Bundeena Beach Cafe

Bundeena Beach Cafe is a small, family-run coffee stop on Brighton Street, a short walk from the Bundeena ferry wharf at the edge of the Royal National Park. Dogs are welcome in the covered outdoor seating, and the deck looks over the beach and park, so it is an easy first stop off the ferry with a dog in tow.

The dog setup

Dogs join you in the covered outdoor seating on a leash; the indoor tables are people only. Water bowls are often put out for pets, but bring your own bowl as a fallback since it is not guaranteed every visit. Brighton Street carries foot traffic between the wharf and the beach, so keep your dog tucked close to the table rather than trailing on a long line.

Worth knowing

The menu is simple breakfast and lunch with fresh food and friendly service, and reviewers rate the location and the coffee ahead of the range. This is a quick-bite cafe rather than a long-sit destination, which suits the rhythm of a Bundeena day: coffee, then the water or a track.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits at 22-30 Brighton Street. The Cronulla to Bundeena ferry accepts dogs on a leash, so you can cross Port Hacking with your dog and walk up from the wharf. By car it is about 45 minutes to an hour from the Sydney CBD through the national park, with street parking on Brighton Street that fills up on weekends.

Close by with the dogs

Horderns Beach next door is the payoff: under Sutherland Shire Council rules it is off-leash 24 hours a day from May to August, and before 8:30am and after 4:30pm weekdays only from September to April, with dogs prohibited on the beach on summer weekends and public holidays. Leash up at the beach access points. For a walk, the Esplanade via Oak Park continues the coastal leg. If you are staying on the Cronulla side, Top Shop at Wanda and Grind Espresso are ferry-side alternatives.

More picks are on the NSW dog friendly cafes guide and the Bundeena destination page.

Max: the ferry ride is my favourite part, salt spray on the nose. Then it's outdoor tables, water bowl, and the beach before half past eight.