Paper Moon Cafe

For a busy Saturday night, we did not have to wait for a table when we arrived at the end of Happy Hour. We were promptly brought tap water, before we ordered our Ginger Beers. I had the Lamb Burger and my hubby had the Red Snapper. Both were well prepared. I enjoyed the Lamb Burger because there were small hints of feta, and a sweetness to the burger. There was also cucumber hidden which was refreshing. The snapper although delicious and well cooked, was not filling, so dessert is a must. We had the Chocolate fondant which had molten lava cake, a scoop of chocolate ice cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, topped with orange powder and crunchy, sweet honeycombs. Excellent meal, but pricey (Total ~$ 80).

Never been to paper moon for food before. Have always gone for coffee which I rate highly. However today after a nice day scootering around the shore and walking the beach we thought we’d stop past Paper Moon for lunch. Quick service to get menus but then after 20 mins we had to go find someone to take our order. We then proceeded to get our food before our drinks? I then had to remind the waiter that we were still waiting on drinks. He quickly came back with them. I had eggs benedict which was pretty amazing to be honest. My partner had chorizo which was paper thin and the hash potato was just slightly cooked potato not even hash! All in all it was an okay visit. Really didn’t leave me wanting more or the fact it didn’t live up to its name. Service is everything these days!

This is my local and probably the busiest place around by far. I’ve watched it triple in size over the years and now it’s a popular drinking spot, restaurant and café. From early in the morning til late at night there’s always people here. It’s all about position, sunny spot right on the roundabout with lots of outdoor seating. I don’t find the food to be that exciting, however a dessert chef from Soul Bar started here recently, so the desserts have gone up a notch. I hear there are new owners taking over, wonder how that will change things? Today we just had iced chocolates, not that visually appealing, but tasted great.

The food is good and their customer service is even better. Been there both for breakfest and lunch and never been disappointed. And they do a very good banana milkshake.

A late lunch at the famed Paper Moon– had to try their Signature Dish of Beans & Bacon (especially seeing it was a NZ award winning dish). Was pleasantly surprised by this beautiful looking stacked bagel creation. A bottom layer of bagel with a bacon slice and the Watties baked beans, chorizo sausage, tomato relish combination and layered by the other half of the bagel with the same yum concotion. A poached egg on top with hollandaise sauce and sprouts– cracked pepper extra at the table by the waiter. Bell-​pepper pesto on the side. Also had the mixed berry smoothie which was full of good flavour and real seeds. Refreshing.
Friend has consistently ordered the Cajun Chicken Burger and I can easily see why. Came on a wooden board and looked delicious. A neat combination of grilled chicken, bacon, camembert, avocado and tomato relish in a sesame seed bun with a generous amount of both skinny fries and aioli for sauce. Getting this next time for sure.
A very big café with both indoor and outdoor seating in a neat spot– close to Mairangi Beach. Quite popular– and I can see why– our meals were both fantastic. Definitely worth a visit!

Been here couple times, very good location.
A little bit confused as whether it is a café or restaurant or bistro now.
The offering is very extensive and also expensive.
We had beans and bacon, very big portion, but flavour tasted like canned bean.
Also have kedgeree, not sure what it meant to be, put it came as potato hash with fish flakes inside.
For the price we paid, meal is substantial but not of quality.
Coffee was bad, almost undrinkable.

Very popular café in the East Coast Bays. Stylish & offering proper table service & a full bar, I would class Paper Moon as a restaurant (with restaurant prices) rather than a café. The menu is quite predictable with some interesting twists on the usual kiwi favourites. The presentation of the meals is impeccable & service is decent. Usually very busy, no matter what time of the day it is, so it can be reasonably loud & cramped.

Popular with the locals, this café is right on the main drag and has plenty of sunny street-​side seating. The staff are pretty young and a little unenthusiastic at times but this seems to work with the whole family/​community vibe they’ve got going on.
What we love is that it’s close to the beach, dog-​friendly and sells Kapiti ice cream by the scoop (it’s sad, but vanilla is my favourite). Coffee-​wise, I find it a bit hit and miss — sometimes great, sometimes burnt. Their smoothies are also not for me — too much ice, not enough banana. That being said, smoothies can vary a lot so perhaps I just caught them on an off day!
If you are in the area, Paper Moon is a pretty good option but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to pop in.

