Cambewarra Tea Room

The Cambewarra Tea Room has operated at the top of Cambewarra Mountain as a scenic tearoom since 1909, with a panoramic outlook across the Shoalhaven that does most of the marketing on its own. Scones, hot chocolate, fish tacos and a seafood basket cover the menu, and the venue is genuinely set up for dogs: deck, gardens and the large adjacent park space are all open to them, with complimentary puppuccinos on arrival.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome on the deck, in the garden areas and across the open parkland beside the tea room, so you are not parked in a forgotten corner with a restless dog. The kitchen brings out a puppuccino as standard, which tells you how routine four-legged guests are here. There is room to choose a spot, whether your dog wants the deck edge and the view or a quiet patch of grass.

Worth knowing

The site sits within national park land, so leads are required at all times. This is not a venue-level rule to bend: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service prohibits dogs in parks to protect wildlife, and the leash exception here covers the commercial grounds only. Do not step off the tea room footprint onto surrounding bushland tracks with your dog, and follow local signage. The winding drive up the mountain is part of the experience but takes care, especially with car-sick-prone passengers of any species.

Getting there and parking

The tea room sits at the Cambewarra Mountain lookout above Nowra, reached via the winding mountain road off the Cambewarra range. Parking is available at the lookout complex. Combine the visit with the lookout itself, one of the better vantage points in the Shoalhaven.

Close by with the dogs

For off-lead time, drop back down the mountain: the Nowra fenced dog park is the practical option, and the Tea Club Cafe and IV Coffee in Berry cover other dog-friendly coffee stops in the region.

More options are on the NSW dog friendly cafes guide and the Cambewarra destination page.

Max: scones on the deck, a puppuccino on the grass, and the whole Shoalhaven laid out below.