5 Church Street

5 Church Street is a cafe by day and a restaurant and live music spot by night, on Bellingen's main commercial strip. The dog-friendly pitch is simple: the outdoor tables set under the vines along Church Street, where a settled dog at your feet is part of the furniture and staff will usually bring a water bowl out.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables only; the indoor dining room stays people-only. The verandah is shaded by the vines and holds up well on a warm Bellingen afternoon, and there is enough room between tables for families with prams and dogs without anyone feeling squeezed. Service runs all day, seven days a week except Wednesdays, so an early weekday brunch is the quietest slot with a dog. Keep the lead short once the footpath fills, and pack a portable bowl as backup on market weekends when staff are flat out.

The menu

Breakfast runs from 7am, with dishes like Eggs Holly (poached eggs, hollandaise and greens on sourdough) and a loaded avo toast. The kitchen stretches well past brunch: Vietnamese goat curry, Moroccan roast vegetable dahl, banh mi and small plates carry through to dinner, and there are gluten-free bread options and house-made cakes alongside the coffee. Nights bring cocktails, wine, beer and live music from time to time, which makes the early evening slot the pick if your dog is noise-tolerant, and a morning visit the safer bet if it is not.

Getting there

The cafe sits on Church Street, Bellingen's main strip, with street parking along the strip and the side streets behind it. It gets tight on the third Saturday of the month when the Bellingen Markets take over the town, so arrive early or park out and walk in. The drive from Coffs Harbour is about half an hour on Waterfall Way.

Close by with the dogs

For a walk before or after, the dog beach at Urunga is 20 minutes east where the Kalang meets the sea, and back in town the Charlies at Church courtyard is the other main-street option when 5 Church Street is packed. Staying over, the Bellingen Showgrounds camping ground is walking distance from the strip.

See more dog friendly restaurants in NSW or browse Bellingen.