Café Antoinette

Café Antoinette brings a touch of Paris to mainland Cancún. The café and bakery stands on Avenida Xpuhil, next to the Pabellón Caribe, and aims for a cosy French atmosphere, with products made by traditional methods.

Macarons are its signature. They are made in house in flavours that have included passion fruit, rose petal and coffee, and they travel well as a treat to take back to the hotel. The bakery also turns out fresh baguettes and croissants, and the kitchen serves homemade quiches, bagels and sweet and savoury crêpes, so it works for a full breakfast or a light lunch as well as coffee and cake.

The coffee list covers espresso drinks, mochas, frappés and iced coffee, which are welcome in Cancún's heat.

The layout suits a range of visitors. There is a terrace facing the street, seating indoors and a garden at the back with a children's play area, and the café has offered a supervised kids' space, which makes it popular with parents. Café Antoinette suits families, couples and friends meeting for breakfast or an afternoon pastry. Two separate guides to the city's coffee scene, Arrival Guides and Loco Gringo, include it, singling out the macarons and French-style breads, and the long opening hours make it easy to fit around a busy travel day. The café sits close to the corner of Avenida Xpuhil and Avenida Nichupté, and Arrival Guides describes the overall aim as recreating the feel of a classic Parisian café, from the breads on the counter to the macarons and the coffee served on the terrace.

Opening hours are long: Arrival Guides lists the café as open daily from 7:00 to 23:00, so it is equally good for an early breakfast before a day trip or for dessert after dinner. Café Antoinette has also had branches in the south of the city.

The café is on the mainland, away from the Hotel Zone, so it is best combined with other downtown plans such as Mercado 28, the Parque de las Palapas or the cafés of Avenida Nader and Avenida Tankah, including Café con Gracia and Café Nader.