a small, unpretentious restaurant, often with exterior seating on a patio or extending onto the sidewalk.
I pick up a café and a croissant on my commute in to work every morning.
a small or inexpensive restaurant or coffee bar, serving light meals and refreshments
a corner shop or grocer
See resume 2.
First recorded in 1780–90; from French: literally, “coffee”; see origin at coffee
C(orporate) A(verage) F(uel) E(conomy)
How does cafe compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
A cafe is a coffee shop, or a small restaurant where coffee is served. Your neighborhood cafe might be a good place to get a piece of pie and a cup of coffee. You could stop by a cafe for lunch, or just grab a coffee and a muffin to go. You can also call a cafe a "coffeehouse" or "coffee shop," and while the word is similar to cafeteria — and the two share a root word — a cafeteria tends to be a buffet-style restaurant or dining hall. Cafe comes from the French café, which means both "coffee" and "coffeehouse."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He confesses to catching one game—a victory for Spain—in a ramshackle café in a Galician village.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
Add coffee, whether that’s hot in a thermos, iced in a travel mug or purchased from a nearby café on the way to the park, and you’re done.
From Salon ● Jun. 18, 2026
When visitors reach the hilltop, they will find an upgraded Welcome Hall designed by local firm WHY Architecture, with new features including a large information screen and an expanded bookstore with its own café.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
Capybaras occasionally wander into the café, though petting them isn’t allowed.
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
A framed charcoal sketch by Toulouse-Lautrec showed her sitting at a café, fingers idle on a cup.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
That would be the main focus of the school’s proposed Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment, or CAFE.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 20, 2022
"CAFE is not a public health regulation," said Graham, who is a member of EPA's Science Advisory Board.
From Science Magazine ● Aug. 1, 2018
The corporate average fuel economy, or CAFE, program is shared between two agencies: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and EPA, which is the latecomer.
From Scientific American ● Aug. 1, 2018
They hope to avoid a court battle with California and other states over the standard, known as Corporate Average Fuel Economy or CAFE.
From Washington Times ● May 11, 2018
You've only to step round the corner of Smith's Hotel on the side street and read the sign: LADIES' AND GENT'S CAFE, just as large and as imposing as ever.
From Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Leacock, Stephen
The Time to Talk study took into account people buying takeaways and ready meals, as well as going on trips to cafés and restaurants.
From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2026
“The hype started in Japan. In Japan there are even cafés where you have contact with capybaras. And the internet helped, and the public is always curious. They want to know about the species.”
From Slate ● May 27, 2026
Fans traveling to the Austrian capital will find a rich backdrop of Baroque palaces, world-class concert halls, riverside cafés and vibrant markets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
From his home in a quiet suburb near Washington DC, supporters describe him as low-profile and approachable - a frequent visitor to local cafés, often accompanied by his wife, Yasmine, without visible security.
From BBC ● Jan. 9, 2026
It had more than a thousand people, a post office, two cafés, and three stores besides a trading post.
From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
