Peckish on the Park

Peckish on the Park does what its name promises: the open air tables look straight over the reserve opposite Graham Street, and visitors regularly settle in with dogs at those outside tables. There is no published policy on the venue's pages, so this rests on reported practice, keep your dog leashed at your feet and pick a table clear of the door.

The dog setup

The outdoor seating is the whole play with a dog, and the park view is doing the work: the reserve opposite gives the eye somewhere to rest and gives your dog something to watch. Hours are weekday only, 6am to 3pm Monday to Friday, with the cafe closed on weekends, which surprises visitors who roll up on a Saturday. Early morning is the sweet spot, when the park is quiet and the counter cakes are all still there.

The cabinet is the draw. Home made cakes, including a lemon curd cake that gets named in reviews, sit alongside wraps and a satay chicken rice paper roll that has its own following, plus gluten free options for the coeliac in the group. Staff get steady praise for being happy, and it reads: this is a low fuss counter service room, not a destination diner.

Close by with the dogs

Nowra makes an easy dog day. Nowra fenced dog park is a few minutes' drive for the off lead leg of the morning, and The Tea Club Cafe is a reported dog friendly backup in town if the parkside tables are full. If you are making a weekend of it despite the weekday hours, Nowra Showground is a dog friendly base close to town.

Street parking runs along Graham Street out front with the reserve edge as overflow. The Nowra destination page gathers the town's dog friendly venues, and the New South Wales cafes guide extends the coverage up and down the south coast.