Simple Bliss Coffee

Simple Bliss Coffee sits at 3 The Esplanade, right on the water at Forest Lake, with a shaded wooden deck looking straight out over the lake. It is the suburb's go-to dog-friendly coffee stop, and because it sits directly on the parklands walking track, it slots into a lap of the lake rather than being a destination you drive to and from.

Dogs on the deck

Dogs are welcome on the outdoor deck, not inside, and the setup here is friendlier than most: staff keep water bowls on hand and usually have dog treats going, so you rarely need to pack your own. Being on the track means damp paws after a walk are entirely normal, and the deck stools make it easy to keep a dog settled at your feet while you eat.

Worth knowing

The coffee runs on Black Sheep beans, and the menu covers acai bowls, toasties, croissants and home-baked cakes and slices, with smoothies and teas for the non-coffee crowd. The lake view does half the work. It gets busy and community-minded on weekends, so expect a wait at brunch; opening hours run 6am to 1pm Monday to Thursday and 6am to 2pm Friday to Sunday, which makes it a morning-and-lunch operation rather than an afternoon one.

Getting there and parking

The cafe is on The Esplanade by the water, with street parking nearby. The easiest arrival is on foot along the lake parklands loop, which passes the door; if you are driving, park once and do your lake walk from here.

Pair it with

An off-leash run before or after coffee rounds out the morning. The Forest Lake Sports Fields Fenced Dog Park is a short hop away for a secure run, and the Woogaroo Reserve Fenced Dog Park gives a second enclosed option in the same suburb. For another coffee stop another day, Always Will Be does coffee with a barber chair on the side.

Max: Water bowls AND treats provided is the whole review. But the chicken curry toastie deserves its own sentence.

More dog-friendly cafes are listed across Queensland, and the Forest Lake guide covers the suburb.