The Lookout Cafe

The Lookout occupies the end of Ithaca Road where Elizabeth Bay runs out of land and into the water, and its draw is exactly what the name promises: a deck over the marina with the harbour opening out in front of it. The kitchen covers brunch properly, from eggs benedict and dukkah eggs to corn fritters and fish tacos when the weather says lunch, and service runs from 7:30am, with a 3pm close on weekends and 2:30pm on weekdays.

Dogs on the marina deck

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor marina deck seating, per patron reviews on the Google listing. The deck is the whole argument for coming with a dog: table service to a waterside table, the lead looped around the chair, and a view doing the entertaining. The 7:30am opening is the quiet window; by late morning on weekends the deck runs full and the wait for a waterside table is real, so early is kind to both dog and schedule.

Elizabeth Bay itself is steep and leafy, and the walk down Ithaca Road from the cafes on Macleay Street is short. Street parking around the bay is scarce on weekend mornings, so arriving on foot with the dog is the least friction option; the deck being the destination means the walk is the parking.

While you're out there

Two green spaces sit within a few minutes: Beare Park down by the water and Macleay Reserve up on the ridge, both on the leash-walk circuit for local dogs. For another morning, Greenknowe Cafe keeps dog-friendly tables in the same pocket. The Elizabeth Bay guide collects the suburb, and the wider list is at dog friendly cafes in NSW.