Hustle Espresso Bar

Hustle Espresso Bar was a small, quick-service coffee spot at 758 Hawthorn Road in Brighton East, loved by locals for early starts, fast and genuinely friendly service, and a chai that regulars crossed the suburb for. Google's listing for the cafe is now marked permanently closed, so check the current status before making the trip rather than planning around it.

What it was like with the dogs

In its trading days, dogs were welcome at the outdoor seating area, and the staff were happy to have well-behaved dogs settled on lead nearby. It was a compact space, more a grab-a-coffee stop with the dog than a long sit-down brunch, with a small outdoor area rather than a dedicated courtyard. Water and chatter came easily; the egg rolls and morning service earned the loyal following.

Worth knowing

If the listing is out of date and the cafe has reopened, expect a weekday-focused schedule: it traded from 6am on weekdays and 6:30am Saturdays, closing early afternoons and shut on Sundays. Street parking on Hawthorn Road and the surrounding residential streets is free, which made it an easy walk-up stop.

While you're out there

For a dog-friendly coffee on the same strip, Brother Brew Cafe sits across the road at 763 Hawthorn Road and welcomes dogs in its outdoor courtyard. Dogs off the leash are the deal at Dendy Park Dog Off Leash Area on Dacey Street, and Sandown Street Beach near Middle Brighton Pier is the closest off-lead sand and water. Under Bayside council rules dogs stay leashed outside signed zones and on leash within 20 metres of playgrounds and picnic areas.

More options across the area are in the dog friendly cafes in Victoria list or the Brighton East guide.