Grain de Cafe

Grain de Cafe runs out of the small Swinger Hill shops at Shop 9, 84 Ainsworth Street, Mawson, an intimate bistro-style cafe with a European-leaning breakfast and lunch menu. It opens 6:30am to 4pm on weekdays and 7:30am to 3pm on weekends, and it is a genuine local favourite rather than a destination cafe.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the atrium-style garden courtyard, a mix of sunny and shaded benches that suits a settle-in brunch. Staff are famously warm toward dogs, the local dachshund owners are among the regulars, and visiting pups have been known to be served a dog sausage in broth, which goes well beyond the usual water bowl. Bring a bowl anyway if your dog drinks a lot, and note dogs are not permitted in the indoor dining room.

Worth knowing

The coffee is good and the all-day brunch menu carries the reputation, from savoury flapjacks with guacamole and poached eggs to budget-friendly breakfast specials. The seating area is small, so early mornings are the safest bet for a courtyard table before the regulars fill it.

Getting there and parking

The Swinger Hill shopping strip sits off Ainsworth Street in Mawson, with free, easy parking directly at the shops. It is a few minutes from Woden and an easy stop on the way through the inner south.

Close by with the dogs

The residential streets around Swinger Hill are quiet for an on-lead wander, and the Mawson playing fields host off-leash time when sport is not on. For another table, Lil Milkbar is in the same suburb, The Pour House Espresso is a few minutes north in Phillip, and Thai Eatery Mawson covers the neighbourhood dinner option.

More options are on the ACT dog friendly cafes guide and the Mawson destination page.

Max: I got a sausage in broth. In broth. Some cafes give you a pat, this one gives you a course.