The Alleyway Richmond

The Alleyway is a rustic sandwich and coffee spot off Windsor Street in Richmond, in Sydney's Hawkesbury, tucked down a laneway at Shop 2/304 Windsor Street that is easy to walk past if you do not know it is there. It is a sandwich shop first and a cafe second, and dogs are welcome at the outdoor seating in the alley itself.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the laneway seating, on lead and settled beside the stools and small tables. It is casual and compact rather than a proper courtyard, and it is a quick-stop cafe rather than a lingering one, which suits a dog happy with a short leashed pause. Bring your own water bowl rather than counting on one being offered. The entrance is easy to miss, so their Instagram is worth a check if you cannot find the lane.

Pepsi: Grab a snitty sanga, take the stool by the lane and let the dog watch the Windsor Street foot traffic. Twenty minutes, everyone wins.

The food

The house style is thick-cut gourmet sangas with ONA coffee to match. The peri peri chicken schnitzel sandwiches are the signature, alongside a Snitty Caesar, a Reuben, an Italian and breakfast rolls until 11am. Hours are Monday 10:30am to 2pm, Tuesday to Friday 8am to 2pm and Saturday 7:30am to 2pm, closed Sundays, so it runs on weekday and Saturday mornings rather than as a weekend brunch spot.

Getting there and parking

The laneway sits just off Windsor Street, Richmond's main strip. Street parking runs along Windsor Street and the side streets and tightens on busy mornings; parking near the Coles car park and walking in is the reliable backup.

Nearby with the dogs

For a run before the sandwiches, Pound Paddock at the corner of Blacktown Road and Bourke Street is Hawkesbury council's designated off-leash paddock in Richmond, and Pool Park Fenced Dog Park in South Windsor is the nearest fully fenced option. In Windsor itself, The Second Home Cafe is the other dog-friendly coffee stop worth pairing.

More options across the Hawkesbury are on the Richmond destination page and in the NSW cafes index.