Café Bonython

Cafe Bonython sits inside Bonython Park, also known by its Kaurna name Tulya Wardli, on the city's western park lands along Port Road. Set beside the big playground and the River Torrens, it is the coffee stop for park walkers and families, and the park itself is one of Adelaide's designated off-leash areas, which makes the combination unusually generous for city dogs.

The dog setup

Dogs join you at the spread of outdoor tables around the cafe; indoor service is for people only. The counter is known for babyccinos and keeps a free dog treat for visiting pups. Within the cafe's immediate zone and around the playground, keep your dog on lead, but across most of Bonython Park the City of Adelaide allows off-leash exercise under effective control, meaning your dog returns when called, stays in sight and you carry a lead. Hard lines: on leash within five metres of the children's playspace, and no dogs in the olive grove used for horse agistment.

Worth knowing

The menu is casual park fare: barista coffee and iced drinks such as the iced almond matcha, toasted sandwiches, burgers, hot chips, and crispy flathead with fries, plus cupcakes, banana bread and pastries. Hours are 9am to 2pm on weekdays and 9am to 4pm on weekends, stretching for park events, so mornings and early afternoons only. Weekends draw the playground crowd, so weekday mid-morning is the calm window.

Getting there and parking

The park is off Port Road on the city fringe, with a large dedicated car park that is usually ample but fills on sunny weekends. The Glenelg tram line stops nearby at the Bonython Park station, and the River Torrens shared-use path runs straight past, on lead along the paved trail with a maximum two-metre leash the standard rule.

Close by with the dogs

For fenced off-leash time nearby, the Adelaide all dog park and the small dog fenced park sit in the south park lands, while the Torrens Linear track loop covers a longer riverside circuit west of the city. More options are on the Adelaide destination page and in the South Australia dog friendly cafes guide.

Max: clip the lead back on before you pass the playground fence. Five metres is the council rule and the rangers do patrol the park lands.