Eating out has been a pleasure for all. There are tons of different kinds of foods out there. Mughlai, Chinese, North Indian, South Indian, Japanese, Korean, so many that one can’t even remember all the names.
The buildings where food is served are called by many names. Cafe, diner, fast-food, restaurant. Each of these has its speciality.
Key Takeaways
- A cafe is a casual dining place that serves light meals, snacks, and beverages, while a restaurant is a formal dining place that serves full-course meals.
- A cafe has a relaxed ambience and encourages socializing, while a restaurant has a formal ambience and promotes fine dining.
- A cafe has a limited menu with quick-service options, while a restaurant offers an extensive menu with a more leisurely dining experience.
Cafe vs Restaurant
A café is a casual eatery serves light snacks, pastries, and coffee beverages in a laid-back atmosphere. A formal restaurant serves a wide range of food items and alcoholic beverages and has a more elaborate menu, making it suitable for special occasions.
A cafe is a small eating and drinking place. Their menus are limited. It is called a cafe because, originally, all cafes were known as coffee houses. A restaurant is a place where proper food is served. They can be medium-large in size.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Cafe | Restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| Origin year | 1550 | 1765 |
| Cost per person | Lower in comparison | Higher in comparison |
| Environment | Usually, quiet, little chit-chats happen here and there | Usually noisy, everyone in a restaurant seems to be talking |
| Building size | Smaller, more confined | Bigger, much more spacious |
| Seating capacity | 20-30 (usually) | <100 (usually) |
What is Cafe?
A cafe is a small place where beverages and food are offered. A cafe can be a small building or a large one; it depends on how much business they have. A cafe dominantly offers beverages.
The most popular beverage in cafes is coffee. Why is that? Originally cafes were known as coffee houses. That is why.
The first cafe opened in 1550 in the city of Constantinople, which was the then capital city of the ottoman empire. The English word Cafe derives from the Turkish word ‘kahve’, which means coffee.
A cafe’s menu includes beverages the cafe can provide, cookies and bread as compliments to the beverage and other things. Cafes also keep chips on side tables because chips go well with beverages.
Cafes specialize in their beverages. Most cafes specialize in coffee, and some even specialize in tea.
Cafes took to popularity in London. The very first popular cafes were in London. In the 17-19th century, these coffee houses became the main spot for the latest news, gossip, discussions, and gang meetings.
The concept of modern cafes arose from there.
Cafes are popular among the young generation and those who want to work. Recently, cafes have become popular place for freelancers, businessmen, and other workers.
Cafes are also popular in the dating scene. Most first dates happen in a cafe!
As cafes don’t offer proper meals, one goes to a cafe when he/she is looking for something casual to eat or drink.
What is Restaurant?
A restaurant is a medium-large size place. In a restaurant, both beverages and food are offered. The main focus is on providing the food; beverages are a complementary addition to the restaurant menu.
The first restaurant was opened in 1765 in Paris. A soup vendor started it. The board outside his establishment advertised restoratives, food that restores. The name ‘restaurant’ is derived from the French word ‘restaurer’, which means to restore.
Restaurants mainly offer food, food that can be eaten as a meal. The menu of restaurants is large and inclusive of all kinds of food. A restaurant can offer rotis, rice, dal, sabzi and other kinds of food.
They also include desserts because people want to eat something sweet after meals. Their menu includes beverages without special requirements, such as coffee, tea, lemonades, etc.
Restaurants are known for their flavour. Most restaurants specialize in some kind of dish, including their speciality in their advertisements.
For example, a restaurant can call itself ‘A North Indian’. That would mean that the restaurant specializes in North Indian food.
Restaurants are popular among all sorts of people. There are many restaurants to choose from, and each has its speciality, such as Mughal, Afghani, North Indian, South Indian, Japanese, Continental, and Chinese!
There is a ton of variety in food in a restaurant. If you go to a restaurant, you will surely spend 10 minutes looking at the menu!
Restaurants are the go-to place if you’re looking to have a meal outing. It could be dinner or lunch, or even breakfast. A restaurant is a chatty and loud place; one cannot hold meetings or work in such a place!
However, restaurants mean business, for your stomach!
Main Differences Between Cafe and Restaurant
- The word cafe is derived from the Turkish word ‘kahve’. On the other hand, the word ‘restaurant’ is derived from the Frech word ‘restaurer’.
- A cafe is a place where mainly beverages are offered. On the other hand, a restaurant is a place where proper food is offered.
- A cafe is a place where one goes for a quick bite. On the other hand, a restaurant is a place where one goes for a proper meal.
- A cafe is a quieter place because of its small seating capacity. On the other hand, a restaurant is a noisier place because of the large seating capacity.
- A cafe is where you can go for a meeting, a date, or even meet a friend, as cafes are quiet. On the other hand, a restaurant is a place where you can still go for a meet, go on a date, or catch up with a friend, but the restaurant will be noisier.
References
- https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=LdCEpBmk748C&oi=fnd&pg=PA8&dq=cafe+vs+restaurant&ots=eHpb3wDth5&sig=4om9oAAF79Pf-AZ9kFuLFeKMSAw&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
- https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057%2F9781137275936
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Sandeep Bhandari holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Computers from Thapar University (2006). He has 20 years of experience in the technology field. He has a keen interest in various technical fields, including database systems, computer networks, and programming. You can read more about him on his bio page.
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