Bandwagon Cafe

Bandwagon Cafe sits at 76 William Street in the middle of Port Macquarie's town strip, and it plays the rustic brunch card fully: timber, worn-in tables and a menu that reads like a proper brunch list rather than a display cabinet. It has become one of those cafes people plan a visit to town around, and the dog-friendly word travels with it.

The dog setup

Listings report dogs allowed both inside and outside here, and Apple Maps carries a Pets Welcome marker for the venue, which is a more generous policy than most of the William Street strip. Because that comes from listings rather than the cafe's own site, walk in ready for either arrangement and follow the staff's lead on the day. The venue does not publish opening hours through the usual channels, so check its Facebook page before you set out, as a rustic brunch kitchen often keeps shorter days than a strip cafe.

Being on the main street works in your favour with a dog in tow. The footpath out front gives you an easy outdoor fallback, and the town centre means a post-breakfast stroll is built in without moving the car. Weekday mornings are the quiet slot if your dog is still learning café manners.

Make a day of it

William Street feeds straight into the rest of Port Macquarie. Ruins Cafe is the other name regulars trade around town, and if the dog has energy left after breakfast, Stuart Park Fenced Dog Park gives a proper off-lead run. For the evening slot, Tacking Point Tavern is the local pub option on the south side of town.

For more of the coast, browse dog friendly cafes in New South Wales or the Port Macquarie guide.