Canter & Colt

Canter & Colt on Main Street is Samford Village's health focused organic cafe, and the pet friendly status is listed on the Australian Good Food Guide and shows up regularly in community posts, including group puppuchino outings. The alfresco and outdoor seating is where dogs are welcome under control, and that is where most of the village seems to end up anyway on a Saturday morning. It opens 7am to 1pm every day of the week, a schedule that suits the early riding and walking crowd the Samford Valley attracts.

The menu runs organic, vegan friendly and gluten free without losing the crowd pleasers: the acai bowl is a signature, banana bread, smoothies and cold pressed juices fill out the list, and the gluten free options are real menu items rather than an afterthought. For dog owners, the combination of an early start and outdoor tables makes it a natural stop either side of a walk in the surrounding hills. Staff handle the regulars, human and otherwise, with the ease of a venue that knows its clientele.

Worth knowing

The 1pm close is early, so this is a breakfast and lunch venue, not an afternoon one. Because the dog friendly listing comes from an aggregator and community posts rather than the venue's own written policy, confirm a table outdoors when you arrive with your dog, particularly in busy periods. Main Street parking is straightforward on weekdays and workable on weekends if you arrive before nine. Samford Village is a 25 minute drive from central Brisbane, and the road in through the valley is half the appeal.

While you're out there

Make it a village day: Market Burger is the other dog friendly eat in the same strip when you want something heartier, and our Samford Village guide pulls the area together. The Queensland cafe list covers the broader map for road trip planning.