ZITTO

ZITTO is a modern, licensed cafe on South Road in Melrose Park, right by Castle Plaza, running an all-day brunch menu and serious coffee for the inner south-west suburbs. Dogs are welcomed at the outdoor tables, and the team has a habit of putting a water bowl down before you have to ask.

The dog setup

The outdoor seating area is the dog-friendly zone, with tables where a dog can settle beside you away from the main flow of shoppers. Indoor dining is off limits to pets, which is standard for licensed venues under SA health rules. Staff are accommodating and the cafe even lists a milk-based puppucino with a dog treat, so it is an easy place to make a dog's morning. Weekday mornings are the calm slot; the Castle Plaza side of South Road picks up shoppers from mid-morning, so a nervous dog is better off in an early session.

Worth knowing

The menu covers chilli scrambled eggs, toasties, caesar salad and schnitzel-style plates through the day, with juices, milkshakes and a full licensed drinks list for a slower lunch. Hours are 8am to 5:30pm Monday to Wednesday and Friday, 8am to 7pm Thursday, 8am to 5pm Saturday and 9am to 4pm Sunday, so it works for breakfast through to an early dinner seven days a week.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits in the Castle Plaza precinct on South Road, Melrose Park, with free off-street parking across the shopping centre car park, which beats circling the strip parking on South Road. It is about ten minutes south of the Adelaide CBD along South Road.

While you are out there

Malak dog park is the local off-lead option for a run before the table. If you are building a Melrose Park cafe crawl, Friends with Florence, H Kitchen and The Little Fig are all dog-friendly and within a short radius.

More stops are on the SA dog friendly cafes guide and the Melrose Park destination page.

Pepsi: Park once, coffee here, park run after. The water bowl arrives before the menu does.