Paleo eatery Elemental opening in Braddon

Chef Daniel Barrett is bringing more paleo to Canberra's dining scene with Elemental, his new cafe on Lonsdale Street.

The cafe opened on Monday and is tucked next door to florists Moxom and Whitney. Elemental will serve up breakfast crepes with Mexican chicken and coconut cheese, roasted sweet potato subs filled with slow-cooked meat, and paleo-style cheeseburgers (mince patties, pickle, coconut cheese and no bun). The menu will remain the same all through breakfast and lunch.

The coffee is from Red Brick Espresso in Curtin and the counter is filled with cheerful bright blue and orange cups and saucers. But the main design feature is a gleaming silver and gold mural painted by signwriter George Rose, which takes up one whole wall of the cafe from the coffee machine to the open kitchen at the rear.

"She said, give me some inspiration and I said I just want some cavemen, fire, water and spears," Barrett says. Rose painted the mural freehand with stylised, angular cavemen faces.

Barrett and co-owner Alexis Moran have been working on the cafe since late last year.

Elemental will open for special dinners starting with a sold out event on April 10 and another dinner on April 24. Barrett also plans to hold paleo cooking classes for up to 15 people - one of the first classes he'd like to put on will show beginners how to create nori rolls with cauliflower rice (an easy paleo sushi, he says).

The fittings for the cafe are reclaimed timber and chairs from another restaurant which have been refurbished, and a sleek black reflective wall runs down behind banquettes.

The cafe will open seven days, from 6.30am-4.30pm, with coffee served as early as 6.30am and meals a little later - they're still working out timings.

Elemental, 54/30 Lonsdale Street, Braddon, 6248 7502, elementalcafe.com