South Beach Cafe

South Beach Cafe sits on Ocean Road at the bottom of the South Fremantle beach strip, a few steps from the sand and the dog exercise area beside it. Swim first, then walk up for breakfast with a salt-dried dog beside your table.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome across the covered patio and alfresco seating, which is where the ocean views are anyway, so there is no trade-off between the good table and the good company. Water bowls are usually out, and dog treats can be bought at the counter if your copilot has earned one. The one exclusion is the grassed area directly around the cafe, so steer around it on arrival.

Worth knowing

The kitchen runs breakfast and lunch from 6am to 5:30pm every day, which makes this a genuine early-start option before the beach warms up. Fish and chips, the bacon and egg roll and the smoothies carry the menu, and it is the location doing the heavy lifting rather than anything fancy. On weekends the deck fills fast with swimmers and their dogs, so expect to share the view.

Getting there and parking

The address is 9 Ocean Road, South Fremantle, at the South Beach end. There is a public car park right at South Beach, but it fills early on weekends and warm afternoons, so arrive before mid-morning for a spot near the sand.

Close by with the dogs

The South Beach Dog Off Leash Area is right next door for a run before or after, and Fremantle Groyne adds a longer on-leash stretch along the breakwater. If the caffeine has not landed, Third Wheel Cafe South Fremantle pours specialty coffee up on South Terrace.

Pepsi: swim first, eat after. Wet fur dries fast in the sea breeze and nobody here minds a damp tail.

More dog friendly spots are listed under the Western Australian cafes listing, and the South Fremantle area guide pulls together everything nearby.