The Curious Caravan Café

The Curious Caravan is a vintage 1975 caravan parked on the grounds of Pullenvale Hall at 302 Grandview Road, pouring specialty coffee to a loyal morning crowd in one of Brisbane's quietest corners. Dog walkers are the heart of that crowd, and the whole setup is built around being outside.

The dog setup

All seating is outdoors, on benches and rustic tables spread across the hall's lawn and gardens, so dogs on lead are easy to manage here. Water bowls are available on request and there is plenty of grass to settle on in the shade. Note that the hall grounds are not a council off-leash area, so the lead stays on the whole visit; the setting of hillside views and grazing ponies next door is best enjoyed at a relaxed walk anyway.

Worth knowing

Coffee comes from small-batch roasters with alternative milks on offer, and the treats rotate: local bakes, sweet and savoury options, and a good run of vegan and gluten-free choices. There is a community book library on site and kids get lawn games, which keeps the atmosphere unhurried. Trading hours are the catch: Monday to Friday 5.30am to midday only, with occasional Saturday markets announced on the caravan's Facebook page. Plan a weekday dawn patrol rather than a weekend lie-in.

Pepsi: five thirty in the morning, mist on the paddocks, and a puppaccino before the city wakes up.

Getting there and parking

Pullenvale Hall sits on Grandview Road in Pullenvale, about 20 minutes' drive west of the Brisbane CBD. Parking is free and on site, and the grounds are a short drive from the Moggill Road corridor through Kenmore and Bellbowrie.

Make a day of it

For off-lead time after your coffee, the Pioneer Crescent Park fenced dog park at Bellbowrie and the Blackbutt Place fenced dog park at Brookfield are both nearby, with Brisbane City Council requiring effective control of your dog in any designated off-leash zone. Closer to the Moggill Creek corridor, the Rafting Ground Reserve at Brookfield has off-leash sections along the water.

More of the west side is in the Pullenvale guide and the Queensland dog-friendly cafes list; The Olive Grove Cafe at Kenmore is a reliable follow-on stop with proper hours.