Bayside Kitchen

Bayside Kitchen sits right on the edge of Matilda Bay Reserve in Crawley, with the deck looking straight out over the Swan River to the Perth city skyline. It is a genuinely dog-friendly stop on a river walk, not just tolerant of dogs passing through, and the combination of river views and a grassy foreshore makes it an easy half-day outing.

The dog setup

Well-behaved, leashed dogs are welcome on the outdoor deck and on the grassy area out front, with water bowls put out for them. Indoors is kept for people, service dogs excepted, so plan on the deck or the lawn whatever the weather. Keep the lead on: Matilda Bay Reserve itself is strictly on-leash across all lawns and foreshore paths, protected habitat for black swans and other riverbirds. Seagulls patrol the deck, so guard unattended plates.

Pepsi: river breeze, a bowl of water, and swans doing their swan thing across the bay. The deck delivers every time.

Worth knowing

The menu runs breakfast and lunch with generous portions: burgers, salads, pancakes and a mushroom bruschetta that gets regular mentions, plus vegan options and a solid flat white. It opens 7:30am to 3pm weekdays and to 4pm on weekends. Weekend mornings are busy with the rowing and sailing crowd, so early or mid-afternoon is the calmer window for a dog.

Getting there and parking

Find it at 5 Hackett Drive, Crawley, inside Matilda Bay Reserve opposite the University of Western Australia. There is a paid car park right next to the restaurant and more bays along Hackett Drive, which fill on sunny weekends. It is an easy ride or walk along the river paths from the city side, and the foreshore strip is flat and stroller-friendly.

Close by with the dogs

For off-leash time nearby, the Carrington Park Fenced Dog Park in Nedlands is a short drive away, and the South Perth Foreshore across the water adds a longer river walk. Varsity Nedlands is the nearby pub option for a post-walk drink.

More options are on the WA cafes list or in the Crawley guide.