The Banksia Tree Cafe

The Banksia Tree Cafe occupies a corner of St Vincent Street in Port Adelaide, opening 8am to 3pm every day. The menu leans local and produce driven: banana bread, french toast, hash browns and the usual bacon and egg fundamentals, all served in a cafe that has built a strong following in the suburb. It is a sit down, linger over the table kind of place rather than a grab and go counter.

Dog friendly directories report that dogs are welcome in the outdoor patio seating, and the cafe goes further than most: it runs a dedicated dog menu called the Little Bark-sia Tree, with treats including puppy party pies. Water is available for dogs at the patio tables, and staff are relaxed about dogs settling in for the length of a full breakfast.

The patio and the port

St Vincent Street is the spine of Port Adelaide's cafe strip, and the patio puts you in the middle of it. The suburb works well as a walking loop with a dog: the wharf precinct, the dolphin spots along the Port River and the heritage streets are all within a few blocks. Weekend mornings are the busiest, so if you want a patio table with space for a larger dog, aim for a weekday sitting or an early arrival.

Pair it with

Other dog friendly stops on the same strip include Milledge's Cafe up the road, and for dinner the Port Admiral Hotel and The Lighthouse Wharf Hotel both take dogs in their outdoor areas. Salty Dog Seafood and Grill on the wharf covers a seafood lunch if the mood swings that way.

Check the cafe's website or Instagram before a special occasion visit, since the dog menu items and seasonal plates change, and confirm patio seating is available if you are bringing a larger dog on a busy weekend morning.