Sunnyboy Kiosk

Sunnyboy Kiosk sits right on the promenade at Merewether Beach, and the whole operation is built around that position: a window onto the sand, the ocean baths across the way, and outdoor seating along the Bathers Way coastal path. Open from 5:45am every day of the week, it catches the early surf crowd, the dog walkers doing the headland, and families rolling in for a late morning swim. Dogs are welcome at the outdoor seating, which is where most of the action is anyway.

The dog setup

Dogs stay outside, and that is not much of a compromise here. The seating is open-air along the promenade and the courtyard, so you can pick a spot where your dog has room to settle without blocking the foot traffic of beachgoers. Water bowls are usually out during busy hours, but bringing your own keeps things simple. Only assistance dogs go inside the kiosk itself. Because the venue sits on a working path with surfboards, prams and bikes passing constantly, a dog that is relaxed around foot traffic will do far better here than one who lunges at every towel.

What you're queuing for

The menu is straightforward beach kiosk fare done properly. The bacon and egg roll is the anchor of the all-day breakfast, and the acai bowls use local Berry Brothers fruit with house granola. Reviewers single out the toasties, the almond croissant and the matcha. Drinks run from specialty coffee to fresh juice, smoothies and a gelato cabinet with more than a dozen flavours, which earns its keep on hot afternoons. Expect a queue at peak swim times; it moves quickly.

Getting there and parking

The kiosk is at 121 Henderson Parade, Merewether. Street parking on Henderson Parade is tight on fine weekends, so the larger free car park at the Merewether Ocean Baths is the reliable option, a short walk south along the promenade.

Close by with the dogs

Max: We started on the baths car park, walked the sand at sunrise, and the bacon and egg roll was waiting exactly where I left the humans.

The Bathers Way walk to Newcastle starts at your table, and the Merewether dog off leash area sits just behind the beach. Dixon Park Reserve, between Merewether and Bar Beach, runs timed off leash hours from sunrise to 9am and again from 5pm to sunset, so a morning visit lines up perfectly. Leash rules on the sand itself change by zone and season, so check the council signage before letting your dog off. For another feed on the same strip, Frothers Espresso is up the hill on Merewether's cafe row.

Come before 9am if you want the full experience: empty promenade, off leash hours at Dixon Park, and a table with the ocean baths to yourself.