Paragon Cafe, Art Deco restaurant in Katoomba, Australia.
Paragon Cafe is an Art Deco restaurant in Katoomba with marble soda fountains, timber-panelled walls, and leadlight shopfronts arranged across two floors. The interior spaces showcase the decorative details typical of early twentieth century design.
The establishment opened in 1916 when Zacharias Theodore Simos converted earlier refreshment rooms into an upscale dining venue. The building has remained a landmark along Katoomba Street since its transformation.
The restaurant represents the influence of Greek immigrants on Australian dining culture, introducing European confectionery techniques and American dining concepts.
The building sits on Katoomba Street but remains inaccessible to visitors due to ongoing restoration work that started in 2018. The renovation addresses long-standing water damage that had affected the structure.
An upstairs section operated as a production space where homemade ice cream and confectionery with imported ingredients were made until 1987. This workshop began functioning in 1925 and supplied the dining rooms below.
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