It’s also that in-between time when you’re slowly moving away from cold summer meals but not quite ready for full-on comfort food yet. This noodle dish sits somewhere in the middle: a slightly spicy broth, slurpy noodles and crunchy vegetables. In other words, the perfect September meal. Enjoy!

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Farine

A French bakery a little outside the city centre, but absolutely worth the trip. It feels a bit more local and less rushed, which I really like. You can sit upstairs for breakfast or coffee, or take everything to-go and walk over to Westerpark, which is perfect on a sunny day.

Louf

The best fennel seed raisin bun in the world. My best friend Grete and I talk often about going back just for this bun. Beyond that, they have a really strong lineup of classic pastries (croissants, pain au chocolat) but also more creative options like filled croissants (cheese and mustard is my favourite). The miso chocolate chip cookie is the best cookie I’ve had.

Esh Pitabar

A very good spot for falafel and pita. The ingredients taste really fresh and the service is super friendly. Also a great option if you’re with a group, since there are plenty of choices for different diets. Be sure to make a reservation.

nNea Pizza

This is the place that comes up every time you look for good pizza in Amsterdam. Proper Neapolitan-style, soft, airy dough, simple but high-quality toppings, and a lot of attention to detail. Reservations are needed, but it’s a spot that’s worth planning around.

Similar restaurants are Pizza Project and LouLou Pizzabar.

Zero Zero

They’re known for their focaccia sandwiches, which are simple, flavourful, and perfect for a quick lunch. The toppings change depending on what’s in season (my favourite in the summer: melanzane with arugula instead of mozzarella). Eat-in or take the sandwiches to-go to eat by the river.

D&A Hummus Bistro

Everything here revolves around really good hummus. Everything is made in-house, from the dips and falafel to the pita, salads and sides, so whatever you order is super fresh. You can eat in or take it to go; just keep in mind that the slightly higher prices reflect the quality and care that goes into the food.

Wolf Bakery & Café

There’s a few locations across the city, some also have a café with lunch dishes on offer. Regardless of what you try, the pastries and dishes are all delicious.

Winkel 43

The best apple cake in the city, according to me, my dad and everyone else; I don’t know what kind of crack they put in there. The apples are tart but sweet, the crust is crispy but light. Perfect as a second breakfast.

Cloud

I am obsessed with matcha at the moment and the best one I've found in the city so far is from Cloud (second place is Lera matcha). They do a good coconut foam as well, if you’re into that.

Het Flaamse Friteshuijse / Fabel Friet

If you’re on the hunt for authentic and fresh Dutch Fries, look no further than these two spots. Both make the fries fresh to order, with many sauce options to choose from.

Saint Jean

All-vegan bakery and deli (across the street), the best in Amsterdam (and possibly Europe). A must-visit if you’re plant-based looking for a pastry, snack or lunch.

I hope you enjoyed this little roundup of some of my favourite spots! Let me know if I missed anything — I’m always looking for new places to try next time.

This recipe makes two servings, although I recommend adding some protein on the side to make it a more complete meal. Crispy tempeh or tofu would both work beautifully here, especially simply pan-fried with a little soy sauce.

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Maybe I’m overdoing it with the sweet recipes over here, but my sweet tooth has definitely been showing recently.

These jars are rich and chocolatey, have around 20g of protein per jar (depending on your brand of yogurt), and taste more like dessert than something you’d typically eat after the gym.

I like making a couple at a time and keeping them in the fridge for a few days.

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I’ll never get tired of tofu stir-fry, especially in the summer.

This recipe combines two of my favourite versions: a bright orange sauce and the subtle heat of szechuan peppercorns. It’s fresh and packed with flavour, but still satisfying enough for dinner. Serve it over rice for an easy meal that’s perfect for warm evenings.

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Some porridges I consider weekday porridges. They’re quick and usually topped with whatever fruit, nut butter, or seeds I have lying around.

Then there are weekend porridges. The ones that take a few extra minutes but feel way more special. This is one of those recipes.

The porridge itself is bright with lemon zest, but the real star is the ginger miso caramel. It sounds like an unusual combination, but comes together in less than a minute and adds the perfect balance of sweet, salty, nutty flavours. I’ve started making a larger batch to keep in the fridge, and put it on everything: swirled through yogurt, spread onto toast, eaten straight from the jar, or drizzled over vanilla ice cream (trust).

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Summer is here, and so is my need for cold snacks straight from the fridge.

Thanks to the coconut milk, this chia pudding turns out wonderfully creamy and almost mousse-like, while the chia seeds help it set without any extra work. It’s rich enough to feel like dessert, but not overly sweet, making it perfect for hot mornings or afternoons when you want something refreshing and satisfying.

