The Fern & Anchor

The Fern & Anchor is a boutique cafe on the western shore of Lake Illawarra, and it works best as a bookend to a lakeside walk with the dog. The rear courtyard is the dog-friendly part of the venue, a shaded, rustic space that regulars mention nearly as often as the food, and the kitchen turns out some of the better brunch plates on this side of the lake.

The dog setup

Dogs are allowed in the outdoor courtyard at the back, not indoors. A large shade tree covers most of the seating, which matters on hot Illawarra mornings, and the flat courtyard makes settling a mat and lead simple. Staff are known to be accommodating toward pets and water bowls are usually around, though bringing your own is the safe play at busy times. Keep leads on throughout.

Worth knowing

The breaky roll, steak sandwich and freshly squeezed juices come up constantly in reviews, alongside burgers and a short, well-cooked menu. Hours are tight: Tuesday to Friday 7:30am to 2pm, Saturday 7:30am to 1:30pm, closed Sundays and Mondays. Plan the visit around a weekday or Saturday morning rather than a weekend lie-in.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits on Addison Avenue, Lake Illawarra, back from the lake edge. Free street parking runs along Addison Avenue and the surrounding residential streets, close enough that you are not carrying coffee far.

Close by with the dogs

The lake foreshore paths run nearby for an on-lead warm-up, and Windang Dog Beach is a short drive for proper off-lead time. On the cafe side, Amrak Cafe at Mount Warrigal and Passionate Palate at Kanahooka are both dog-friendly alternates, while Mix Grill Kitchen covers the pub end of town.

More options are on the NSW dog friendly cafes guide and the Lake Illawarra destination page.

Max: the courtyard under the shade tree is the pick of the seats. Saturday is your only weekend window, and it shuts at 1:30pm sharp.