Benchtop Espresso Alstonville

Benchtop Espresso is a busy locals' cafe on Main Street in the heart of Alstonville, and it is genuinely dog-friendly, to the point of running a doggo of the week feature on its socials. Grab a footpath table out front and the coffee comes with a fuss for the dog.

The dog setup

The dog-friendly zone is the footpath seating at the front, flat and easy to reach straight off Main Street. Water bowls are usually out for visiting dogs, and the baristas have a reputation for making a proper fuss over dogs that turn up, so a well-socialised dog will do well here. Keep your dog on lead and clear of the through-traffic on the footpath during the breakfast rush.

Worth knowing

The draw is the local coffee and an all-day menu of cafe staples served to a steady stream of regulars. This is a morning operation: doors open from 6am on weekdays, service runs into the early afternoon, Saturdays are mornings only and the cafe is closed Sundays, so plan the visit for the first half of the day. It doubles as a community hub, so expect the breakfast rush to be busy but quick.

Getting there and parking

Street parking runs directly along Main Street and fills up through breakfast, though the village is compact and a short walk rarely hurts. The fenced Alstonville Dog Park is close by for an off-lead run before coffee, and Buckley's Chance in the old post office further up Main Street is the other dog-friendly stop in the village if you are making a morning of it.

More of the area's dog-friendly venues are on the Alstonville destination page, with the full list in the NSW cafes index.