Harry and Lola's

Harry and Lola's is the cafe inside the Multi-Arts Pavilion (mima) at Speers Point Park, looking straight over Lake Macquarie from 96 Creek Reserve Road. It opens Tuesday to Friday from 7:30am and weekends from 7am, closing at 2pm each day and resting on Mondays. Between the deck, the dog treats and the wall of canine visitors, it has quietly become the benchmark dog cafe on this stretch of the lake.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome across the covered deck and outdoor seating, on lead, with the lake as the backdrop. If the deck fills on a weekend, the cafe lends out picnic blankets for the surrounding grass, so you never have to give up the view. Water bowls come out automatically, and there is a dedicated stock of healthy dog treats. The paw of fame wall, where staff photograph visiting dogs, tells you everything about the priority this place puts on four-legged customers.

The menu

The kitchen runs to specialty coffee, grazing bowls, quick bites and in-house baking, with toasties a house signature; the miso eggplant toasty has its own following. Seasonal picnic packs are built to take out onto the foreshore, which pairs naturally with a blanket and a dog.

Getting there and a walk to pair

Free parking sits in the Speers Point Park lot on Creek Reserve Road, and the foreshore cycleway runs right past the door. The fenced dog park adjacent to the parklands is about 10,000 square metres with double-gate entry, agility equipment and water stations; dogs stay on lead everywhere else in the park and along the lakefront paths.

Make a day of it

Start with a run at Speers Point Fenced Dog Park, then walk across for coffee and a treat. Table 1 Espresso Speers Point and Lena's Cafe and Bar in nearby Warners Bay also take dogs, and the Speers Point guide and NSW dog friendly cafes list cover the rest.