Brick Pit Espresso

Brick Pit Espresso runs out of a spacious industrial-style room on Flora Street in Kirrawee, poured by the team behind local roaster White Horse Coffee. It is one of the more genuinely dog-set-up cafes in the Sutherland Shire: the vine-covered alfresco courtyard takes dogs, staff usually deliver a water bowl unprompted, and there is an actual dog menu if you want to order your four-legged companion something of their own.

The dog setup

Settle in the courtyard, which is the dog-friendly zone and comfortably the best part of the site. Seating runs to large picnic-style benches, so groups with dogs work without crowding. Keep the lead short at the table because the courtyard fills around brunch, and weekends are popular, so arriving before 9am buys you a quieter table.

The vibe

Coffee is the headline: White Horse's house blend and rotating single origins, pulled properly. The kitchen is broad for a suburb cafe, with the bacon and egg roll and steak sandwich covering the hearty end, corn fritters and vegan options getting regular mentions, and a chicken BLT for the middle ground. Staff are welcoming without fuss, which matters when your dog is doing the meet-and-greet.

Getting there and parking

Free street parking is usually available on Flora Street or the side streets nearby, and the cafe is a short walk from Kirrawee Railway Station if you would rather come by train. It opens 6am weekdays to 3pm, Saturdays 6am to 2pm and Sundays 7am to 2pm, so seven-day coverage with early starts.

Close by with the dogs

For an off-lead run beforehand, Helena Street Park Fenced Dog Park is in the same suburb, and the bushier The Ridge Bush Park Fenced Dog Park is a short drive south-west. After coffee, the Woronora River Bridge Loop is a leashed river walk minutes away, and The Pan & Stone is another Kirrawee cafe that takes dogs outdoors.

More options are listed in the NSW dog friendly cafes guide and on the Kirrawee destination page.