Park at Hotel Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands

As part of Hotel Arena’s recent overhaul, Park is the newly-built café that joins an additional new wing of guest rooms; music studios and work spaces; and an ornate monument-listed chapel that is now used for parties and events.

Inspired by its lush surroundings, the understated glass-walled pavilion has been constructed by local firm Team V Architectuur, to seamlessly blur the lines between inside and outside. This is further reinforced with a natural interior by Amsterdam-based TANK, to include an assortment of hanging ferns and floor plants dotted among a raw palette of timber, leather, concrete and smoky-blue furnishings that add a splash of colour.

On the menu, seasonal French and Italian café dishes, including a deliciously gooey croque monsieur, are executed with ‘pure simplicity. No frills or curlicues,’ says chef Stephan Robert. Of course, when perched at a table taking in the park views while bathed in generous natural light, food with frills is certainly not missed.