Alessio Christian Melis

Rising dramatically from the sea off the coast of Masua, Pan di Zucchero is a towering limestone stack and the tallest sea stack in the Mediterranean. Best admired from the cliffs near Porto Flavia or by boat, its pale rock glows against the deep blue water, making it one of the most iconic silhouettes along the southwest coast.

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.

A family-run business since 1955, now with five locations across town, Pirani serves breakfast pastries and cakes alongside a glorious culurgiones dumpling on pecorino fondue with Sichuan pepper, broad beans and balsamic sauce. At its newest spot inside the elegant Palazzo Doglio, make sure to try its pizzetta sfoglia (flaky puff pastry topped with tomato, capers and anchovies) for a serious taste of Cagliari.

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.

Just steps from Westerpark, is yet another outpost of the coveted louf bakery. Watch the bakers at work as loaves come fresh from the oven, grab a coffee and order one of their buttery croissants filled with ham and cheese before continuing your stroll through the neighbourhood. There’s no indoor seating but the carefully curated cookbook selection, curated in collaboration with De Kookboekhandel, is worth a browse. 

Munch on as many cheese-and-mustard croissants and omelette-filled Danishes as your stomach allows at louf's newest outpost, tucked into a 1631-built corner of the city's milling history. Baked daily with slow-fermented levain, layered pastries turn morning coffee into a rite. For a jolt of local heritage, make a Tuesday pilgrimage to De Molen to watch the last wind-powered sawmill in action, its turning sails a reminder that this city was built on motion.

Part neighbourhood café, part Italian trattoria, Papillon serves everything from morning pastries to late-night plates of homemade pasta. Grab a table on the terrace and order the pipe rigate with vodka sauce and nduja, followed by the mortadella, burrata and honey pizzetta.

Forget couture and fridge magnets – Annecy's finest souvenir comes wrapped in paper. Run by Meilleur Ouvrier de France Pierre Gay since 1935, this tiny cheese shop is a paradise for fromage lovers, with more than 120 carefully curated cheeses, all matured in the spectacular glass-fronted cellar downstairs.