Elephant Grounds Cafe

Elephant Grounds is a friendly local cafe at 7b/550 Christine Avenue in Robina, open seven days for breakfast and lunch, and it leans genuinely dog-friendly rather than merely tolerating dogs at the edge. It has turned up on Gold Coast best dog-friendly cafe lists, and regulars report their dogs get free treats on arrival, which is the kind of thing that turns a cafe into a habit. The coffee has a strong local reputation, and the kitchen's homemade sweets, including NZ lolly cake, carrot and walnut cake and salted-caramel brownie, do the rest.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the al fresco outdoor dining area, which is casual and easy to settle a dog beside you. Staff are known for being good with dogs and homemade treats appear often, but bring your own water bowl so your dog has a drink the moment you sit down. The plaza setting keeps things flat and uncomplicated for a settle.

Worth knowing

Hours run 6am to 2pm Monday to Saturday and 6am to 1pm Sunday, so this is firmly a breakfast-and-lunch operation. The quietest window is before the mid-morning brunch rush, and early arrivals get the pick of the outdoor tables.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits in a small plaza on Christine Avenue with parking out front, which tightens through the peak morning hours. Christine Avenue and the surrounding streets are flat and easy for a pre- or post-coffee walk with the dog.

Close by with the dogs

For an off-leash run either side of coffee, the Robina Common Fenced Dog Park is a short drive. Signature Cafe Robina is another accommodating dog-friendly stop near the town centre, and Kudo Bros Espresso Bar & Kitchen keeps the Christine Avenue circuit going.

More options are on the Queensland dog friendly cafes guide and the Robina destination page.

Pepsi: free treat on arrival, BYO water bowl, and a fenced park run before the eggs benedict.