While ordering a quick espresso at the bar remains the quintessential Italian ritual, specialty coffee is still something of a rarity in Cagliari. L'Atypical, a passion project by friends Carol and Ludovica, brings a much-needed breath of fresh air to the city's coffee scene. Expect some of the best flat whites and cortados in town, brewed with care in the cosy city-centre café. And if you find yourself craving their coffee long after you've left, you're in luck – their house-roasted beans are available to take home too.

Founded in 1838 by Lazzaro Canepa, Antico Caffè has historically been the hangout for Cagliaritani. Looking straight onto the Bastione di Saint Remy, it was carefully restored in 1998 by the Ruggieri family and continues to embody the spirit of a Liberty-era café, where refined Sardinian dishes are served on marble-topped tables. Open from early-morning espressos to late nights of astice alla catalana (chilled lobster with olive oil, lemon, tomatoes, and red onion) and seafood fregula.

Cagliari’s grand limestone balcony, located at the edge of the Castello quarter, is the place to catch a breeze and a view. Climb the white marble staircase to the Terrazza Umberto I and the city unfolds below, with rooftops, harbour and the Monte Urpinu's pine tree. Beneath it runs the Galleria dello Sperone, a vaulted passage that occasionally turns into an exhibition space, giving this monumental lookout a quietly cultural twist.

At Luigi Pomata, Sardinian tradition meets a cosmopolitan sensibility, shaped by the chef’s roots in the island of Carloforte and years in kitchens from New York to London. Known as the “chef of red tuna,” don’t miss his iconic Girotonno tasting – an inventive journey through tuna, from tonno tonnato and tartare with mozzarella foam to ventresca with aubergine and toasted hazelnuts–showcasing the ingredient at its best.