EQ Cafe & Restaurant

EQ Cafe & Restaurant anchors the Gungahlin town centre at 1/35 Hinder Street, an Italian-leaning all-day eatery with an in-house bakehouse turning out filled cannoli and stone-baked pizza. It runs 7:30am to 3:30pm every day, which makes it as useful for a mid-morning coffee after a dog walk as for a long weekend lunch.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor and footpath tables; the dining room inside is people only. The paved forecourt makes it easy to settle a dog beside your chair, and staff are used to four-legged regulars, with water bowls usually provided or fetched on request. The walkways between tables get busy through breakfast and dinner, so keep the lead short and the dog tucked close to your seat.

Worth knowing

The bakehouse is the draw: cannoli filled to order, Bakehouse Eggs Benedict, polenta chips and a menu that leans properly Italian rather than standard cafe fare. Coffee is locally roasted, and because the kitchen runs the same hours all week, a 2pm table on a Tuesday is exactly as easy as a Saturday one. Comfortable chairs and generous plates make it work for a slower sit than most dog-friendly stops allow.

Getting there and parking

Hinder Street sits in the middle of the Gungahlin centre, with street parking and public car parks a short walk away. The Gungahlin Place light rail stop and bus interchange are closer still if you are walking in with the dog from transport.

Pair it with

Yerrabi Pond is the obvious addition: the Yerrabi Pond Loop is sealed, flat and popular with dog walkers, and works just as well before breakfast as after lunch. If you would rather trade the second course for a second coffee, Caffe al Lago sits on the same water and welcomes dogs outdoors too.

More options are in the ACT dog friendly cafes guide and the Gungahlin destination page.

Max: the cannoli are filled to order, so build in the wait. A settled dog under the outdoor table handles it fine; a restless one will find the pavement traffic less forgiving.