Drift Kitchen

Drift Kitchen is a Scandi-leaning coffee and brunch spot at 16a Calais Road in Scarborough WA, set back from the beachfront in a space it shares with the SKOL bar across the day. The draw for dog owners is the shared courtyard: shaded, partly covered, and reached without threading your dog through a dining room.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the courtyard and alfresco zones rather than inside, with shade and partial cover making it workable through most weather. Water bowls are usually out in the outdoor area, but carry a backup since setups are not guaranteed on busy mornings.

Drift Kitchen runs the mornings and the breakfast-to-brunch menu before SKOL takes the space into the afternoon and evening, so the dog-friendly window is the earlier part of the day. Arrive before the weekend brunch rush if you want a corner courtyard spot with room to settle.

Max: shared courtyards can be noisy in the afternoon, so I do this one early. Coffee at 6am openings suits a dog far better than a 9.30am brunch queue.

The vibe

Regulars come for the friendly barista, specialty coffee and dishes like the brekky wrap and eggs benedict, with gluten free options on the menu. The Calais Road position keeps it calmer than the foreshore strip, which makes it an easy place to sit with a dog that does not love crowds.

Getting there

The cafe is a short walk from the Scarborough beachfront, with off-street parking plus street options around Calais Road. Coming from Perth it is roughly 20 minutes via Scarborough Beach Road, and the walkable approach is via the side streets rather than the busy esplanade frontage.

Make a day of it

Start with a morning run at Peasholm Dog Beach and drift back to Calais Road for the coffee. Lady Latte and The Porch Cafe are other dog-friendly Scarborough coffee stops, and Abbett Park Reserve Fenced Dog Park covers the off-lead option.

More options are on the Western Australia cafe guide and the Scarborough destination page.