Rubber Ducky Cafe

Rubber Ducky Cafe is a small lobby cafe at 20 Windmill Street, Millers Point, a short walk up from the Barangaroo waterfront. It is a weekday-only espresso and quick-bite bar serving organic coffee, toasties and fresh breakfast and lunch, and it is one of the few city spots where dogs are welcome inside as well as at the outdoor tables.

The dog setup

The lobby seating takes leashed dogs, not just the street-side tables, which makes this a genuinely useful stop in wet weather or summer heat. The footprint is small and the office crowd moves through it, so keep your dog close and settled at your feet. A water bowl often appears; bring a portable one anyway given the space is tight.

Worth knowing

Hours run 7am to 3pm Monday to Friday, and the doors stay shut on Saturday and Sunday, which catches people out when planning a weekend harbour walk. The menu is unfussy and done well: toasties, banana bread, berry muffins and lighter breakfast and lunch plates, with the freshness of the food the thing reviews keep landing on. Weekday mornings before the office rush are the calm window.

Getting there and parking

Paid street parking around Windmill Street is scarce, as it is across most of Millers Point. The easiest approach is on foot from Barangaroo station or a walk down from Circular Quay through The Rocks.

While you're out there

Munn Reserve on High Street is a small grassed reserve a few streets away and runs off-lead around the clock, which is rare this close to the CBD. The Pyrmont to Darling Harbour foreshore walk stretches the legs afterwards on lead, and the Writers Walk pairs the harbour with a post-coffee loop. More city picks sit on the NSW list, and the Millers Point guide covers the neighbourhood.

Max: indoor tables AND banana bread on a rainy Tuesday. The lobby smells like good coffee and everyone who walks in says hello to me first.