The Bay Sandgate

The Bay on Flinders Parade is a waterfront cafe with one of the better positions in Sandgate: outdoor seating looking straight across Moreton Bay, and trading hours that start at 6am most days. The morning walk-and-coffee circuit along the foreshore is the reason the early tables fill, and the same circuit is why dogs are part of the furniture here.

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating overlooking the bay, per the cafe's Google listing - a visitor-reported policy rather than one published by the venue. Dog friendliness shows up in the venue's own review topics, which is a good sign it is routine rather than occasional. The foreshore path runs right past the tables, so the practical pattern is a leash-free foreshore session first, then an on-lead settle at an outdoor table.

The vibe

The menu leans coastal without being novelty: bacon and egg burgers, fish and chips and a chicken souvlaki give it range past the usual brunch board, and the bay view does the rest of the selling. Hours stretch later on weekends - to 5pm Saturday and Sunday - which makes it a rare option for a late waterfront lunch in the suburb. Weekday afternoons quiet down after the lunch rush, which is when the dog tables are easiest to get.

Make a day of it

The Sandgate Foreshore Park Dog Off Leash Area sits along the same waterfront, so a swim-then-breakfast circuit is easy. Curlew Park Fenced Dog Park is the fenced alternative nearby, and Capulet & Co is another dog-friendly table in the suburb for a second visit. Parking runs along Flinders Parade; more in the Sandgate destination guide and the QLD dog-friendly cafes list.