Café Paradiso is one of the only non-chain cafés airside
Inside the International terminal at SEZ, Café Paradiso sits post-security, giving you a last local-ish snack before boarding rather than another generic global brand. It runs roughly standard airport hours to match departing flights, and sits in the mid-range price tier at $$. Expect basic Seychelles-influenced snacks rather than full meals, and a slightly more local feel than the fast-food counters nearby.
The setup is simple: counter service, grab-and-go snacks, and limited seating within the International departures area. Pricing lines up with the airport’s reputation for being expensive, with sandwiches and snacks coming in higher than similar items in Mahé town. Rating hovers around 3.8, which tracks with “good enough before a long-haul” rather than destination dining. It’s fully post-security, so you’ll need a boarding pass in hand before you can use it.
Food is straightforward: think cold sandwiches, pastries, and packets rather than hot plates. Travellers mention “basic sandwiches and cold drinks” as the core here, similar to what you’d have seen at the older landside café by check-in, but moved into the secure zone. If you want anything that feels remotely Seychellois, look for tuna-based fillings or local brands of juice in the fridge instead of the big international sodas.
Watch out for prices that feel steep for what you get: reviews of the earlier landside setup at SEZ flagged “overpriced” drinks and very standard sandwiches, and nothing about the International terminal points to cheaper rent. Seating can also get tight during evening departure banks, especially around widebody flights to the Middle East and Europe.
Regulars on forums say they only use the airport cafés if they’re already at SEZ more than 90 minutes before departure and missed eating in Mahé. The smarter move: eat a real meal in town, then use Café Paradiso just to top up on water and a snack under 100 SCR before you board.