Urban Café

Inside, salvaged wooden furniture, reworked objects and warm colours give the room a retro-industrial look. Behind it is a tropical garden in the back courtyard, with tables for brunch, lunch or dinner, and Tahiti Tourisme notes that the café takes its name from the bustling street around it. The café also takes bookings for private events.

Brunch is the reason to come. The eggs Benedict are served on muffins with homemade hollandaise, with smoked salmon, crispy bacon or pua’a rōti, the Tahitian roast pork. French toast comes in several sweet versions, pancakes come sweet or savoury, and the Tahitian board brings fried fish of the day, raw fish, fried eggs and pua’a rōti together.

Later in the day, look for poisson cru with coconut milk, tuna poke bowls, fish tacos and homemade bagels, with cocktails, draught beer and wine by the glass.

From the Marina de Papeete on the seafront, walk inland through the town centre: the café is about 600 metres away, roughly ten minutes on foot. Crews at Marina Taina, around 7 km to the south-west, will need a taxi or a hire car.

Urban Café opens at 6am every day. Closing times change through the week, with later evenings from Wednesday to Friday and an early close on Sunday, and the website, contact page and menu do not quite agree, so check before going in the evening. On Thursday and Friday there is a happy hour, called Golden Hour, from 4pm to 6.30pm. Book by phone or email for a group.