The Explo

The Explo is a weekday cafe at Unit 17/65 Tennant Street in Fyshwick, serving breakfast and lunch to the industrial precinct's tradie crowd from 7am. Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables, which makes it a practical on-lead stop if you are working your way through the area's dog-friendly food spots, several of which feature on the ACT Government's own list.

The dog setup

Leashed dogs settle at the outdoor seating, which sits close to the street parking so arriving by car with a dog is simple. The setting is quieter than the precinct's main strips, but it is still a working area with passing vehicles and forklifts, so keep your dog on a short lead close to the tables. Water bowls are commonly available and staff have a friendly reputation, but carry your own bowl to be sure.

The vibe and the menu

The kitchen leans hearty rather than fancy: bacon and egg rolls, breakfast wraps and loaded toast in the morning, structured breakfast boxes, and Explo burgers, gourmet sandwiches and salads at lunch, with specialty coffee and matcha frappes to drink. Trade is weekday only: 7am to 3pm Monday to Friday, closed weekends, so plan a midweek stop rather than a Saturday outing.

Getting there and parking

Tennant Street runs through the heart of Fyshwick's industrial grid, with street parking on Tennant and the surrounding side streets. The outdoor tables are close to the kerb, so you can usually park within sight of your seat.

Close by with the dogs

The Dairy Road precinct is a short hop away, where ONA Coffee House Cafe and Cup & Coaster are other dog-friendly coffee stops on the Fyshwick list, and Brodburger covers the burger shift. Note that the Jerrabomberra Wetlands next to the precinct are strictly no-dogs, so stay on the paved precinct side. For an off-lead run, there is no fenced park in Fyshwick itself; the nearest dedicated options sit further out towards Yarralumla and O'Connor.

More of the area's dog-friendly venues are on the Fyshwick destination page, with the territory list in the ACT cafes index.