From exotic destinations and gourmet recipes to celebrated lives and design ideas, here are some fresh picks for your coffee table

Orient Express: The Legend of Travel
Sixtine Dubly, Assouline 2016Railway romantics will enjoy Orient Express: The Legend of Travel, a coffee-table book that chronicles its history from Georges Lambert Nagelmackers, the Belgian engineer who first hit upon the notion of combining travel with refinement and luxury to the illustrious passengers—a roster that includes Leo Tolstoy and Princess Grace of Monaco—who rode upon it.

Photographs and other images from the railway line’s 134-year history paired with Sixtine Dubly’s journalistic prose make this book a compelling read for both active and armchair travellers and everyone captivated by the romantic image conjured up by the great railways of Europe.

Putnam Style
Stephane Gerschel, Assouline 2016

This new tome from luxury publisher Assouline gives readers a more intimate look at the life and achievements of the legendary Parisian interior and product designer Andrée Putman.

Author Stephane Gerschel paints a captivating portrait of the designer as a pioneer, giving note to Putman’s conception of The Morgan, the world’s first boutique hotel. Among other achievements cited are her eclectic interior design projects at the Guggenheim Museum and the designer Azzedine Alaïa’s boutique, as well as game-changing product designs for some of the world’s foremost luxury brands.

Putnam Style that echoes former French Minister of Culture Jack Lang’s words: “Not only is Andrée Putman a wizard of design; she is also a muse that inspires timelessness.”

A Personal View
Joel Arthur Rosenthal (JAR), Lineadacqua 2015

While shopping through the commercial districts of any given city is a cultural eyeopener for travellers, those planning a trip to the fabled canals of Venice would do well to browse through A Personal View prior to their jaunts.

JAR is best known for the divinely bejewelled creations crafted in his atelier in Paris’ Place Vendome. But here, the jeweller steps into the role of a highly knowledgeable—and somewhat opinionated—guide through the aquatic city’s narrow streets and into the shops of its most notable merchants, artisans, and craftsmen.

Each page looks and reads like an elegant and magical picture book that makes one feel like traipsing on ancient cobblestones in search of bespoke jewellery, storied artefacts, and objets d’art.

Bulgari: La Cucina de Luca Fantin
Luca Fantin; photography by Andrea Fazzari, Assouline 2016

The award-winning Italian chef Luca Fantin swaps his toque and tasting spoons for pen and paper as he writes about his eponymous restaurant at what may possibly be one of the most lavish locations in the world: the top of the Bulgari Ginza Tower in the heart of Tokyo.

At Il Ristorante Luca Fantin, the chef combines ingredients from his Mediterranean homeland with locally sourced produce from Japan’s best farms, transforming them into a delectable array of dishes where East meets West in taste and texture. What gourmet (or gourmand, for that matter) would not swoon at descriptions of home-made tagliatelle with fresh lobster or a pleasantly bittersweet taste of spring with lamb cooked with chicory and zucchini blossoms?

The Artisans of Paradise
Francois Simon, Assouline 2016

The South of France is legendary for being the summer playground of the rich and famous and the famed Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc has become synonymous with the magnificent glamour typical of the region.

Francois Simon’s book, however, goes beyond the surface and gives readers a peek at the people responsible for the comfort of guests. The Cap-Eden-Roc’s staff takes centre stage here: the artisans of paradise who make a stay a comfortable and memorable one. This day-in-the-life chronicle allows readers to get to know a highly specialised team of valets, porters, chefs and others who ensure that the hotel runs smoother than even the best of Swiss watches.

Chic Stays: Condé Nast’s Favourite People on their Favourite Places
Melinda Stevens; Matt Buck & Fiona Kerr (editors), Assouline 2016

If you have ever wondered where your favourite celebrities’ dream destinations are, wonder no more.

Chic Stays features 35 exciting, amusing, and inspiring anecdotes from the likes of Jeremy Irons and Kate Winslet. Each essay presents a personal look at some of the world’s finest hotels and resorts—a few of which are hidden treasures of the world’s greatest cities.

From historic palaces in Portugal to grey castles overlooking Scottish moors, temple towns and mountain villages, this book lets readers and their imaginations fly from country to country.

Inside Venice: A Private View of the City’s Most Beautiful Interiors
Toto Bergamo Rossi, Rizzoli 2016

As the head of the Venetian Heritage Foundation, Francesco “Toto” Bergamo Rossi is in the best position to talk about the golden magnificence of a city that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Here, Rossi glowingly describes 72 properties ranging from private homes to historic churches and public places. In doing so, he has written a history of Venice as seen in the evolution of interior spaces from the rustic simplicity of the ninth century to the gilded magnificence of the High Renaissance to the eclectic mix of old and new that characterises contemporary renovations. A completely different way of looking at a familiar place.

Krug by Krug Lovers
Serena Sutcliffe, Assouline 2014

Krug is considered one of the kings of the world of wines and spirits: one of the most illustrious names in the crafting and creation of champagne, thanks to its emphasis on quality and attention to detail. Since 1843, the Krug family has produced sparkling wines of impeccable excellence which have been enjoyed by the world’s best and brightest personalities.

Serena Sutcliffe captures the magic of the Krug name and its exalted reputation. Her effervescent prose pairs well with images taken from the Krug archives: a glowing chronicle of a great vintner’s history interspersed with lively tales of such luminaries as Ernest Hemingway, Brigitte Bardot, and Karl Lagerfeld. Definitely champagne and caviar for the heart and soul.

Wallpaper: A History of Style and Trends
Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz, Flammarion 2009

The author Carolle Thibaut-Pomerantz takes readers on a historical tour that casts new light upon a favoured design element.

From its beginnings as a substitute for more exalted wall coverings like woven tapestries and hand-painted frescoes, wallpaper transcends the mundane in the hands of great masters such as Raphael and doubles as a venue for self-expression for both photographers and graphic artists.

Expressively written and exquisitely photographed, this book ensures that you’ll never look at bare or papered walls the same way again.

Flowers: Art and Bouquets
Sixtine Dubly, Assouline 2016

Floristry enthusiasts, rejoice: this is one book that presents a gorgeously comprehensive look at the art and history behind floral arrangement. This beautifully photographed book features a compendium of floral images from various media and time periods. Forty floral artists and experts from New York, London, and Paris show off their handiwork in arrangements that run the gamut from minimalist, almost ikebana-like place settings to romantic handheld tussie-mussies to grandiose and elaborate wreaths and crowns worthy of the most opulent occasions. Whether you’re a casual arranger who goes no further than a simple bouquet in a vase or a master florist capable of creating fragrant and colourful masterpieces, this is definitely a stunning volume to have in your collection.

In the Spirit of…
Books in series include Capri, St Barths, Monte Carlo, St Tropez, Pamela Fiori, Assouline

Pamela Fiori has, essentially, made a career out of writing about the world’s most exciting destinations from legendary cities to iconic resort towns.

In this leg of Assouline’s In the Spirit of… series, Fiori takes armchair wanderers on a scenic tour of the French Riviera and the fabled Isle of Capri, with a side trip to St Barths in the Caribbean. Thanks to intensive interviews with locals, artists, and historians, she gives readers an interesting, well-rounded look at each destination, peppering descriptions with a list of places to see and be seen in, as well as local specialities to savour.

Each book also helps tourists take the guesswork out of planning a trip, as comprehensive guides regarding accommodations and dining are written into the overall narrative.

All titles available at Warehouse 17 (W17), La Fuerza Compound, 2241 Chino Roces Ave. Makati City www.w17home.com, (+632) 478.1717