Chez Antoine Cafe

Antoine Vera searched throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts for the perfect place to open a lively and charming Belgian café. Hyannis topped the list and Chez Antoine Café — a bakery, pastry shop, and confectionery — opened in July of 2021 at 357 Main Street. A typical Belgian café is situated where there is plenty of foot traffic so friends can meet and gather around small tables to enjoy coffee, tea, baked goods, confections, and conversation. Vera knew Main Street was the ideal spot to locate his first café, which is full of both ambience and wonderful treats.

Vera worked for a French bakery and confectionary company in southern France for 16 years, and managed 300 employees and 65 stores around the world. The company moved him and his family to New York City several years ago to manage the American market. But when they asked him to return to France two years ago, he knew it was time to open his own shop. He dreamed of becoming part of a community where he could bring his knowledge and love of traditional French café cuisine.

Chez Antoine is a boulangerie, a patisserie and a marche all rolled into one sweet little shop. Enjoy a ham or prosciutto and cheese sandwich on a demi baguette, or the French version — the Croque monsieur — perhaps with tarragon mustard. The ham and cheese croissant’s rich buttery deposit of cheese spills out into a crunchy pool during baking — that’s my favorite part. There are savory croissants, chocolate croissants and twists, as well as a rainbow of macarons. Two meringue-based layers, joined with jam or cream or ganache in the middle, macarons are the quintessential melt-in-your-mouth treat. Their gluten-free brownie is rich, dark, and fudgy. Mon Dieu!

Chez Antoine carries a full selection of French mustards and spreads, as well as beautiful, whimsical, and decorative tins packed with creamy chocolates or Belgian cookies, perfect for gift-giving. Gift baskets are a big hit for many occasions, and during the winter holidays, Chez Antoine offered gift baskets and an array of pies and traditional Bûches de Noël. Fair-trade coffee locally sourced out of Wareham is offered; Vera believes it is important that he partnered with a regional company that cares about the ecosystem.

As head baker, Vera arrives at 3am He happily disclosed that he has found a baker-in-training, a young woman originally from the Czech Republic, where coffeehouses and cafés are as important a part of daily social life as they are in Belgium and France.

Vera enjoys letting patrons experience something new and enthusiastically shares stories and history about his products, so customers learn and appreciate where they come from. I learned that my favorite Pommery mustard — you may recognize its white earthenware crock and red wax seal — has used the same recipe since 1632 and has been produced by the same family since 1775.

How important is the boulangerie to Belgian and French life? Realtors there reveal in their property descriptions how far a home is located from the nearest boulangerie. Vera is “very happy so far” with his location just steps from the Village Green. “People have been so friendly and welcoming,” he enthused, and added,” It has turned out to be an ideal location for patrons to gather for coffee and to socialize.” Mais bien sûr!

Chez Antoine
357 Main Street, Hyannis
(774) 470-2180
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