Clunes Cafe

Clunes Cafe sits on Main Street in the small hinterland village of Clunes, an easy detour off the Lismore to Bangalow road at 33 Main Street. It is part cafe, part village general store, and genuinely dog friendly, with reviewers singling out the welcome their dogs received.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor undercover area at the front of the cafe, which gives shelter on a wet Northern Rivers day and shade in summer. Staff are relaxed about dogs joining owners outside; keep your dog on a lead while seated, and bring your own water bowl since none is guaranteed to be out. Outdoor seating is limited, so this suits a coffee stop rather than a long stay.

Max: the cover makes this the rare reliable stop with the dog when the hinterland weather turns, and weekday mornings are quieter for parking on the B62.

The vibe

It is as much a community hub as a cafe: the store side stocks pantry essentials and runs the town's post office, while the kitchen turns out breakfast and lunch with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options built on local Northern Rivers produce. Coffee is solid, serves are generous, and the drinks list runs from cold brew and smoothies to a tap beer and wine from 10am. Hours run 6am to 2pm weekdays, from 6:30am Saturday and 7am Sunday.

Getting there and parking

The cafe is on Main Street, the B62, with free street parking directly out front or close by. It works naturally as a leg-stretch stop between Lismore and Bangalow or Byron Bay.

Pair it with

For a longer dog-friendly day out, The Bank Cafe and Dark Horse Espresso cover Lismore to the west, and the dog-friendly Byron Hinterland Villas are right in the village if you are staying rather than passing through.

More options are on the New South Wales dog friendly cafes guide and the Clunes destination page.