KOVI Cafe

KOVI Cafe is a small, well-rated coffee spot in Ormeau, at Shop 11, 3 Vaughan Drive, and it has put its hand up as officially dog-friendly. If you want a genuine coffee date with the dog rather than grudging footpath tolerance, this is the northern Gold Coast cafe built for it.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor dining area, where water bowls are provided and treats often go around. The stand-out detail: they make a puppuccino with lactose-free milk and turmeric, which is more thought than most cafes put into the canine menu. Keep your dog under control and off the chairs and tables, and everyone wins.

Worth knowing

The reputation is coffee-led, with careful latte art and a focus on fresh, layered matcha drinks and smoothies rather than a big kitchen. It is a warm, local-feeling room rather than a large one, so weekend mornings fill quickly and the Vaughan Drive counter seats run out early. Hours run 6am to 2pm on weekdays and 6am to noon on weekends, making it an early-doors kind of place.

Getting there and parking

Vaughan Drive sits in the Ormeau commercial pocket, with street parking and spaces in the surrounding complexes the usual approach, and the M1 is minutes away if you are passing through.

Close by with the dogs

Vennor Reserve Fenced Dog Park is the local fully fenced run with agility gear, and At the Willow Tree Cafe and Lil-Ego Kiosk are the other Ormeau coffee stops that keep outdoor space for dogs.

The Queensland dog friendly cafes guide and the Ormeau destination page have more options.

Pepsi: a cafe that offers a lactose-free puppuccino has thought about dogs properly. Worth the visit for that alone.