The Cafe Parisien was intended as an alternative venue for mid-morning refreshment or afternoon tea. Those electing to dine in the a la carte restaurant could follow up their repast with a liqueur sipped amidst the wicker and ivy. Looking at photographs, I see a dresser at one end of the room for crockery and a sort of multi-tiered circular buffet. Presumably, sandwiches, cakes and pastries were laid out there at certain times of day, from which passengers could choose what they wanted.
Unlike you, Bob, I do see the cafe's attraction. It must have been lovely to sip and nibble and people-watch in the fresh air, as the Atlantic slipped past the open windows. I recall reading that the cafe was very popular with the 'younger set' in first-class - or those who fancied themselves as young. Didn't Mrs Candee adjourn there with some members of 'Our Coterie' after dinner on Sunday night, until the cold drove them all inside? No matter who the clients, the brief success of the Cafe Parisien aboard the 'Titanic' inspired the White Star Line to fit a more elaborate version aboard the 'Olympic' soon after the disaster.