Summertown Studio

Summertown Studio is a retro-industrial cafe, retail and co-working space in a converted factory at 13 Paringa Avenue, Somerton Park, pouring locally roasted coffee and stocking a curated mix of local crafts, records and vintage clothing. Dogs are welcome while you browse or grab a coffee, and it has been picked out on state-wide dog-friendly venue lists, which is rare air for a suburban cafe.

The dog setup

Well-behaved dogs are welcome under control while you sit with a coffee or browse the shop, and it is listed as pet friendly by the state tourism body and pet travel guides alike. Because the space also hosts events, it is worth confirming the setup with staff if you are planning a longer stay or turning up for live music, when the crowd changes the feel.

Worth knowing

The draw is the mix: locally roasted coffee, brownies and sandwiches from the kitchen, a loft space that runs co-working and yoga through the week, and live music on weekends. It is a creative, unhurried spot rather than a fuel-stop cafe, and browsing the shelves is half the visit. Weekdays are the quiet window; weekend sessions bring bigger crowds.

Getting there and parking

Street parking runs along Paringa Avenue and the nearby residential streets, reached easily from Diagonal Road. A coffee and a browse here then the run down to Glenelg North Dog-Friendly Beach makes a solid low-key outing, and the sand at Somerton Park beach is close by too. For the next coffee, Pav's Cafe is the other local dog-friendly stop, with Cibo Espresso up at Glenelg for the busier strip.

More of the coastal south-west is on the Somerton Park destination page and the SA cafes list.