Café Madeleine was my go-to for lunch with colleagues or a coffee break when I worked at the school around the corner. In the colder months, we would order the warming Harira soup—so good! This Parisian-style café/lunchroom is situated on a lively crossroad on the edge of the Bomenbuurt and on hot summer days I’ll sit out on the terrace on the Valkenbosplein under the shade of the gorgeous trees.

The food is good quality and there is plenty of vegetarian and vegan choice. You can enjoy breakfast from 08:00 until 15:30 or lunch from 10:00 until 15:30, so if you had a lazy morning then why not enjoy a perfect coffee with Lebanese yoghurt and Australian-style red fruit pancakes at 2 o’clock in the afternoon! If you prefer your breakfast in the morning though then you might be competing with the locals who descend on Madeleine for their newspaper, coffee and croque.

I always feel like Café Madeleine has a no-stress atmosphere both inside and out (despite the location on the junction). The service is relaxed but professional and the staff are handsome too! Another nice bonus is the tri-lingual menu in Dutch, German and English.