I’ve been enjoying it as a snack, breakfast, or even dessert topped with fruit and a sprinkle of grated chocolate or coconut. Keep a jar in the fridge and you’ll thank yourself later.

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One of my favourite food memories from our recent trip to Canada wasn’t from a restaurant or bakery, but from a canoe tour in the Revelstoke National Park.

Our guide’s wife had packed the sweetest little snack box for us to enjoy along the way, part of which were these homemade granola bars. Chewy, nutty, perfectly sweet, and exactly what you want after spending a few hours outdoors. My entire family was obsessed and as soon as I got home, I knew I wanted to recreate them.

The result is this recipe: a hearty, slightly dense granola bar packed with nuts and seeds. Perfect for hikes, long travel days, busy afternoons, or simply keeping in the fridge for whenever hunger strikes.

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A good lunch or lighter dinner on days where you’re craving bold flavour but are short on time. Feel free to swap the bread for rice or any other grain.

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As you may know by now, I’m a big lover of bread, bready things, and anything else involving gluten. Which also means I’m constantly searching for new things to eat with bread or flatbread.

This recipe was inspired by a café lunch I had recently, with a few additions and adjustments. It’s creamy, deeply savoury, packed with warm cumin seeds, but still fresh and light thanks to lemon and parsley.

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Earl Grey steeped into milk gives these oats a floral, citrusy depth. Blueberries and lemon bring freshness, making this a perfect cold breakfast for a warm summer morning.

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Calgary

Garbanzos

The focus here is on Middle Eastern-style bowls and pitas: crispy falafel, roasted vegetables, grains, and really good sauces. Also a solid option if you’re with a group: easy, fast and satisfying.

Otie
The croissants are flakey and buttery, and they rotate other pastries depending on the day, usually a mix of classic and slightly more creative options. They also do really good sandwiches on their house bread.

UNA Pizza + Wine

Thick-crust pizzas with well-balanced toppings, plus a handful of good salads. Works well for dinner after a long day.

Banff

Wild Flour Bakery

Imagine this: you’ve had a good night’s sleep, you wake up early, get ready for a hike. On the way out, you stop at Wild Flour.

You grab a pastry, maybe a yogurt bowl or a breakfast sandwich. You sit for a bit, hot beverage in hand to get you going.

Then you head out, spend a few hours hiking and exploring, and when you come back, you stop by again: tea, a snack, sitting in the sun (or shade, in my case), and resting the legs.

The pastries are exactly what you want them to be and the breakfast/lunch options are simple but done well. The wild seed bars were a family favourite.

Lake Louise

Fairmont Springs Hotel

The Fairmont sits right on Lake Louise. There are 5 *fancy* restaurants inside, all with different styles and menus, making it a good option for a special dinner.

The biggest highlight, though, is obviously the setting. The views over the lake are unreal, especially around sunset.

If you’re planning to eat there, definitely make reservations in advance, particularly if you’re not staying at the hotel, as it gets busy quickly.

The breakfast buffet at Louiza (as pictured) is genuinely the best I’ve ever experienced. Fresh pastries, breads, fruit, warm dishes, yogurt bowl options… Too many options for my belly. And yet it still felt thoughtful, rather than just overwhelming for the sake of it.

Also worth mentioning: the hotel has a really well-stocked grab-and-go fridge with sandwiches, drinks, snacks, and small meals, which is perfect before heading out for a hike or long day of exploring.

Golden

Daley Bread

Small sourdough bakery with good breads and pastries. Our favourite was the whole wheat sourdough loaf — we picked one up multiple times and it single-handedly fuelled our hikes in the area.

Eat Pure Mountain Market

Part green grocer, part café counter. They have a small selection of drinks, baked goods, snacks, and grab-and-go options, with many vegan choices throughout. A good stop if you need hiking snacks or just want something fresher in between restaurant meals.

Ethos Café

Your classic small-town café. Good coffee (according to my brother), solid baked goods, and simple lunch options.

Reposados

Tacos, burritos, bowls, all homemade, and you can definitely taste that. Plenty of vegan options as well (like sticky tofu and soy protein), and a really good place for something filling after a long hike or travel day.

Revelstoke

Alfred’s

My favourite dinner of the trip. A modern dinner spot with a menu that feels creative without trying too hard: seasonal small and larger plates, fresh pastas and beautifully done vegetable dishes. Definitely make a reservation ahead of time as it fills up quickly.

I’m already thinking about how to recreate the salad and dip at home.

