After several days of heavy rain and cloudy skies, the sun came out on Tuesday morning, so Brett and I decided to get out of the house for awhile and have breakfast at the Art Cafe Hemingway in historic Kapaa Old Town, just five minutes down the road from us. We drive past the Art Cafe all the time, and have often eaten at their next door neighbor, Kountry Kitchen, but had somehow never tried the Art Cafe for breakfast. On the plus side, after nearly four years here it’s still fun having a “new” place to try.
The restaurant is located at the north edge of Old Town, across the street from the Kapaa library, in an original old Kapaa building from 1927. We asked while we were there, and I later searched online, but were unable to discover the original function or name for the building.
The cafe serves both breakfast and dinner, with a focus on healthy, organic, local food, much of it grown on site or on the owners’ own farm. Dishes are French-style but with a Hawaiian touch, and many of the menu items are named after Hemingway’s books. The breakfast menu offers a large selection of made-to-order crepes, as well as several croissant variations, and full breakfast entrees come with fresh-baked baguette and other homemade breads. There’s an impressive menu of espresso, tea drinks and other breakfast drinks.
Brett and I kept it simple: he ordered a slice of spinach and local venison quiche, and I had Greek yogurt and fruit, and we each enjoyed an Americano. The service was friendly, and the food affordable and delicious.
According to Hawaii Magazine, Art Cafe Hemingway offers “the cutest breakfast in the cutest part of Kapaa,” and a quiet, relaxed atmosphere that “isn’t tropical per se, but definitely beach-y.” We completely agree, and can’t wait to go back again for breakfast and to try out their dinner menu as well some day.
The Occasional Nomads 