Espresso Italiano Cairns

Espresso Italiano is a small Italian coffee shop on McLeod Street in Cairns North, a few streets back from the Esplanade. It trades mornings only, 6:30am to 10:30am Monday to Friday and closed on weekends, so it is strictly an early call before work or after the first walk of the day.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables and along the footpath, not inside. The exterior seating is shaded and ground level, and staff will usually bring a water bowl if you ask. Keep your dog on a short lead; this is a footpath setting on a suburban street with through traffic, not a plaza.

Worth knowing

The coffee is the point: it is built on the Genovese blend, pulled Italian-style, with Tableland Misty Mountain milk plus lactose-free, soy, oat and almond options, and homemade cakes and sweet bites to pair. Reviews single out the coffee and the owner-run service. With a four-and-a-half hour trading window and a compact room, expect regulars and go early for a table.

Getting there and parking

The shop sits at 253 McLeod Street. On-street parking is available on McLeod and the surrounding side streets, though it tightens around the morning coffee rush.

Close by with the dogs

The Cairns Esplanade is a short walk away: its paved path is on-lead only, with dogs banned from the Lagoon precinct and within two metres of playgrounds and barbecues, while the Coconut Grove parkland at the northern end of the Esplanade has a designated off-leash area. For a fenced option, the Card Avenue Park fenced dog park in Manunda is a short drive. Nearby Guyala Cafe and Odetts Cafe cover later hours in the same suburb.

Pepsi: be there at 6:30 or accept the regulars have taken the shade. I accept. It is my walk either way.