Sistas Burns Beach Cafe & Restaurant

Sistas Burns Beach Cafe & Restaurant fronts the ocean at 35 Ocean Parade in Iluka, on Perth's northern beaches at Burns Beach, and it leans into the dog trade harder than almost any venue in the state. The ocean-facing alfresco seating welcomes dogs with water bowls provided, and the venue markets a dedicated dog menu, Doggy Num Yum's, with items like pupsicles and porky ears, describing itself on Instagram as the home of Australia's first dog menu.

The dog setup

The alfresco deck faces the water, so the view and the dog setup are the same decision. Water bowls are part of the service rather than a request, and the dog menu means the venue treats canine guests as customers, not accessories. The forecourt sits straight off the coastal path, so dogs arrive from both directions, and the beachfront position keeps a steady supply of post-walk regulars who all seem to know each other's dogs by name.

Worth knowing

Doors open 6:30am daily, closing mid-afternoon, and the kitchen covers the beachfront classics: smashed avo, fish and chips, calamari, with the ocean view doing half the work. The dog menu's pupsicles are the signature move on warm days. Weekend mornings bring the Perth northern-suburbs crowd in force, so an early table or a weekday visit keeps the alfresco relaxed.

Ocean Parade parking sits at the Burns Beach foreshore car park next to the venue, and the coastal walkway connects south toward Burns Beach proper and north along the dunes. The beach itself is a minutes-long walk from the tables, which is the entire rhythm of the place: sand first, breakfast after, pupsicle for the road.

Stretch the day nearby: Burns Beach Sunset Village if the morning becomes a weekend, Elcar Park Fenced Dog Park for the off-lead session inland, or the Yaberoo Budjara Heritage Trail for a proper bushwalk leg.