As dog-loving and coffee-loving locals, we've pursued the very pleasurable mission of exploring Canberra to find the very best dog friendly cafés.
Canberra has some wonderful hidden café gems - great coffee, fresh food, dog and family friendly, and in interesting locations.
We've done the hard work discovering them for you. Here's our favourites listed in alphabetical order according to suburb. You can see a location map at the end of this blog.
We recommend these cafés because they meet our 'dog friendly' criteria.
- They have generously spaced outdoor tables with both sunny and shady options which is really important for keeping your dog comfy in hot and cold weather.
- They have a welcoming vibe, with staff providing water bowls for thirsty dogs.
- They are located in excellent dog walking neighbourhoods so you can tire out your pooch before indulging yourself.
- They've consistently welcomed, and coped with, Canberra Dog Walks packs of up to 20 dogs and their devoted humans.
Bear in mind that you'll be most welcome if your pooch is also 'café friendly'. We provide advice on doggie café etiquette, and how to achieve it, at our blog Training your café friendly dog.
Aranda - Two Before Ten
Barton - Little Bird
Campbell - The Peddlar and Teddy Pickers
Cook - Little Oink
Curtin - Red Brick Espresso and Two Blind Mice
Downer - Gang Gang Café
Farrer - Fox and Bow
Gowrie - Common Ground
Kambah - Mannheim Café
Kingston - BitterSweet
Lyneham - The Front
Queanbeyan - The Mill Café
Watson - The Knox
Yarralumla - Beess & Co
Canberra dog friendly café locations
Two Before Ten - 68 Bandjalong Crescent, Aranda
A magnet for serious coffee drinkers and a welcome oasis in Belconnen surburbia, Two Before Ten welcomes dog-accompanied patrons. It offers water bowls, coffee-sack ground 'dog-blankets', and two options for outdoor dog friendly seating: a row of spacious outdoor tables under a south facing deep eave is a perfect spot in the heat of summer; and a courtyard around the side provides sunnier seating in cooler weather. Two Before Ten is open for breakfast and lunch every day. Check out our great dog friendly Aranda walk that starts and ends here.
Little Bird - cnr Broughton and Macquarie Streets, Barton
This friendly, efficient café serving great coffee and food is typical of the new look Barton - no longer a soulless office precinct abandoned on the weekend. Little Bird boasts a generous outdoor area perfect for dogs that catches the morning sun but provides good shade midday and afternoon. Open for delicious breakfasts and lunches every day. There are no off leash areas nearby but beautiful on leash walks only a 5 minutes stroll away at Lake Burley Griffin and the National Gallery's sculpture garden. Try our fabulous Parliamentary Triangle pram friendly walk.
The Pedlar and Teddy Picker's - cnr Constitution Avenue and Creswell Street, Campbell
Campbell's hit a double goal with this duo of fabulous establishments - right next to each other and both incredibly welcoming to dogs and their humans. Teddy Picker's focuses on more traditional café fare and The Pedlar - describing itself as a pub - provides breakfast, lunch, dinner, coffee, smoothies, wine, beer and cocktails. With two great places to choose from, there's always a perfect dog friendly table, either sunny in winter or shady in summer. Teddy Picker's and The Pedlar are open early every day. Check out our great dog friendly Campbell walk that starts and ends at the nearby Campbell shops.
Little Oink - Cook place, Cook shops
Super friendly Little Oink is a highlight at the tiny Cook shops. The coffee is excellent and the food is tasty and varied. New management has improved and extended the outdoor seating to keep up with demand, and provided more shady options which is so important when seated with dogs. Open every day for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. Check out our great dog friendly Cook walk that starts and ends at the Cook shops.
Red Brick Espresso and Two Blind Mice, Curtin shops
The Curtin shops has several good cafés but these two are stand-outs. The Red Brick Espresso café, on the other side of the vet clinic, is very popular with locals and brimming with enthusiasm about life, the universe - and coffee. There's a good choice of outdoor tables but milk crates provide for overflow customers which can be set up under shady trees or on a grassy outdoor space at the front. It's open every day with simple breakfast and lunch offerings. Two Blind Mice, located in the paved central square, not only has good coffee, but is also licensed with a substantial menu (which Canberra Dog Walks social pack regulars appreciate at our last-walk-of-the-year dinners). It has excellent shady and sunny table options plus outdoor heating in winter. It's open everyday, except Monday, for lunch and dinner, and for breakfast on weekends. Check out our great dog friendly Curtin playing fields, Curtin horse paddock and Curtin pram friendly walks that start and end at the Curtin shops.
