Glued to St. Catherine’s Church, this tiny house with a little garden is home to one of Eindhoven’s most unexpected creative spots and enclave for design students, artists and curious minds. Part artistic residency, part neighbourhood bar, Residency for the People was born out of Lucas Maassen and Jip Geven's desire to offer people the space and time to realise plans they can’t quite fit into their day-to-day lives, with projects as varied and creative as the dumplings you'll find downstairs: from a catalogue and walking tours highlighting buildings designed by women, to exploring what it means to live like a duck.

In the heart of Strijp–S, Eindhoven's former Philips industrial site, you'll find Matsu, housed in a Chinese pavilion gifted to the city by its sister city, Nanjing. Step inside and you'll find a warm and stylish setting, where contemporary Asian-inspired interiors and softly lit tables set the scene for an evening of fine dining. The meat of the matter here is the Australian Wagyu steak, freshly prepared and expertly grilled over an authentic Japanese Konro grill, bestly paired it with a bottle from their carefully curated wine selection.

With ever-changing flavours such as sea buckthorn and pistachio with black truffle and its pink interior, Intelligentia is certainly not one for subtlety. Its creations shift with the seasons and the team’s own inspirations, often taking cues from collaborations with events such as Dutch Design Week. But fear not, ice cream purists: there’s still plenty of room for the classics, from chocolate, lemon and vanilla to good old pistachio.

This story began in Ankara, Turkey, where owner Zeynep Turhan would watch her grandmother bake bread with sparkling eyes. Today, Sourmate is where she shares a little of those memories with us, one sourdough loaf at a time. Our recommendation? The walnut and turmeric sourdough, but do save some room for the delicious seasonal pastries, in particular the cinnamon and cardamom buns.