Grit & Grind

Grit & Grind is the weekday engine room of Murray Rose Avenue, pouring from 6am for the Olympic Park office crowd and closing at 3:30pm, Monday to Friday. Reviewers call it out as dog-friendly, and it makes a natural coffee-and-bacon-and-egg-roll stop either side of a lap of the parklands.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor and footpath seating, and there is a courtyard as well; inside is service animals only. The weekend closure means this is strictly a weekday plan, which suits the early-walk crowd: doors open at 6am, so a dawn session on the fields followed by coffee here lines up neatly. Bring your own water bowl rather than expecting one to be set out.

The vibe

Solid espresso and quick, filling food: wraps, sandwiches, salads and poke bowls, with the bacon and egg roll and the chicken sandwich the popular orders. Mid-week mornings get brisk as the surrounding towers empty out, so either come early or be ready for a short wait. Weekends are quiet by design, the suburb empties and the whole precinct belongs to the walkers.

Max: Quick coffee, big roll, and a whole precinct of paths waiting outside the door.

Getting there

The cafe is at 5 Murray Rose Avenue, a very short walk from Olympic Park Station. The P5 car park on Hill Road is within walking distance, and there is street parking on Murray Rose Avenue, though it fills fast on weekday mornings.

Close by with the dogs

The main off-leash field is a short walk away behind the P5 car park, and the wider dog rules are worth knowing: keep dogs leashed around the town centre, and the wetlands, the Brickpit Ring Walk and Newington Armory are all off-limits. The Sydney Olympic Park off-leash area is the go-to for a proper run, Balloderry Hill adds a short climb, and PLATE CAFE is the other dog-friendly coffee stop in the precinct. More dog friendly cafes in NSW and the Sydney Olympic Park guide are on site.