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café
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café

eating and drinking establishment
Also known as: cafe, coffee house, coffeehouse
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

café, small eating and drinking establishment, historically a coffeehouse, usually featuring a limited menu; originally these establishments served only coffee. The English term café, borrowed from the French, derives ultimately from the Turkish kahve, meaning coffee. The introduction of coffee and coffee drinking to Europe provided a much-needed focus for the social activities of the sober. The first café is said to have opened in 1550 in Constantinople; during the 17th century cafés opened in...

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