Brand spanking new Paper Avenue has just opened in Joondalup. I went along to a sneak peek brunch this morning, ahead of the cafe’s official opening at noon today. So this is a super fresh review!
Paper Avenue is an incredibly welcome addition to Joondalup. Apart from the wonderful Gipsy Boy, nothing here really fills me with excitement and I have longed for Joondalup to become more of an indi food destination. It has so much potential, beyond the chain cafes of Lakeside. Paper Avenue is everything I look for in a café – a mod fit-out, great coffee ethos, a nicely put together (and trendy) brunch menu, friendly service and a bit of soul too.
The light and bright café is graced by a beautiful mural by local artist Peter Ryan. I’ve followed him for a while on social media and love his creations. As a side note, Peter has also got involved in the painted rock craze and Little Chef treasures one of his rocks that we found in a local park. 
The peeps at Paper Avenue are serious about their coffee. The impressive La Marzocco machine is custom made, there’s cold drip on offer and the coffee is Locale from Victoria.
There’s some different drinks on offer on their menu too, something other than your on-trend matcha and beetroot lattes. Cha Cha tea’s “Strawberry Swoon” pink tea latte is made of strawberry, hibiscus, rose hips, apple and orange. They look pretty as a picture too. Their “Apple Kiss” smells like apple pie! 
The Food
We tried two of the brunch offerings, which are mini versions of the actual portion sizes. You’ll also find granola, French toast, big brekkies, bagels and much more on the menu. First up was the burger. This brioche bun was brimming with tender and tasty slow cooked beef brisket, with a nicely spiced apple, mint and red cabbage slaw.
The buttermilk pancakes are served with zesty lemon curd & fresh raspberries. There is also an option with chocolate & hazelnut. Again, this is a smaller version of the Paper Avenue Pancake dish.
All in all, Paper Avenue creates a fab first impression. For now, the café is focusing on weekday brunching and lunching and is also open on Saturdays. Definitely worth checking out! 
Thanks to the Paper Avenue team for inviting us!
Find out more on the Paaper Avenue Joondalup website.