Papeete · French Polynesia
Kaūa'a Coffee
Kaūa'a Coffee roasts in Papeete, Tahiti, Society Islands.
Since 2022
Overview
Kaūa'a opened in November 2022 in central Papeete on Avenue du Prince Hīnoi as French Polynesia's first dedicated specialty coffee roaster and cafe. The operation positions itself as a 'from bean to cup' benchmark in a Tahitian market historically dominated by supermarket-bought instant and ground coffee, and pulls morning queues of in-the-know expats and tourists fleeing weak hotel coffee.
Known for
- French Polynesia FIRST 2022
- Papeete benchmark for specialty
- ethical and accessible bean-to-cup framing
- refined dishes alongside refined coffees and teas
- central Prince Hīnoi flagship
Why it matters
Tahiti's coffee scene has historically been French-influenced (Malongo, simple bistro espresso) plus a few small local producers in the Australs and Marquesas. Kaūa'a is the first operation framing the experience around the third-wave 'specialty coffee' framework — Tahiti Tourisme treats it as a destination, and travel-blog coffee chasers (Live and Let's Fly, Chefs de Tahiti) profile it as the specialty entry point on the island.
Production
- roastery location
- Papeete, Tahiti
Café
23 Avenue du Prince Hīnoi, Papeete, French Polynesia