Deep Blue Cafe

Deep Blue Cafe sits right on the Esplanade at Moana, on Adelaide's southern coast, with its outdoor seating looking over the beach. Dogs are allowed in the outdoor area overlooking the coast per the venue's Google listing, so the seafront tables are the dog zone. Hours swing widely by day: 9am to 2pm Wednesday to Friday, 8:30am to 8:30pm Saturday, 8:30am to 4pm Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday.

The menu drifts well past cafe standards. Pizza, a seafood basket, garlic bread and squid are the orders that recur, and the sunset view is its own draw on summer evenings when the deck catches the best of the light. Weekend dinner service makes it one of the few dog-viable evening options on this stretch of coast, which is why the Saturday slot is the one to plan around. The deck fills early on clear evenings, so claim a table before the light turns.

Worth knowing

Moana's beach follows the Onkaparinga council's seasonal dog rules, which change with the time of year and by zone, so read the beach signage before settling in for a long stay with the dog. The cafe's weekday close at 2pm surprises people arriving mid-afternoon, and the 3pm-to-dusk gap on weekdays is a genuine gap. Saturday night is the busiest service of the week; booking or arriving early applies.

Make a day of it

Moana's strip is compact enough to cover on foot. DUKE'S Cafe is the other coffee stop along the Esplanade, Pony@Moana is the newer addition up the road, and the Moana Beach Tourist Park puts a pet-friendly base directly behind the dunes. Our Moana guide and the South Australia cafe list cover the coast road from Brighton down to Port Noarlunga.