Coastal Brasserie Malabar

Coastal Brasserie Malabar sits right on Bay Parade, directly opposite Malabar Beach and Long Bay, and is a well-regarded pick for a beachside brunch with the dog in tow. It opens from 7.30am daily, runs dinner on Friday and Saturday nights, and the outdoor patio looks straight out over the water, so the dog gets the sea view too.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor patio seating facing the beach. Keep your dog leashed and settled under the table; the indoor dining room is people-only, as with most NSW cafes. Water bowls are typically put out for dogs, and staff have a reputation for being friendly to four-legged visitors. Weekend mornings fill fast, so an early table is the calm version.

The menu

The kitchen runs a beach-inspired brunch and modern Australian menu, with bacon and egg rolls, lamb pita, burgers, acai bowls and smoothies among the regular orders, plus weekend cocktails and occasional live music. It works equally as a post-swim breakfast or an early dinner before the Friday-night drive home.

Getting there and parking

The brasserie is at 59 Bay Parade, Malabar, directly opposite the beach access ramp and playground. Free street parking runs along Bay Parade but fills quickly on weekends, so arriving before the mid-morning surge helps. Buses along Anzac Parade put you within walking distance if you are coming from the city side.

Pair it with

Malabar Beach is immediately across the road for a pre- or post-brunch swim and sniff, and the coastal walkway continues north towards Maroubra if the dog needs a longer leg-stretch. Juice Box Cafe is the other dog-friendly cafe in the suburb, and Chalk Espresso Bar covers the Maroubra end near the beach. For a proper walk, the Coogee to North End Maroubra Beach route links the two beaches and ends minutes away.

More options across the east are on the NSW cafes page, and everything local sits under Malabar.

Pepsi: Patio table closest to the sand, salt air while the humans eat, then straight across the road for a swim. This is what mornings are for.