variants
also cafe
1
as in cabaret
a bar or restaurant offering special nighttime entertainment (as music, dancing, or comedy acts)
the café presents nationally known jazz performers in an intimate setting
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in tavern
a place of business where alcoholic beverages are sold to be consumed on the premises
a speakeasy that became a fashionable café with the repeal of prohibition
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in restaurant
a public establishment where meals are served to paying customers for consumption on the premises
they met at a little café in Paris
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of café
Under Niccol, Starbucks has improved cafe operations, added buzzy new menu items, reintroduced seating to its locations and beefed up staffing at its coffeehouses.
—
Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 15 May 2026
There’s parks, there’s cute cafes, and the hiking is actually there’s some really close to downtown.
—AFAR Media, 15 May 2026
Meanwhile, 24 eateries, including a local cafe, received citations for health code violations such as brown residue in the ice machine, a lack of quaternary ammonia test strips and improperly cooled food.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
may 15, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026
Medical teams notably took care of some victims of the 2015 attacks at the Bataclan concert hall, cafes and national stadium.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
Dang, 42, said she was inspired to run after customers at her Alum Rock Vietnamese cafe expressed fear of visiting her business due to rising safety concerns.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
The walkable historic downtown area boasts plenty of curious and eclectic boutiques and cafes.
—Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
The Chicago metro area is getting its first Dutch Bros cafe this week, with additional Illinois locations set to open later this year.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA Today, 13 May 2026
The city is most vibrant from April to September, with parks showing off their seasonal shades of green while locals gather at outdoor cafes and cultural events.
—Kasia Dietz, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026
Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 15 May 2026
There’s parks, there’s cute cafes, and the hiking is actually there’s some really close to downtown.
—AFAR Media, 15 May 2026
Meanwhile, 24 eateries, including a local cafe, received citations for health code violations such as brown residue in the ice machine, a lack of quaternary ammonia test strips and improperly cooled food.
—Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado
may 15, Sacbee.com, 15 May 2026
Medical teams notably took care of some victims of the 2015 attacks at the Bataclan concert hall, cafes and national stadium.
—ABC News, 14 May 2026
Dang, 42, said she was inspired to run after customers at her Alum Rock Vietnamese cafe expressed fear of visiting her business due to rising safety concerns.
—Ryan MacAsero, Mercury News, 14 May 2026
The walkable historic downtown area boasts plenty of curious and eclectic boutiques and cafes.
—Erin Gifford, Southern Living, 13 May 2026
The Chicago metro area is getting its first Dutch Bros cafe this week, with additional Illinois locations set to open later this year.
—Hannah Hudnall, USA Today, 13 May 2026
The city is most vibrant from April to September, with parks showing off their seasonal shades of green while locals gather at outdoor cafes and cultural events.
—Kasia Dietz, Travel + Leisure, 13 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for café
Noun
-
This time round, Starr’s mortified co-stars included Yul Brynner, who made an uncredited appearance as a transvestite cabaret singer.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 May 2026
-
Held quarterly in Laguna Beach, the cabaret series has featured more than 30 invited performers from over a dozen high schools.—
Theresa Walker,
Oc Register,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
The whole pie is cut into small squares or rectangles, known as a party or tavern cut.—
Lauren Schuster,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
-
Riegelsville Housed in an 1838 building along the Delaware River, Riegelsville Inn serves hearty American fare in a cozy tavern setting.—
Hannah Howard,
Travel + Leisure,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
One wonders if this is because his clientele skews a bit older than, say, Jean’s, a restaurant and club in downtown Manhattan that always seems crowded with glamorous women in their early twenties.—
Hannah Goldfield,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
Matching the anything-goes vibe that flows through the resort, the breezy restaurant pavilion is merely a suggestion—ordering lunch or dinner to your private terrace, a candlelit table on the beach, or one of the dozen-or-so secret seating nooks scattered around the property is actively encouraged.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Manzo was 21 when gunmen stormed an Uruapan nightclub not far from his mother’s dress shop and rolled five human heads onto the dance floor.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
-
For cocktails and nightlife, hit TopGolf or Nola’s for live music then end the night strong with a table at HQ nightclub where resident and guest DJs keep the dance floor bumping and bottle servers keep the bubbly and energy flowing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 May 2026
Noun
-
In a June 2023 interview with PEOPLE, Wilson recalled their first date at a dance hall and saloon that was known for its cheap drinks and live music.—
Emily Weaver,
PEOPLE,
14 May 2026
-
The journey takes a fateful turn when Louise fatally shoots a man who is trying to rape Thelma in a saloon parking lot.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Also, how the diners felt a few shades more bohemian than most Mayfair crowds.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
-
The 2,100-square-foot restaurant also features an outdoor terrace that opens onto Brickell Avenue that seats around 60 diners, with nine seats at the bar.—
Connie Ogle
May 20,
Miami Herald,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
For families The kids club is tucked away in a garden, with its own pool and water slide as well as a jungle gym and craft classes (like lantern-making, coconut leaf art, and seashell bracelet decorating) for children up to age 12.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
-
Her detective Lord Peter Wimsey was usually to be found in the upper-class households and clubs that defined a certain strata of English society in the 1920s and 1930s.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
The stargazy pie at Dean’s—a new British-ish, pub-ish restaurant on the edge of SoHo—is, in a word, freaky.—
Helen Rosner,
New Yorker,
17 May 2026
-
The hotel has an on-site country-style pub, used by guests and locals alike, which in itself is a stroke of genius.—
Bridget Mills-Powell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Café.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caf%C3%A9. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
