Margot Espresso Bar

Margot Espresso Bar sits in the West Kiosk on Queen Elizabeth Terrace, right on the Lake Burley Griffin foreshore in Parkes. It is an alfresco espresso and wine bar in the European style, and because all of the seating is outdoors under trees and umbrellas, there is no indoor-versus-outside question to sort out with your dog. Leashed dogs settle in beside the table while you work through Seven Miles coffee, pastries or a cheese board, and the terrace looks straight across the water.

The dog setup

The whole venue is the terrace, so dogs are welcome throughout the open-air seating as long as they stay on lead and tucked in by your chair. There is no set water station, so bring a collapsible bowl, particularly on warm mornings when the foreshore path is busy. The kiosk format keeps things quick, which suits a mid-walk coffee stop more than a long brunch.

The vibe

Mornings run on coffee, croque monsieur, banana bread and toasties; from mid-morning into the afternoon there is wine, craft beer and cheese boards for anyone stretching a lakeside stop into a longer sit. It is a people-and-dog-watching spot on the Bridge to Bridge path, with a direct line of sight across the lake. The Bridge to Bridge Loop passes right by, so many arrivals are on foot rather than by car.

Getting there and parking

You will find it on Queen Elizabeth Terrace in Parkes, a short walk from Commonwealth Bridge along the northern foreshore. Public parking sits close by along the terrace and fills early on sunny weekends, so aim for a morning arrival or walk in from the parliamentary side. The lakeside shared path runs past the door.

Close by with the dogs

The foreshore out front is made for an on-lead lap before coffee. If you want more, Lager House by Capital Brewing Co pours a short walk along the terrace, and Walter Cafe is another dog-friendly stop nearby.

More options are on the ACT dog friendly cafes guide and the Parkes destination page.

Max: open-air kiosk right on the lake path, so the walk does the warming up and the toastie does the rest. Bring a bowl and aim early on weekends.