On the Grind Canberra

On the Grind is a spacious neighbourhood cafe in the Kambah Village shops in Canberra's south, and dogs are welcome at the paved outdoor seating along the front. It opens its doors at 5:30am on weekdays, which has made it the standing early coffee stop for dog walkers on the way to or back from the ovals.

The dog setup

Dogs on lead are welcome in the outdoor footpath seating in front of the cafe. The setup is quiet and roomy by strip-cafe standards, with enough space between tables that a well-behaved dog can lie down without obstructing anyone. Staff are famously good with four-legged visitors and puppachinos are on offer, though bringing your own water bowl is still the safe play. Indoor seating is for people only.

Worth knowing

The coffee is the headline, with barista skills and friendly service the two things regulars keep calling out. The food line is simple and done well: bacon and egg rolls for the commuter rush, smashed avocado toast, a new-season menu with feta-forward plates, and signature burgers for lunch. Hours run 5:30am to 2:30pm Monday to Friday, 7am to 1pm Saturdays, and the cafe is closed Sundays, so weekend plans mean Saturday morning.

Getting there and parking

The address is 5/9 Jenke Circuit, in the Kambah Village shopping centre. Parking is the free car park directly in front of the shops, which makes the cafe an easy in-and-out stop with a dog rather than a parallel-parking negotiation. It sits off Drakeford Drive on the Tuggeranong side of the hill.

Close by with the dogs

The Kett Street ovals by Kambah District Playing Fields are the local off-lead option when no sport is on, and Greenway Dog Park at Lake Tuggeranong is the fully fenced alternative a few minutes away, with separate zones for large and small dogs. The Lake Tuggeranong Loop is the on-lead circuit to pair with a long brunch. In the same suburb, Mannheim Cafe and Cafe Blanco are the other Kambah listings.

See more dog friendly cafes in the ACT or the Kambah guide.