Gang Gang Café - Frencham Place, Downer shops
We love this café for its awesome community vibe and perfect location. Nestled in a sheltered square in the tiny Downer shops, Gang Gang Café has an abundance of well-spaced outdoor tables looking out onto the verdant Downer playing fields. The coffee, food and service are top-notch, and attract a deservedly loyal crowd of locals. Open every day from 7.00 am for breakfast and lunch, as well as evenings on Friday and Saturday. The inviting playing fields opposite and adjacent to the café are off leash for dogs when not booked for sports. Check out our great dog friendly Downer-Dickson-Ainslie walk that starts and ends here.
Fox and Bow - Farrer Place, Farrer shops
Yes, another café in Woden that actually serves good coffee! The tiny Farrer shops buzzes with life due to this very popular spot. Open every day for breakfast and lunch, Fox and Bow has several outdoor tables in both sun and shade, plus a milk crate overflow area against a very cool Bansky-like graffiti-covered wall. Check out our great dog friendly Farrer-Mawson walk that starts and ends at the Farrer shops.
Common Grounds - Jeffries Street, Gowrie shops
Common Grounds is a stand-out in beautiful Tuggeranong. It has plenty of outdoor tables suitable for four-legged patrons - a couple out front and a large number at the rear where you can also enjoy the Brindabella Mountains views. It's very popular with locals so you'll need to get in early on the weekend. Open every day for breakfast and lunch. Check out our great dog friendly Gowrie-Fadden walk that starts and ends at the Gowrie shops.
Mannheim Café - Mannheim Street, Kambah
An oasis in suburban Kambah, hole-in-the-wall Mannheim Café offers a long row of sheltered outside dog friendly tables, plus extras under a large plane tree providing good shade in summer. The delicious home made local offerings are difficult to resist. Open for breakfast and lunch every day, and Wednesday to Saturday night for special pizza and more. Check out our great dog friendly and pram friendly Kambah walk that includes the Mannheim Café en route.
BitterSweet - Green Square, cnr Jardine and Eyre Streets, Kingston shops
Right in the centre of Green Square, BitterSweet is one of the reasons we prefer the relaxed atmosphere at the Kingston shops rather than the Kingston Foreshore. It has plenty of generously spaced outdoor tables, an overflow lawn area, and very friendly dog-loving staff. Serves excellent coffee, breakfast and lunch every day. Check out our great dog friendly Kingston pram friendly walk that starts and ends at the Kingston shops.
The Front Gallery and Café - Wattle Street, Lyneham shops
An über-cool, Newtown/Essenden-inspired café, The Front is super friendly for both two-legged and four-legged patrons. Good coffee, an alternative neighbourhood vibe, and an adjoining gallery features local artists. Open every day for breakfast and lunch. Check out our great dog friendly Lyneham-O'Connor walk that starts and ends at the Lyneham shops.
The Mill Café - cnr Morisset and Collett Streets, Queanbeyan
Located in the heritage-listed old Queanbeyan mill house, the The Mill Café is the ultimate in dog friendly. Most tables are located in the large garden area with plenty of space for lounging pooches. There's a choice of tables on decking, on comfy astroturf, and even more tables around the corner on real grass under a huge shade tree. Offering delicious breakfast and lunch every day at Queanbeyan prices, it's definitely worth the short drive from Canberra. Check out our great dog friendly Queanbeyan walk that starts and ends in the neighbouring park.
The Knox - Watson Place, Watson shops
A small but groovy café/bar focusing on locally sourced produce, The Knox provides dog friendly outdoor tables in a sheltered nook tucked against the local IGA. Open every day for breakfast, lunch and most evenings for dinner - think balmy summer evenings enjoying a cold beer or chilled rosé with your furry best friend. Check out our great dog friendly Watson walk that starts and ends at the Watson shops.
Beess & Co - Bentham Street, Yarralumla shops
Yarralumla residents have been spoiled for many years by delightful Beess & Co café. It boasts the best position available at the pretty Yarralumla shops, set under a huge, old plane tree which provides dense shade in summer but plenty of sun in winter. Open every day for breakfast and lunch. Check out our great dog friendly Yarralumla walk that starts and ends at the Yarralumla shops or our dog and pram friendly Yarralumla Pram Friendly walk that starts and ends at the nearby Yarralumla dog park.
Canberra dog friendly café locations
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