Cherry Bomb Cafe

Cherry Bomb Cafe operates from 253 Lobethal Road in Ashton, a historic hills building about 25 minutes from the Adelaide CBD up through Norton Summit. It runs Wednesday to Sunday, 8am to 3pm, and it is a fixture for locals, cyclists and dog owners: dogs are welcome on the leafy outdoor verandah and garden seating while the retro, fireplace-and-couch room inside stays for humans. The cherry-everything menu is the reason people keep driving up.

The dog setup

Dogs settle on the verandah and in the garden area on a leash, with water bowls usually put out. On weekend brunch hours the outdoor tables go quickly, so arrive near opening or treat a weekday morning as the calmer option. Cyclists running the Norton Summit and Ashton loop use it as a standing coffee stop, and there is street parking nearby, though it tightens at peak brunch, and the roadside verge fills with bikes on good-weather mornings.

Worth knowing

House-made cherry pie, cherry ice cream and cherry vinegar come from local Adelaide Hills fruit, and the brunch list leans seasonal and hyper-local, from chilli scramble to Turkish eggs and mushroom bruschetta, on locally roasted coffee. In season, nearby orchards open for pick-your-own cherries and apples, which pairs naturally with a garden table and a dog underfoot. Piccadilly Valley cellar doors beyond Ashton Hills generally welcome dogs on their lawns too, so the valley loop makes an easy day out with the dog in the car.

Follow brunch with a dog-friendly cellar door at Ashton Hills Vineyard just up the road, or give the dog a run first at Wright Road Fenced Dog Park at Stirling. More hills options are in the SA cafes index.

Max: cherry pie on the verandah while the road cyclists roll past. Early arrival is non-negotiable.