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
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Recent Examples of café
The 2,800-square-foot Southport store features a hot chocolate cafe and a wall of chocolate featuring small boxes with a dizzying variety of flavors, from Pistachio & Raspberry to Orange Marmalade, which sell for $8 each or three for $20, according to the illuminated sign above the display.
—
Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Initially, these are very primitive – buy coffee, take a photo of a receipt in a cafe.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Gardner said the cafe went viral thanks to Chinese social media platform Rednote.
—Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
Relax with a glass of wine, signature espresso drink, or sandwich at the on-site cafe, The Farmer's Daughters, or lounge by the seasonal outdoor pool.
—Brad Japhe, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the Barrel Bar (shaped like a literal barrel) will serve as a European-style cafe that transitions from breakfast to late-night small plates.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 10 Feb. 2026
Guests can also request a table for a snack or a slice of Sachertorte at one of the hotel’s two elegant cafes (open to the public, and a great way to enjoy the hotel without booking a room).
—Caroline Law, TheWeek, 9 Feb. 2026
Restaurants, diners, delis, cafes, bars and coffee spots have long been considered third places — along with libraries and even laundromats.
—Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
But as coffee has taken off in China, traditionally a tea-drinking market, Starbucks has run into a slew of competitors from boutique cafes to chains such as Cotti Coffee and Manner — which often sell drinks at half the price as Starbucks.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
Initially, these are very primitive – buy coffee, take a photo of a receipt in a cafe.
—Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Gardner said the cafe went viral thanks to Chinese social media platform Rednote.
—Matthew Geiger, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
Relax with a glass of wine, signature espresso drink, or sandwich at the on-site cafe, The Farmer's Daughters, or lounge by the seasonal outdoor pool.
—Brad Japhe, Travel + Leisure, 10 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, the Barrel Bar (shaped like a literal barrel) will serve as a European-style cafe that transitions from breakfast to late-night small plates.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 10 Feb. 2026
Guests can also request a table for a snack or a slice of Sachertorte at one of the hotel’s two elegant cafes (open to the public, and a great way to enjoy the hotel without booking a room).
—Caroline Law, TheWeek, 9 Feb. 2026
Restaurants, diners, delis, cafes, bars and coffee spots have long been considered third places — along with libraries and even laundromats.
—Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
But as coffee has taken off in China, traditionally a tea-drinking market, Starbucks has run into a slew of competitors from boutique cafes to chains such as Cotti Coffee and Manner — which often sell drinks at half the price as Starbucks.
—Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 8 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for café
Noun
-
In June 2013, Nikolic invites Gates to attend Crazy Horse, a famous burlesque cabaret theater in Paris.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Sources with knowledge of the situation told BusinessDen that Orchid is preparing to voluntarily surrender its dance cabaret license but keep its liquor license with the intent of transferring it to a new operator.—
Max Scheinblum,
Denver Post,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Don’t leave without ordering a Bar X plate of fries and dipping sauce to enjoy while soaking up the tavern’s wide range of cocktails, beers, and wines.—
Joey Skladany,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The tavern was a main gathering point at the start of the Revolutionary War, and once held Nathaniel Hawthorne and Theodore Roosevelt.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nevertheless, everyone can celebrate (or drown their sorrows) with some of the free and discounted offerings at these restaurants.—
Mike Snider,
AZCentral.com,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Her mother, who washed dishes at a restaurant on weekends and cleaned hotel rooms six days a week, stopped going to work.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Metropolitan Police Department made another arrest in connection with a deadly 2023 shooting outside a Northeast Washington nightclub that killed former Morgan State University basketball player Blake Bozeman and injured three others.—
7News WJLA,
Baltimore Sun,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Marc Jacobs Runway Watch Party Marc Jacobs and Lyas will kick off the NYFW festivities with a runway watch party, taking place on Monday, February 9, at Loosie’s nightclub.—
Kelsey Stiegman,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Caviar used to be given away in 19th century saloons to encourage drinking.—
Chad Murphy,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Not unreasonable, except that decision got caught in the cross wires, and by the time Ben brings up the family-style platters to the saloon, there are no plates at the table.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The lemon pizza and bone marrow tater tots wow diners, yet the regularly rotating menu centered around local harvests keeps guests guessing about what’s coming to their tables next.—
USA TODAY NETWORK,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
For decades, the restaurant functioned as a gathering place for musicians, neighborhood regulars and generations of diners who watched the surrounding corridor transform.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His favorite hobbies include bodysurfing the Jersey Shore and making the under-33 club at the Flamingo Miniature Golf Course.—
Matt Byrne,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The rapid growth of the online platform helped fuel Walmart’s ascent to a $1 trillion market cap last week, putting it in an exclusive club made up almost entirely of technology companies.—
Gabrielle Fonrouge,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There’s also a large O’Malley’s pub, where things like fish & chips and cans of Guinness Stout go for a la carte prices.—
Fran Golden,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Local pizzerias expect to do plenty of business on Super Bowl Sunday, but the same won’t necessarily be true for Elgin-area restaurants and pubs whose owners say pro football’s biggest game of the year doesn’t generate big bucks.—
Mike Danahey,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Café.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caf%C3%A9. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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