Unlike the other traditional soporific brand-named coffeehouses, this place is more of a coffee-hangout or a coffee-club. That’s not to say it is any less comfortable though; it is just more of a chicly trendy spot to grab your daily dosage of caffeine. Like its name, epöch is slightly alternative and unorthodox; with the stylish interior space housing a DJ booth, a magazine and CD corner (with purchasable CD’s), an exhibition space for upcoming art, and of course the seats and coffee bar itself. epöch regularly features exhibits by local artists and they are probably the only coffee shop in the world with their own in-house DJ.

Nevertheless, none of these elements take any focus away from the coffee, as they serve up some of the best quality java in town. I am not exaggerating too, because this place is one of the few recognised illycaffè outlets in town and the only to feature an authentic illy Italian espresso machine. As the full title of the coffee bar suggests, epöch also offers up a selection of the finest desserts in town, with their latest range being made by French pastry chef, Etienne Irazoqui, who once helped make a birthday cake for Madonna. When matched with their music and coffee, a rose-infused pastry or the signature 7-Layer Chocolate Cake will certainly make one feel a little like the ‘material girl’ herself. 

People don’t actually know if Andrew Stow is a lord or not, but one thing is for sure, his egg tarts are the best in Macau. The shop was opened back in 1989, but he concocted his famous egg tart recipe a year later. Inspired by a similar item in Portugal, Stow experimented with his own recipe and soon came up with the slightly burnt, slightly crispy egg tart that has now become their trademark. The bakery itself is located in a quietly serene spot on the island of Coloane, but it has now become a tourist attraction and the tarts are so good they have been franchised and taken to Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, and across China. They say a Lord Stow egg tart is like a little piece of heaven, but whatever the attraction is, it keeps tourists coming from far and wide.