AJ’s at Honeysuckle

AJ's at Honeysuckle is a casual local cafe at 28 Honeysuckle Drive, sitting right on the Honeysuckle boardwalk with the harbour as the backdrop. It is a straightforward, well-priced breakfast and lunch spot, and the outdoor tables on the boardwalk make it a handy stop mid-walk with the dog.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables, which sit directly on the boardwalk path, so there is plenty to watch but also passing foot traffic to manage. Keep your dog on a short lead and settled close to the chair. Indoors is people only, and there is no set water bowl station, so pack a portable bowl. The entry is step-free and easy to manage with a dog.

The menu

Expect classic cafe food done simply: egg breakfasts, smashed avocado, toast and rolls through the morning, then burgers, light plates and flathead for lunch. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are available, and the sausage rolls and homemade cakes get a regular mention from locals. Coffee is barista-made with a solid tea list behind it.

Worth knowing

This is a weekday venue: open roughly 7am to 4pm Monday to Friday and closed on weekends, so it fits a weekday foreshore walk rather than a Saturday outing. Paid and free street parking sits around the Honeysuckle precinct, and Newcastle Interchange is a short walk up Hunter Street if you are arriving by train.

Close by with the dogs

The boardwalk itself is on-leash all the way along the foreshore under City of Newcastle rules. For an off-lead run, Horseshoe Beach is the closest off-leash beach, a few minutes east, and the leash-free top of King Edward Park is the coastal option. MoneyPenny on the same boardwalk is another dog-friendly stop for a later drink.

More of the area's dog-friendly venues are on the Newcastle destination page, with the state list in the NSW cafes index.