Collins Lane Cafe

Collins Lane Cafe sits in the mural-lined Collins Laneway behind New South Head Road in Rose Bay, a colourful pocket of street art with one of the more genuine dog welcomes in the eastern suburbs. The proof is on the menu: a Doglato made for canine visitors, served while their humans work through the brunch board.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor laneway seating, a relaxed, art-filled space where a leashed dog can settle close to the table. The laneway is pedestrian-friendly, which takes the traffic stress out of the visit. The Doglato is the headline, but water for dogs is easy to sort in a spot built around people lingering outside.

Worth knowing

The coffee uses locally roasted beans, and the kitchen's steak sandwich and fresh brunch plates get regular mentions, as does the matcha. Hours run from 7am, closing at 3pm early in the week and 4pm the rest of the week and on weekends. Weekday mornings are the easy window for a laneway table; weekends pull a crowd heading to the water, so arrive early or expect a wait.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits behind 716 New South Head Road near the Collins Avenue corner. Street parking around New South Head Road is limited and usually time-capped, so the Lyne Park car park by the water a short walk away is the more reliable bet on busy days.

Close by with the dogs

Rose Bay's dog-friendly beach and the Lyne Park foreshore paths are only minutes away, so coffee and a swim pair naturally. For another stop in the suburb, Sugar+Spoon sits up the same road with outdoor seating of its own.

More options are on the New South Wales dog friendly cafes guide and the Rose Bay destination page.

Pepsi: a gelato with my name on it, in a lane full of murals. Rose Bay gets it right.