Cafe des Amis

Cafe des Amis sits on Baldwin Avenue in Paia, the North Shore plantation town that surfers turned into a morning crossroads. The kitchen runs on an unlikely premise that has somehow held for years: French and Mediterranean crepes alongside Indian curries, served from 8:30 in the morning until evening, seven days a week. The dining room is small and bright. The garden out back fills with fairy lights and weekly live music. On any given morning you will see Paia regulars working through Maui Cane Sugar with Lime crepes, North Shore surfers refueling between sessions, and visitors who walked in for one thing and stayed for three. Service moves at the pace Paia moves at, which is to say not quickly. Order the savory crepe with curry and avocado if you want the fusion the kitchen actually believes in. Order the strawberries and cream crepe if you came for breakfast and intend to stay for lunch.