Bean & Barrel Cafe

Bean & Barrel sits at 128 Marion Street in Leichhardt, a small, quieter cafe set back from the busiest strips. It pours North of Rome coffee, keeps dogs welcome at the outdoor footpath tables, and makes a calm stop after a canal walk when the bigger cafes are packed.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor footpath seating, which is where you will want to be anyway: the inside room is small. There is a ramp at the entrance, so rolling up to a footpath table with a lead in hand is easy. Staff are dog-friendly and easygoing, though bringing your own water bowl is the safe play.

Worth knowing

The coffee gets repeat orders for its smooth pour and well-priced iced lattes, and the cabinet covers cakes, fruit toast and quick bites, with heartier plates like the lamb shank pie with chilli sauce. Hours run from 6am on weekdays and 7am on weekends, closing mid-afternoon, with the cafe shut on Wednesdays.

Getting there and parking

Street parking is often available out front near the Hawthorne Parade corner, and the Marion light rail stop is close by. It sits just up from the Markettown end of Marion Street, an easy detour off the Norton Street run.

Close by with the dogs

Hawthorne Canal Reserve, with its off-leash area, is a short walk away, and the Federal Park Dog Park in Annandale is close over the canal for a fenced run. If you want another coffee option in the neighbourhood, La Bottega Leichhardt is the obvious alternative.

Weekday mornings are the calmest window. More options are on the dog friendly cafes in New South Wales list or the Leichhardt guide.