The Def Chef

The Def Chef is a well-regarded brunch cafe at 1/43 Macquarie Street in Dubbo, and for dog owners the draw is the planted courtyard out the back where dogs are welcome while you eat. Open daily from 6am, with shorter weekend hours finishing at noon, it is the sit-down brunch option in a town where most dog-friendly stops are takeaway counters.

The dog setup

Dogs settle in the outdoor courtyard, a small green space with plants, rather than the indoor dining room. A footpath window lets you order without going inside, which makes it easy if you are mid-walk and do not want to tie the dog up. Bring your own water bowl, as provision is not guaranteed. The courtyard is compact, so calm dogs fit best, and the tables fill at brunch peak.

Worth knowing

The kitchen is known for well-presented brunch with the classics done properly: bacon and poached eggs, turkish rolls and muffins in the cabinet, and good coffee, served by staff with a reputation for being genuinely helpful. Weekend service ends at midday, so this is an early-day venue on Saturdays and Sundays. Mid-morning on a fine day is the sweet spot when the courtyard tables are free.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits on Macquarie Street in Dubbo's river-side precinct. Standard street parking is available nearby, with easy access to the outdoor areas from the street, and the Macquarie River pathway is close by for a walk before or after coffee.

Close by with the dogs

The Tracker Riley Cycleway traces the river for a longer on-lead walk, and the Buckingham Dog Park covers off-lead time. Dog-friendly listings nearby include Patrick's, which also takes dogs in its garden, and You Cafe.

More options are on the NSW dog friendly cafes guide and the Dubbo destination page.

Max: bacon and eggs in the courtyard, then the river path while the morning is still cool.