I had my first experience at Paper Moon just before Easter weekend and I loved it. We were a little early for our reservation so my partner and I made the most of Mairangi Bay Beach being a stone’s throw away. We had actually made the reservation while we were on the way there, and luckily we were able to secure a table. The person on the phone did ask if we were okay with being seated at the back of the restaurant, which was fine with us.
As it turns out, the back of the restaurant was completely separate from the loud groups drinking at the front of the restaurant– added bonus! It wasn’t particularly rowdy but it was nice to have dinner and be able to talk at a conversational volume. Our waitress was so lovely, she took great care of us and is the best waitress we’ve been served by in a long time (we left a tip, of course!). We were really impressed by her service, and my partner loved that she asked if we wanted a break between out entrée and main (we definitely did, and had never been asked that before, at any restaurant).
For our entrée, we shared the tapas platter. This is seriously ideal if you’re wanting to try a few things at a good price. We were treated with risotto balls (the best i’ve had!), deep fried camembert and other great treats– it was the perfect way to start a meal! The tapas combination changes everyday, which means you can try something a little different each time you visit. Our mains were excellent– the fish of the moment and the chicken burger. Both were excellent and perfectly cooked.
Paper Moon provided one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time, and while it’s a bit of a drive for me (living on the other side of Auckland), it’s a great spot that’s definitely worth the drive.

Paper Moon Café is the complete deal. You can sit outside and enjoy a late afternoon drink, or you can wine and dine in the restaurant area. I recommend that you book in advance, because you’ll be easily fooled into thinking that it is a franchise restaurant, so how busy can it be?
On the North Shore, everybody knows this is a quality restaurant, with a quality menu. The chef is so good, that whenever I dine here, I simply cannot get myself to have only one dish. So my general recommendation is to get a few dishes for the table, and to share. I love it. The pork is melt in your mouth good, and the service is good. This is a five star restaurant, even if the five stars are from me.

BEANS AND BACON!!! You must try the beans and bacon. It’s the most wonderful meal consisting of delicious egg, bacon and their original, glorious baked beans mix on the most delicious bagel. There’s some sausage thrown in there for good measure and the sauce is to die for. The whole meal is perfection — the ultimate breakfast. It’s pretty darn big so i’ve never managed to finish it myself but the goal is there so I’m hoping one day soon I’ll be licking the plate clean!
Besides the legendary beans and bacon there’s still lots of good stuff to be said about Paper Moon! Excellent setting out in the sun. Great food and drinks all day and into the night. It’s always packed so that’s a sign that it’s a top notch place!

Sometimes we like driving to the North Shore just out of boredom, just wind down all the windows, turn up the music and drive. There are a few occasions when we have witlessly ended up in Mairangi Bay, and on each occasion we have enjoyed the local hospitality. Originally seduced by the whimsical name, we returned for second round on account of the good food. The chicken burger is outstanding, it better be for $ 20, beautifully presented and oh so tasty. The service was slightly impersonal, which is not something that necessarily bothers me, better that than having some waitress engaging you in conversation to the point of it being annoying.

Paper Moon has won NZ café of the year award and you can see why from some of the food that comes out. All of it looks very appetising and very well presented.
We have come here a couple of times and the food and service has always been great. Last time we went we ordered Panini’s, Basil Chicken Foccacia Melt and Pasta. My husband who normally doesn’t order Panini’s (we were on a budget this day) ordered the chicken one and he was very pleasantly surprised and said it was tasty and a good amount of chicken. My Foccacia melt was also very good. From looking at the menu I could easily come back and try a number of other dishes, the prices are also very reasonable.
We had 3 kids with us and the waiter staff were very accommodating when we asked for some changes in 2 of the orders, they did it with no hassles.
This café is definitely a must when in Mairangi Bay and one that you would go out of your way to go to.

One of the better known cafes on the Shore, and one of the best. Paper Moon sits on a street corner along Mairangi Bay’s main drag Beach Road — it’s just a minute’s walk from the lovely beach. A great spot, and a great ambience. Paper Moon is something of a jack of all trades — it does every meal in its extensive menu, and does it well. The coffee is always well made, and the all-​day menu makes for a great breakfast, brunch or lunch — I’m a lover of eggs, and they do all styles well here. But the real trump card is the terrific dinner menu — while most cafes are closing up come evening time, Paper Moon is just warming up. The dinner menu is so varied — there’s surf and turf type stuff that evokes the nearby beach alongside zingy salads and hearty beef and lamb. Something for every meal and every taste — what more could one want.