Penny Whistlers

Penny Whistlers on Shoalhaven Street is Kiama's long standing all day cafe, and the drawcard is the outlook: ocean and harbour views from the outdoor tables that look over the bay. A limited number of outdoor tables are set aside for guests dining with dogs, who stay leashed within the designated outdoor seating zones, per the Kiama Coast dog friendly guide. The set aside arrangement matters in a town this busy: it means you are not negotiating for a footpath spot on a Sunday morning.

The kitchen runs from 7am, with eggs benedict and chilli eggs leading the breakfast list, fish and chips and the steak sandwich carrying lunch, and Thursday to Saturday nights extending to 10pm for dinner service. The view is the constant, and the regulars split their loyalty between the breakfast list and the bay watching. It is a bigger, busier room than Kiama's espresso bars, which works in your favour with a dog: more tables, more turnover, less pressure.

Worth knowing

The dog tables are limited, so arriving early on weekends or mentioning the dog when you arrive on weekdays is the way to secure one. Shoalhaven Street has metered parking nearby and Kiama's holiday peak makes the whole town tighter from Christmas through January. Because the dog arrangement comes by way of the local dog friendly guides rather than the venue's own policy page, confirm the outdoor table on arrival; staff are used to the question.

Pair it with

The bay view makes this the natural bookend to the blowhole walk. The Spot Cafe and Short Black Coffee are the specialty coffee alternatives in town, Silica is the upscale dinner option nearby, and our Kiama guide plus the NSW cafe list cover the rest.