Alessio Christian Melis

Located on the corner of Newtonstraat, MAS is a neighbourhood café and sourdough bakery known for its artisanal breads and glorious seasonal Danish pastries (think orange curd with cranberry compote or honey and poached pears), all made using local ingredients.  Open from Wednesday to Saturday, it has recently expanded with its own Atelier location on Pretoriusstraat, a larger space that allows the team to further showcase their craft baking and buttery creations. 

Founded by a duo of true Amsterdammers, YUSU has become a go-to for Oost’s young, creative crowd, helped by its location near the city’s most-famous fashion academy. Its name comes from the Surinamese word for “serious” - a nod to the team’s roots and the seriously good coffee served here. Beans are sourced from Amsterdam specialty roastery Back to Black, with a private-label blend for both espresso and filter. Alongside the excellent coffee, you can expect ceremonial matcha and house-baked treats like Surinamese pasteitjes, Brazilian pão de queijo and rotating pastry specials. Regular collaborations with local artists and DJ sets keep things moving, making YUSU as much a cultural hangout as the coolest people-watching stop. 

The quintessential comfort spot for warming Indonesian soups, right in the city centre. While classics such as soto Betawi (Jakarta’s iconic coconut milk–based beef broth) and the soto ayam (a bright, citrusy chicken soup) steal the spotlight, the rice bowls are well worth your attention - especially weekend specials such as the crispy, just-spicy-enough ayam geprek, served with cucumbers and freshly crushed sambal. Perfect for taking away and enjoying in the nearby Wertheimpark, before you wander the city’s straatjes, with a handful of indoor seats also available. 

In the sunniest corner spot on Noordplein by the Rotte, Wolly serves breakfast and brunch classics such as loaded pancakes and avocado toast alongside kimchi grilled cheese and soft brioche sandwiches filled with burrata and mortadella. The menu also features their rotating guilty croissants (think raspberry with rose or lemon meringue), plus a solid selection of specialty coffees. With a lively terrace overlooking the water, a laid-back interior and a running club setting off every Sunday at 8:30 am, it’s the ideal stop to start your day in Rotterdam. 

A sleek addition to Rotterdam’s new wave coffee scene. Founded by Jermaine Semil and Benjaro Hitipeuw, the minimalist space seamlessly mixes metal and wood, drawing inspiration from Scandinavian and Japanese design. But what really stands out are the big windows – great for people-watching. Expect excellent coffee from Bonanza and A Matter of Coffee, alongside a thoughtfully curated menu: granola bowls in the morning and a great chicken or mushroom melt sandwich for lunch, as well as a selection of baked goods including almond croissants, lemon poppy seed cake, and chocolate ganache waiting on the counter. 

A go-to for sourdough lovers. Centrally located, Bas Bakt sits just off the bustle of Witte de Withstraat. A favourite among locals, it serves not only delicious morning pastries, but also a vast selection of natural wines and sandwiches come lunchtime. Our tip: don’t miss the pastrami croissant, which makes a great brunch. 
 

After a successful restaurant run within Antwerp, three friends (Dabba King, Nikolai Kovdal and Sen Kulanthaivelu) have partnered with fermentation guru, Julian Kappert. The product is Spiridon, a bar decked in dark mahogany furniture, mosaic tiles, exposed bricks, and clay pillars plastered with handwritten wine menus scribbled upon sticky tape. Candles shimmer, golden lighting casts from the mish-mash of lamps, and reflects from the white textile wall hangings draped across the ceiling. A glass-fronted wooden wine cellar, a former butcher's refrigerator,  is stacked with natural wines, and the kitchen plates molten, chill-topped camembert or hand-rolled gnocchi onto vintage English crockery. 

Set on a quiet residential street just beyond Cagliari’s historic centre, Villa Fanny occupies a restored early-20th-century villa surrounded by manicured gardens. Inside, exposed wooden beams and airy rooms open onto lawns dotted with white wrought-iron tables and a glass-covered veranda with its distinctive black-and-white tiled floor. Curated by owner Lucina Cellino and named after her mother, the hotel doubles as a small cultural hub, hosting exhibitions, readings and gatherings that reflect a family passion for art. By evening, the garden fills with locals and guests lingering over aperitivo beneath the shade of the trees.

On the edge of Cagliari’s Castello district, Palazzo Boyl is set a neoclassical residence built in 1840 on the city’s former Pisan walls. Today the restored Liberty cream-coloured palace is an intimate boutique hotel, its sea-facing windows opening onto views of the harbour and the historic centre below. Along the marble balustrade, statues of the four seasons quietly preside, while tucked within the palace stands the Torre del Leone – a 14th-century Pisan tower still bearing cannonballs from the sieges that once rattled the city.