Padoka Cafe

Padoka Cafe operates from the ground floor of the Allure Hotel and Apartments on McIlwraith St, bringing Brazilian baking to South Townsville. The small outdoor dining area explicitly welcomes dogs, and the cafe's own posts show water bowls put out and a complimentary pup cup for visiting dogs.

Dogs on the terrace

The outdoor area is compact, so the welcome is genuine but the space is limited, which makes weekday mornings the comfortable window. Water bowls go out for dogs and the pup cup is offered without an ask, per the cafe's own social posts. Staff point out where the dog settles most easily, and the hotel entrance beside the cafe keeps arrivals calm rather than rushed. Staff get repeated mentions from visitors for being welcoming all round.

On the plate

The Brazilian side of the menu is the point: pao de queijo, the warm cheese bread that gives the cafe its name, plus acai bowls and a rotating sweets case that has included carrot cake. Kottu roti brings a Sri Lankan note, and the dirty chai earns steady praise. There is a play area for kids, which keeps it family friendly as well as dog friendly.

Getting there

Padoka is on the ground floor at 68 McIlwraith St, South Townsville, open 7:30am to 1pm Monday through Saturday and closed Sundays. Street parking runs along McIlwraith St and the surrounding grid, and the Strand is a short drive north.

Close by with the dogs

Levanti, Skull and Swallow and PB & Js are all in the suburb, which makes South Townsville a strong run of dog-friendly coffee stops within a few blocks.

More options around South Townsville are on the suburb guide.