Olive's

Olive's is a relaxed neighbourhood cafe at 1A Morgan Place, Bellambi, in a quiet residential pocket of the northern Wollongong coast where the outdoor seating looks straight out over the beach. The topics that follow it around say it plainly: beachfront location, beach view, dog friendly. It is the natural coffee stop either side of a walk on the sand.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating area, which is spacious enough to linger with a sandy dog at your feet. Water bowls are typically on hand. Keep your dog leashed and settled, since the tables are close together and the crowd is a mix of families, walkers and cyclists passing along the coastal path.

The food

Breakfast runs from eggs benedict and big breakfast plates through to pancakes, and lunch brings fish and chips, burgers and a chicken caesar salad, with chicken schnitzel among the regulars' picks. The cabinet side covers house-made slices, muffins, scones and gluten-free cookies, and the milkshakes get a mention of their own. Locals rate it as the quieter alternative to the busy Wollongong strip cafes.

Getting there and hours

Olive's opens 8am to 2pm, seven days, with the kitchen winding up around 1:30pm, so do not leave lunch until the last minute. Street parking nearby is generally easy in the residential streets, and Bellambi Station is a short walk if you are arriving by train with the dog on lead.

While you're out there

The beach is on the doorstep, and Wollongong City Council zones parts of Bellambi Beach as a green off-leash zone where dogs can run at any time, with other sections on timed leash-only access, so read the signage at the ramp before unclipping. On lead, the coastal pathway along the shore makes a longer loop north or south. If you are working down the coast, Saltie Dog - Coffee & Crêpes in East Corrimal and North Break Cafe in Woonona are both nearby stops.

Pepsi: the outdoor tables with a beach view make this an easy spot to sit still for once, especially after a run on the sand.

Plan the day in the Bellambi guide or browse more dog friendly cafes in NSW.