Custard Canteen

Custard Canteen is a casual cafe and bakery right beside Tallebudgera Creek on the Gold Coast Highway, and because the seating is entirely outdoors it is one of the more dog-easy stops in Palm Beach. There is no indoor area to worry about: the undercover courtyard and outdoor tables are effectively the whole venue, so a post-walk coffee or a bag of pastries with the dog is completely normal here.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome throughout the courtyard and outdoor tables, and water bowls are provided, which takes the planning out of a stop. Keep your dog on lead and close, though: this is a high-traffic spot with walkers, swimmers and families passing between the creek and the cafe all morning, so a dog that settles rather than greets everyone makes the visit smoother.

Worth knowing

The Portuguese custard tarts are the signature and the reason the queue forms, backed by croissants, sausage rolls, muffins, gourmet burgers and solid coffee. The bacon and egg roll covers the breakfast crowd. It trades seven days, opening early and closing mid afternoon, so it is a morning-and-lunch venue rather than a late one.

Pepsi: go early. The tarts sell through and the courtyard fills with prams and dogs by mid morning, so a 7am table is a calmer one.

Getting there and parking

The cafe is at 1525 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach, with the large unmetered Tallebudgera Creek council car park right beside it. Street parking nearby fills fast, so the council car park is the safer bet on weekends. Doors open 5:30am Mondays and 6am the rest of the week, closing at 2:30pm each day.

Make a day of it

Tallebudgera Creek runs alongside for a long waterside walk, and the Palm Beach off leash dog beach is a short hop north for a proper run. For more coffee, Dune Cafe and Third Base Cafe are both nearby, and Melaleuca Dog Park gives a fenced option a little further south.

More options are on the Queensland dog friendly cafes guide and the Palm Beach destination page.