Bertie's food and drink

Bertie's is a small neighbourhood cafe and wine bar at Shop 1, 34 Cherry Street in central Ballina, with footpath tables where dogs are welcome. It runs as a cafe by day and opens into Friday evening for drinks, so the outdoor tables are the spot to settle with a dog.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor footpath tables on lead, with staff often bringing a water bowl out on their own. This is a small, high-quality venue, so a calm dog that will settle under the table is the right fit; indoor seating stays for diners. The footpath is close to passing foot traffic on Cherry Street, so keep the lead short while plates are down.

Worth knowing

The kitchen turns out deli-style sandwiches, fresh salads and generous breakfasts, with locally roasted Beam coffee in the cup and natural wine and beer for the Friday evening session. The owners come with serious kitchen pedigree and the food shows it. Hours run 7:30am to 3pm weekdays, with Friday reopening in the evening, and the cafe is generally closed on weekends, so this is a weekday-morning plan rather than a Saturday one; occasional weekend events get posted to their socials.

Getting there and parking

Street parking runs along Cherry Street and the side streets, in a walkable central block. The Missingham Park Off Leash Area by the Richmond River is close for a proper run before or after coffee, and the Kingsford Smith dog park is the other off-lead option in town. Swish Cafe is the weekend alternative when Bertie's is shut.

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