His & Hers cafe

His & Hers Cafe is a busy local cafe at 313 Princes Highway in Corrimal, opening at 5:30am on weekdays for the highway trade and running until 2pm, with slightly later starts on weekends. What makes it stand out on this stretch of the Illawarra is the dog policy: dogs are welcome inside the cafe itself as well as at the outdoor tables, which is genuinely unusual for the strip. On a wet Wollongong day that difference alone decides where you stop.

The dog setup

Water bowls are kept out for thirsty visitors, and there is a jar of dog treats on the counter. The cafe's own Instagram plays it straight: come for the sunshine and coffee, stay for the mandatory pats. Regulars mention the pats as often as the coffee. Keep your dog on a lead and settled by your table, and be considerate in the indoor area during the weekend breakfast rush, when the floor space gets tight. Weekday mornings are the calm window if your dog is still learning cafe manners.

The menu

This is value-driven cafe food done with a heavy hand: bacon and egg rolls, brekkie burgers on fresh rolls, hash browns and brekky wraps anchor the morning menu. The vegetarian and vegan list is stronger than most places in the suburb, with meat-free breakfast plates, mushroom toasts and acai bowls, and the smoothies and fresh juices come out generous. The cabinet is a weakness in the best sense: caramel slice and banana bread disappear early, so if the afternoon-late option matters, go before mid-morning. Kids get a box of toys to play with, which tells you the kind of family operation this is.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits on the Princes Highway at Corrimal. Free street parking is easiest on Meadow Street and the side streets running parallel to the highway, which is usually more workable than the short-term spots directly out front. It is flat, walkable territory from most of Corrimal, and the beach side of the suburb is a few minutes east by car.

Close by with the dogs

For an off-leash run before brekkie, East Corrimal Beach is a Wollongong City Council green zone with dogs off lead allowed at any time on the sand past the lagoon, reached via Lake Parade; keep the lead on for the pathways in between. Bellambi Beach to the north has both all-day and time-restricted off-leash sections, so check the signage on the day. If you are building a dog-friendly cafe circuit up the highway, Doya's Espresso up the road and the Saltie Dog crepe stand at East Corrimal both welcome dogs too.

Rain day or shine day, this is the cafe to pick when the dog is coming inside with you. Go weekday-early for a quiet table, weekend for the full local bustle.

Pepsi: They keep treats at the counter and everyone indoors says hello. I call that a five-star establishment.