Brunswick East cafe Pope Joan will reopen in the form of a pop-up come February.
The eatery will open in the former site of The Mayfair, which closed its doors at the end of 2018.
Restaurateur David Mackintosh (owner of The Mayfair) reached an agreement with Pope Joan’s Matt Wilkinson, who will run the cafe until April.
Pope Joan chef Jake McWilliams will dish up a soft launch menu featuring breakfast options and sandwiches — including the signature Reuben — until 21 January, with the pop-up set to officially open on 4 February. The week in between will be spent giving the venue a quick update to bring Pope Joan’s Brunswick feel to the space.
From 4 February until 18 April, a more robust menu will be available, with favourites appearing alongside new dishes such as burnt cabbage, soy, rice vinegar and Parmesan salad, hangar steak and fish with caper butter, bread, pickles and anchovies.
While the pop-up will end when Easter rolls around, the pair hasn’t written off the potential of a more permanent comeback for Pope Joan after Wilkinson returns from a planned holiday.
Image credit: Annika Kafcaloudis