Cafe Laybes

Cafe Laybes is a neighbourhood cafe at 110 Maygar Street, Windsor, on Brisbane's inner north side, known locally as an easy, family-and-dog-friendly brunch stop (it traded as Outside In Cafe in an earlier life). Doors open before 6am on weekdays, so it doubles as an early coffee stop on the way to a walk.

The dog setup

Dogs on lead settle into the spacious undercover outdoor seating, with water bowls and pup snacks available on site, and the front area is flat and easy for prams and dogs alike. A small toddler play area sits out the back, which makes the cafe a practical pick for households juggling kids and a dog at the same table. Indoor seating is for people only.

Worth knowing

Hours are 5:30am to 1:30pm Monday to Friday and 6am to 1:30pm on weekends, with the kitchen winding up around 1pm. The menu covers the brunch classics: eggs Benedict with house-made hollandaise, a breaky burger, deluxe smashed avo, creamy oats and loaded bagels, plus potato cakes and toasties, all built on Elixir Coffee beans. It closes early afternoon every day, so plan breakfast or lunch, not dinner.

Getting there and parking

Maygar Street runs through the Windsor shops, with free street parking along the strip. The site is level from kerb to table, so there are no steps to negotiate with a lead in one hand.

Close by with the dogs

The Kedron Brook corridor is the natural leg-stretcher nearby, with waterside paths and off-leash zones marked along its length. On PawScapes you can point the lead at Northey Street Park fenced dog park, the Windsor off leash dog area or Alma Park West before or after eating. More choices are listed on the Windsor destination page and in the Queensland dog friendly cafes guide.

Max: the undercover courtyard keeps the tables usable through Brisbane's summer storms, so a grey forecast does not cancel the coffee run.