A nozzle (100) for air-assisted atomizing of a liquid fuel comprises a fuel feed passage (110) and an air feed passage (114) and a swirling chamber (118) from which fuel and air may be passed to an exit orifice (126) for emerging a cone shaped spray. An air bypass passage (122) is provided for leading a fraction of the air flow in the air feed passage (114) past the swirling chamber (118) and to an air exit (124) arranged such with respect to the exit orifice (126) that, during operation of the nozzle, air emerging through the air exit (124) reduces depositing of residues of fuel on a downstream surface (130, 132, 136) of the nozzle element (108). Grooves or other flow-guiding elements may confer swirling or rotation of air in or downstream of the air feed passage (114) and/or the air bypass passage (122).