Brick Lane Espresso

Brick Lane Espresso is the neighbourhood cafe in Philip Mall, West Pymble, pouring Goliath Coffee Roasters beans and a modern breakfast and brunch menu from 6am, seven days a week with a 7am Sunday start. It has a genuine local following among dog owners, who treat the front outdoor tables as their regular pitch.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor seating out the front, leashed and beside you, and staff have a reputation for looking after canine regulars with treats and water. The umbrella-shaded tables are roomy enough for a dog to settle without blocking the walkway through the mall. Indoor tables are for humans only, and the indoor room gets loud at peak anyway, so most dog owners stay outside. Weekend mid-morning is the busy window; early morning is calm.

The vibe

The kitchen is the draw alongside the coffee: corn fritters, chilli scrambled eggs, crab omelette and French toast all get name-checked by regulars, and the presentation is a step above mall-cafe standard. Service is friendly and unhurried, and the crowd is local families and dog walkers rather than pass-through traffic.

Getting there

The cafe is at Shop 21, Philip Mall on Kendall Street, West Pymble, with free parking in the open-air mall car park directly out front. Buses run along Kendall Street and the Pacific Highway is a few minutes away.

Pepsi: order the corn fritters, take the umbrella table nearest the garden edge and settle in. The staff remember a good dog, and the water bowl appears without asking.

Pair the visit with Lofberg Fenced Dog Park on Yanko Road for an off-leash run, or South Turramurra Dog Oval a few suburbs over. The Pymble Pantry is the alternative dog-friendly cafe stop nearby.

More options are on the New South Wales cafes guide and the West Pymble destination page.