Stella's By The Lake

Stella's By The Lake trades right on the Belconnen waterfront at 1 Beissel St, across from Lake Ginninderra and Westfield Belconnen, and it has built a reputation as one of Canberra's dog friendly cafes largely by word of mouth. The draw for dog owners is a dedicated outdoor dog area beside the regular dining space, close enough to the lake foreshore that a pre or post breakfast walk is built into the trip.

The dog setup

Visitors consistently report a dedicated dog area with turf mats, water bowls and dog beds, plus a small pup menu alongside the regular menu, so it pays to mention you have a dog when you are seated and let staff point you to the right section. Water and shade are part of the reported setup, but on a hot Canberra afternoon the tables that catch the lake breeze go first, so arriving before mid morning helps. Because the dog friendly details come from visitor reports rather than a published written policy, it is worth confirming the current setup with staff on arrival.

Hours run 7am to 2pm on weekdays and 8am to 2pm on weekends, which makes this strictly a breakfast and lunch stop rather than an afternoon one. The kitchen leans into the classics: a bacon and egg roll, smashed avo and french toast all show up regularly on the table, and QR code ordering keeps service moving when the lakeside tables fill. Coffee and the lake view do the rest, and the dog beds mean longer, slower meals are realistically on the cards.

While you're out there

The foreshore does the exercise for you. Lake Ginninderra Dog Park is a short drive around the lake for an off leash run, and the Lake Ginninderra Loop Trail covers the full circuit on leash if you want to earn breakfast first. If you are turning the visit into a weekend stop, Abode Belconnen is a pet friendly base in the same suburb.

The Belconnen destination page lists the suburb's dog friendly venues together, and the ACT cafes guide is the next stop for planning the rest of a Canberra dog brunch circuit.