Paper Tiger Café is a coffee shop and bakery at 628 W. Webster Ave., on the block between Larrabee and Burling streets in the eastern part of Lincoln Park, near Oz Park. Its tagline is “Coffee for all.”
What it’s known for
The menu leans toward playful specialty drinks. The Infatuation, reviewing the cafe in July 2026, liked the lavender-lemon iced latte and the banana bread, and noted that the frozen matcha is a popular order, though the reviewer found its matcha flavor light. The menu also includes draft lattes, and the pastry case holds croissants, a ham-and-cheese croissant and crème brûlée cream puffs.
The review describes a cobblestone entrance and a line that is often long but moves quickly, and suggests the cafe as a coffee stop before a walk through Oz Park.
Good to know
- Hours: Daily, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. (per the official site, October 2026).
- Contact: Admin@PaperTigerCafe.com; the cafe also posts updates on Instagram (@papertigercafe).
- Events: The cafe’s website has an events page; check it for current listings.
- Lines: The Infatuation notes the line is often long but moves quickly, so plan a few extra minutes at peak times.
See our guide to Lincoln Park coffee shops, the best coffee shops for remote work, or browse more coffee shops and bakeries.
Sources: papertigercafe.com, theinfatuation.com/chicago/reviews/paper-tiger-cafe
Logo courtesy of Paper Tiger Café. A photo is coming soon.
