Surfing Lizard

Surfing Lizard sits at Poore Grove in Coogee, a short roll back from the water, and it goes further for dogs than most beachfront cafes bother with. The venue's own Facebook page announces the program: a doggie corner on the menu, puppy chinos topped with a beef-baked biscuit, dog bones and treats on hand, and water bowls set out at the picnic tables. Combined with the outdoor seating, that makes the dog part of the outing rather than an addition to it.

Because the dog menu is announced by the venue itself, you can plan a visit around it with reasonable confidence. The picnic tables out the front are the dogs' domain, and the beachside position means the trip doubles as exercise rather than just a meal.

Worth knowing

The menu surprises people who arrive expecting standard beach kiosk fare. Pho is the unlikely headline, duck fat fries are the shared-table weakness, and ocean views come with both. The cafe also runs a kids area, ipad ordering at the tables, and a pace of service that handles the weekend beach crowd. Hours are 7am to 2:30pm on weekdays, stretching to 3pm on weekends, and the venue's reviews note it draws a volume of visitors that the room absorbs better outdoors than in.

Poore Grove parking is kerbside and competitive on fine weekends; the Coogee beach car parks nearby are the practical fallback. The beachfront path south towards Woodman Point is the natural dog walk to pair with breakfast.

While you're out there

Coogee stacks a proper dog day together. Jervoise Bay Dog Beach is the off-lead swim, Woodman Point Beach Kiosk covers the southern end of the beach run, and Coogee Common is the serious dinner option. The wider list lives on the WA dog friendly cafes page.