cafés

noun

variants also cafes
plural of café
1
as in cabarets
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

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2
as in taverns
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 restaurants
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 cafés Oxford is a short drive away; consider a day trip to the historic city to wander through the colleges, go punting along the River Cherwell, or while away an afternoon in one of the many pubs or cafes. — Irenie Forshaw, TheWeek, 4 Sep. 2026 Central colleague cafes provide complimentary premium coffee and beverages, while gaming lounges with puzzles and tabletop games offer opportunities for hands-on breaks from screens. — Charlotte Observer, 4 Sep. 2026 For one week every July, thousands of local and international attendees fill Hargeisa’s usually sleepy hotels and cafes with excited chatter about the arts and politics. — Mahbub Abdillahi, Christian Science Monitor, 3 Sep. 2026 Craft cafes add something to that idea by giving people a reason to be there beyond simply being there. — Ashley Lynch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 Sep. 2026 Third places are gathering spaces outside of home and work or school, and craft cafes add something to that model with a reason to gather beyond simply being there. — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026 What began as one London restaurant is now a global hospitality and entertainment empire, spanning cafes, hotels, casinos, resorts, and live venues in cities across the globe. — Jessica Chapel, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Aug. 2026 Currently, the family owns and operates six restaurants and cafes and plans to open two more next year. — Natalie Davies, Freep.com, 29 Aug. 2026 Wi-Fi networks already hum away in homes, offices, airports, cafes, and shops worldwide, giving a technique like this enormous potential reach. — New Atlas, 26 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cafés
  1. cabarets
  2. taverns
  3. restaurants
  4. nightclubs
  5. pubs
  6. diners
  7. clubs
  8. saloons
Noun
  • Salon Toulouse, the ship's main lounge and bar, inspired by vintage Parisian cabarets and complete with deep red velvet armchairs, was Joie de Vivre's main social hub for sundowners and digestifs.
    — Chrissie McClatchie, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2026
  • The newest chapter is Velvet Night 76—my personal obsession—inspired by Parisian cabarets.
    — Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of cabarets
Noun
  • It was likely selected for the signing of Glenview’s charter, establishing the settlement as a village, because 19th century taverns were typically used for community meetings of this nature, Schlarman said.
    — Jennifer Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026
  • But in 1820, Shippingport had about 600 residents, three wharves for steamboats, taverns and a flour mill.
    — Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of taverns
Noun
  • For Jennifer and Nicole Vitagliano, twin sisters and the co-founders behind buzzy Manhattan restaurants Raf’s and The Musket Room, hosting is almost always a group effort anyway.
    — Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Unlike many of the restaurants and retailers in the area, nothing about the restaurant looks particularly polished – and that’s part of the appeal.
    — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of restaurants
Noun
  • Now, to be clear, nightclubs like Basement have a longstanding subjective — and often nebulous — criteria for who gets in, and anyone dorky enough to show up to one wearing Meta glasses almost certainly wouldn’t make the cut anyway.
    — Frank Landymore, Futurism, 27 Aug. 2026
  • During that era, South Florida hotels had fancy, elegant nightclubs.
    — Vinod Sreeharsha, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of nightclubs
Noun
  • Over the opening weekend of the Premier League season, versions of this conversation are ubiquitous across the country — in pubs, queues at burger vans, stadiums, online, at home.
    — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The country’s beloved pubs, known for serving cheap drinks and small snacks, have long been a staple of Japan’s nightlife culture.
    — Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of pubs
Noun
  • Over the years, the Ted Peters team has introduced a couple more options for diners who don’t dig fish.
    — Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Pollo Asado is back at Chipotle and diners will also soon have a new side item to try the protein with.
    — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of diners
Noun
  • At the time her reporting published the clubs were flourishing.
    — Jennifer Hassan, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Nationally, scores of universities have shut down or rebranded their diversity, equity and inclusion offices and ended scholarships and clubs designed for minority students under pressure from the White House.
    — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of clubs
Noun
  • Chinese mega-corps BYD is making huge inroads in European markets with its technically accomplished saloons and SUVs.
    — Jason Barlow, Robb Report, 13 July 2026
  • By 1884, a map of the Central Business District shows hotels, saloons, dry goods shops, cigar manufacturers, and stores selling everything from shoes, to jewelry and even a winemaker.
    — Ryan Gillespie, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 July 2026
Definition of saloons

Browse Nearby Words

café
cafés
café society
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Cite this Entry

“Cafés.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caf%C3%A9s. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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