Dippin Dots (Royal Copenhagen Warners Bay)

Dippin Dots operates inside the Royal Copenhagen ice cream shop at 478 The Esplanade, Warners Bay, directly opposite the Lake Macquarie foreshore. For dog owners the important part is simple: the casual tables out the front are open to dogs, so a foreshore walk can end with a sundae and a seated dog rather than a tether outside a door.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor footpath tables only; the counter inside is quick-service and the treats are for humans. There are no dog-specific items on the menu and water bowls are not guaranteed, so pack a bowl and water of your own. Keep the leash short: the tables sit close to The Esplanade road and the nearby roundabout, and this is a busy strip on summer evenings.

Worth knowing

The menu spans Royal Copenhagen scoops and sundaes alongside the Dippin Dots range, with milkshakes in the mix. Hours run 10am to 10pm every day of the week, later than most of the cafe strip along the esplanade, which makes it a practical last stop after an evening walk rather than a mid-morning coffee call. Seating is plastic tables and chairs, unpretentious and aimed at people passing through.

Getting there and parking

The address is 478 The Esplanade, in the shop strip on the Warners Bay waterfront. Free street parking runs along The Esplanade and there is a free rear carpark behind the shops. The foreshore path crosses the road directly out front, so the natural routine is a lake walk with a dessert stop at the end.

Close by with the dogs

Along the same strip, Lena's Cafe and Bar and Hippo Espresso cover the coffee end of the day, and the Speers Point Fenced Dog Park is a short drive north if the dog needs a proper off-lead run.

For more places to eat and drink around the lake, browse other dog friendly pubs in New South Wales or plan a visit around Warners Bay.