full circle.” 

Dumbo’s London burger won’t be quite the same as its Parisian counterpart: instead of importing ingredients, the meat is sourced from London butcher HG Walter. Sandwiched between lightly toasted, pillowy potato buns with a slice of American cheese and homemade pickles, it’s proof that the smash burger can be more than just indulgent fast-food.
dumboparis.com

For more top tips and inside knowledge on the UK capital, check out our London City Guide.

Curator Kirsten Landwehr started out as a stylist before establishing her own gallery, Galerie für Moderne Fotografie, in 2008. Landwehr’s husband, Stephan, co-founded boutique hotel Château Royal and the Grill Royal restaurant in Berlin, and tapped his curator-wife to think up the hotel’s contemporary art collection. Here, she chats to us about her passion for print and why Sundays call for a steak.

Where do we find you this weekend?
I usually split my time between the city and the countryside. This weekend it’s Berlin. I just got back from a few days in Oslo for the ‘Fashion Research Symposium 2025: Creating Afterlives’, and now it’s time to catch up on life back home.

Ideal start to a Sunday?
Since I spend quite a bit of time at my ceramics studio in the countryside, when I’m in Berlin I make it count. First stop: a quick hour of Pilates at Realz Pilates. The instructors are former Staatsballett Berlin dancers and are wonderfully down-to-earth. 

What’s for breakfast?
Brunch at Château Royal. It’s the kind of place where time slows down just enough but there’s always a buzz in the air if you’re in the mood to catch it. There are also plenty of print publications there – both national and international.

A Sunday soundtrack?
The new AVR album, Salvation. It’s perfect for a sunny Berlin afternoon.

Sunday culture must?
Either the 17.00 slot at the bar at the Berghain nightclub or a ballet at the Staatsoper [Berlin State Opera]. 

What’s on the menu?
A family dinner at Grill Royal. Steak with potato mousseline and spinach, no hesitation.

Where will you spend your summer holidays?
The beautiful and close-to-the-beach Pallazetto Grasso in Ortigia, Sicily.

Which brands do you tend to reach for in the summer?
Von Sono for its lightweight, ethical fashion, Dr Emi Arpa for skincare, Birkenstock for shoes and Diptyque for natural, summer-scented haircare.

Monocle’s Swiss recipe writer, Ralph Schelling, has created a salad to crown your summertime table. With a healthy helping of chilli and citrus, it’s sure to impress.

Starter, side or a light meal for 4 people

Ingredients

1 lemon (zest and 1 tbsp juice)
3-4 tbsps best-quality extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp chilli flakes
450g fresh broad beans
½ bunch mint leaves, roughly torn
½ bunch tarragon, roughly torn
Sea salt flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
100g feta

Method

1
Mix lemon zest, olive oil and chilli flakes in a small bowl and set aside.

2
Cook the broad beans in lightly salted boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Let them cool briefly, then pop them out of their skins.

3
Place the beans in a serving bowl along with the mint and tarragon.

4
Whisk the lemon juice into the lemon oil mixture, season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the salad. Gently toss to coat.

5
Finish by crumbling the feta over the top to garnish. 
ralphschelling.com

Fancy more tasty treats from the Med? Pick up a copy of our ‘Monocle Mediterraneo’ newspaper, out now.

Tucked away in Cala de Bou, Los Felices Ibiza Hotel is a technicolour homage to the glamour of Palm Springs (writes Petri Burtsoff). The Concept Hotels group’s 113-key property is the inspiration of Diego Calvo (pictured), an Ibiza native who feels that hospitality can sometimes be too conservative. “I see myself as a rebel,” he tells Monocle. “I wanted to create a hotel that is a destination in itself.” 

Los Felices is certainly that. It’s a riot of colour and playful nostalgia designed by a Madrid-based Italian studio, Ilmiode