Sunrise Cafe(Warriewood)

Sunrise Cafe is the kiosk at Warriewood Surf Life Saving Club on Narrabeen Park Parade, with outdoor tables looking straight over Warriewood Beach. It opens at 6am and welcomes dogs at the outdoor seating, which makes it about as simple as a beach-walk coffee stop gets on Sydney's northern beaches.

The dog setup

Seating is kiosk-style and outdoors, right beside the surf club, and dogs are welcome at the tables. Staff often have a water bowl out, but bring your own on hot days. Keep the lead on: this is a busy shared space with swimmers, surfers and kids moving through, so a dog that copes with foot traffic suits it best. Note that dogs are not allowed on the sand at Warriewood Beach itself, so plan your walk along the path and grass reserve rather than down to the water.

Worth knowing

Reviews keep circling back to the ocean views, the burgers and brekky wraps, and the baking, with brownies and Portuguese tarts getting regular mentions. Hours run from 6am, closing 3pm Mondays and 4pm the rest of the week. Weekend mornings are properly busy, and the tables go with the weather, so a sunny Saturday is standing-room only.

Getting there and parking

Free street parking runs along Narrabeen Park Parade but fills early on weekends. The coastal walkway delivers you to the door on foot from Mona Vale or North Narrabeen, which is the better arrival if the dog is already out with you.

While you are out there

The clifftop path north toward Mona Vale is an easy leashed leg-stretch, and the Narrabeen Lagoon Loop is the longer option for a proper morning out. See Sea Cafe is on the same strip if the queue is long, and The Brightside Cafe covers the Mona Vale end.

More options are on the NSW dog friendly cafes guide and the Warriewood destination page.

Max: go at 6:30am and you get the point of the name, a quiet table, cool air and a beach the dog can look at rather than lie on.