Cafe Carino

Cafe Carino is a coffee van parked near the boat ramp at Tunks Park in Cammeray, on the water's edge of Long Bay on Sydney's lower north shore. There is no cafe building at all: you order from Steve's cart and settle onto the open grass with the dog stretched out beside you, which is exactly why dog walkers have adopted the spot.

The dog setup

This is the easiest dog setup in the area: open harbourside parkland, plenty of room to sit on the grass well clear of the path, and an owner who is famously good with dogs and often has his own kelpie on site. Bring your own water bowl, because the van does not run one. It is a picnic rug and flat white arrangement rather than a table service stop.

Max: Order the toasted cheese melt and a brownie, then take the big lawn a hundred metres from the boat ramp. You will get both dog traffic and boat traffic to watch.

Worth knowing

The van pours coffee (regular and alternative milks), hot chocolate and tea, and the toasted cheese melts and fudgy brownies carry its reputation. Hours run roughly 6.30am to 3pm daily, weather permitting, with the van staying home in heavy rain and packing up early when the sky turns, so have a fallback cafe in mind.

Getting there and parking

Free parking is in the large Tunks Park car park off Small Street, a short walk down to the van and the boat ramp. The park fills on weekend mornings with sporting use, so weekday mornings are the quiet pick.

While you're out there

North Sydney council keeps the reserve's open grass off-leash unless signed otherwise, but the oval is off-limits during organised sport and dogs must stay ten metres clear of the playground. The bushland around the water is Wildlife Protection Area, so leashes are required on the formal tracks. Walk options from the same car park include the Primrose Park walking track, Flat Rock Gully over in Naremburn, and the Tunks Park to Artarmon Reserve trail if the dog still has legs.

For a proper cafe table another day, Millie's cafe in Cammeray and the fenced dog park at St Leonards round out the local set. See the Cammeray destination guide for the rest.