Terra Vita Kitchen

A smaller, more health-focused café with plenty of fresh options: bowls, salads, smoothies, and lunches. A really good stop if you want something vegetable-forward and nourishing after a few days of travelling or hiking.

Spilt Milk

Creative lunch options, great drinks, homemade baked goods, and really good bread-based dishes. That’s all there is to say.

Kelowna

Sprout Bread

A great café/bakery for a nourishing lunch, serving fresh sandwiches, daily changing soups, pastries, and whole bread loaves. They also offer a few plant-based options; I tried the vegan soup and garden sandwich and would happily order both again. Cozy atmosphere, quality ingredients, and definitely worth stopping by if you’re in Kelowna.

Gather Restaurant

Once again, a spot where everyone can find something on the menu. I had spicy tofu as a starter and a salad as my main, with rice on the side. The staff were super accommodating with plant-based requests (the menu did also have vegan options), and all of the food we had was really good.

Vancouver

Tall Shadow Bakery

I don’t even have words to describe the joy that eating their “snack plate” gave me. 10/10 bread, high-quality pickles and cheese and everything. I will be dreaming about this for a while.

The Bench Bakehouse

Located in East Vancouver, and reminded me a lot of the bakeries in London. Delicious sourdough (especially the Red Fife was so good!), pastries and other baked goods. If you’re in the area, this is definitely a spot to check out.

Sprig

A great lunch option if you’re spending time around Granville Island Market. Sprig serves Mediterranean-inspired bowls, wraps and plates with plenty of vegetables, dips, grains and falafel, with lots of vegan-friendly options on the menu. Fresh, filling and perfect before or after wandering through the market.

Siegel’s Bagels

Delicious Montreal-style bagels, especially if you get them shortly after opening while they’re still warm. Simple, classic and very worth grabbing as breakfast or a snack while exploring the area.

Kitsilano Farmers Market

Open Sundays from 10am-2pm, this was one of my favourite markets we visited throughout the trip. A lovely mix of local produce, baked goods, snacks and handmade products, with genuinely kind people running the stalls.

I can especially recommend the sourdough focaccia from Pastaggio and the spice blends from Maison Cote.

Nomad Coffee

If you’re looking for a coffee and breakfast or lunch spot in Kitsilano, this is a really nice option. The matcha latte was perfect, my family loved their coffee, and the baked goods were great too. I’d especially recommend the vegan breakfast cookie and chocolate banana loaf.

Chez Nous Patisserie

A small French bakery within walking distance of our hotel, which naturally turned into our morning pastry stop. I don’t think they had any plant-based options, but the croissants, babka and breakfast rolls were all excellent.

Bella Gelateria

Artisan gelateria with a few plant-based options, but since I only need dark chocolate sorbet in my life anyways, I was happy to see it on offer. Grab your gelato to go and sit by the water on a sunny day.

Annabelle’s

Yes, another bakery. A super cute spot a little outside of the city centre, but worth it if you’re in the area and on the hunt for great coffee and delicious pastries. We shared the croissant, bear claw, banana bread and cinnamon bun and would especially recommend the latter two. Who came up with curried granola on banana bread and why is it so good?

That’s a wrap on the food from our trip, and honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten this much genuinely good food while travelling for this long. From bakeries and farmers markets to hiking snacks and memorable dinners, Canada treated us very, very well.

I already know I’ll be back someday. Especially for Vancouver and Banff ;)

Strawberry season truly is the best season. This recipe combines sweet and juicy strawberries with one of my favourite (and in my opinion highly underrated) ingredients: fennel seeds.

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I recently went back to run a half marathon with my dad. We revisited some of my favourite spots around the city and tried a few new places as well.

If you’re planning a trip, here’s a little round-up of places I love, plus a few general recommendations.

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Most chickpea flour baked goods are a little dry due to the nature of the flour. These waffles are not. Soft on the inside, lightly crisp on the outside, they’re perfect as a higher-protein snack or an easy light lunch.

They freeze beautifully, and are ideal for taking along on long car rides or busy days.

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Here’s a little roundup of where we went, plus a few food places that I love but couldn’t fit in this time around.

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Lately I’ve been leaning into meals that feel fresh but still satisfying: lots of herbs, bright lemon, something crispy, something warm. This salad is a perfect example of that, combining warm and cold elements with different textures and flavours.

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A humble can of white beans turned into the easiest (and perhaps best) thing you’ll eat all week.

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The easiest noodles that taste like you tried way harder than you did.

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This isn’t a perfect guide, just a collection of places we genuinely loved (and would go back to immediately).

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