Brew Tales Wickham

Brew Tales is a casual, dog-friendly coffee spot on Throsby St in Wickham, on Newcastle's inner-west fringe. It is a locals' espresso bar with quality single-origin beans, an early start and a small outdoor area where the dog is welcome, and it sits handily for a walk along the Throsby Creek waterfront and the marina.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the small outdoor seating area out front. Keep dogs on a lead, in line with council rules for dog-friendly food businesses, and staff are known to be welcoming to pets, though it is worth confirming the water bowl is out on a hot day. This is a coffee-and-toasties kind of place rather than a long brunch destination with a dog at your feet.

Pepsi: arrive before 7am and the whole front area is yours. By 8 the takeaway queue runs out the door and the pavement gets busy for a dog.

Worth knowing

The coffee is the reason people come, backed by a breakfast menu that includes the house special, acai bowls and the much-ordered chicken, cheese and avo toastie. Hours run 6am to 2pm on weekdays and 6am to midday on weekends, so it is a morning venue. Weekday mornings get busy with the local trade.

Getting there and parking

Brew Tales is on Throsby St in Wickham. Free street parking is usually available nearby, though it fills up on busy mornings, and Wickham station is within walking distance if you are coming by train.

Make a day of it

Hawkins Oval is 700 to 800 metres west for a stretch of the legs, and the Wickham Marina waterfront is a short walk away. For a coffee crawl, West End Cafe and Ground Up Espresso in Carrington are both dog-friendly nearby. Hamilton Dog Park gives the dog an off-lead run, and Newcastle Dogs Beach is the city's dedicated stretch of sand.

More options are on the New South Wales dog-friendly cafes guide and the Wickham destination page.