We believe that Annecy is at it most charming in the early morning, as the sun rises over the lake and the surrounding Alps. Better still, when the Vieille Ville comes alive with its bustling market stalls. Come hungry and leave with a tote bag full of local cheeses, cured meats, fresh produce and whatever else catches your eye.

Les Baigneurs is a local go-to café, known for serving one of the best lattes in town. The morning pastries arrive fresh-baked daily in time for breakfast, while the tartine of tomato and balsamic on properly toasted house bread is the standout lunchtime choice – though the croque-monsieur earns an honourable mention. Two small but notable advantages in an otherwise busy town: proper air conditioning, and an interior calm that feels genuinely local rather than touristic. Pair it with a swim at Plage d'Albigny for an easy, well-paced afternoon.

Five minutes from Annecy station on Rue de la Gare, Dip is the all-day hangout that works as a Lebanese-leaning small-plates restaurant and a serious coffee shop. The cult order is the purple yam latte, but the kitchen is the real draw: vegetable-forward shared plates that feel fresh and generous, built for long tables and longer evenings. The mocktails are properly considered, the wine list short and sensibly priced. 

Tucked into Passage de la Cathédrale, Baïda is the breakfast room locals queue for on a Saturday. The menu is short and unfussy: Turkish eggs with a proper hit of garlic, breakfast buns with veggie bacon, chocolate brioche to ask for double-toasted. All gluten-free, vegan or vegetarian, none of it tastes like compromise. The flat whites are excellent, the homemade lemonades better. The room is intimate enough to feel like a secret, which makes it ill-suited to large groups but ideal for two over the morning paper. Pair with a wander through the old town.