Restaurant encounter, with odd characters swapping places (4)
I believe the answer is:
cafe
'restaurant' is the definition.
(cafe is a kind of restaurant)
I don't understand how the remainder of the clue works.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for cafe that I've seen before include "Eating establishment" , "Small informal restaurant" , "Place to eat" , "in which one had a meal?" , "Coffee house" .)