Rival Brothers Coffee Roasters

Rival Brothers Coffee Roasters sits on the corner of Port Road and Belford Avenue in Cheltenham, in Adelaide's western suburbs, roasting its own beans on site and serving them across a relaxed brunch menu. It is a genuinely dog-welcoming roastery cafe, with the outdoor seating area set up for dogs rather than merely tolerating them.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating, with some tables undercover for shelter when the weather turns. Water bowls are commonly put out for visiting dogs, and there are hooks near the tables to secure a lead, which is more than most footpath setups manage. Keep your dog close and leashed as with any shared footpath seating, and indoors stays for humans.

Worth knowing

The coffee is the headline, house-roasted beans with the roasting happening in view, and the kitchen covers a solid brunch menu including toasted sandwiches, wraps and vegan options. Locals also rate the homemade doughnuts and the breaky wrap. Hours run from 6am weekdays (7:30am Sundays) to mid-afternoon, with Saturday closing at 2pm.

Getting there and parking

The roastery is at 953 Port Road, within walking distance of Cheltenham train station, and free street parking is usually available on the surrounding residential streets back from Port Road.

Close by with the dogs

The quiet streets around Cheltenham make an easy post-coffee stroll, and for proper off-lead time the PAFC Community Dog Park is in the suburb, while St Clair Pooch Park at Pennington is a fully fenced 24/7 option a few minutes away. Both are covered by the City of Charles Sturt off-lead maps.

More western-suburbs stops are on the Any Given Sunday Coffee guide and the Local Afare listing, with the South Australia dog friendly cafes guide covering the rest of the state.

Max: take an undercover table with a lead hook and you can actually enjoy the coffee instead of holding the lead the whole time.