@Mondays

@Mondays hides down the John Street Arcade in the middle of Cabramatta's shopping strip, a plant-filled cafe-restaurant that feels a world away from the crowds on the street outside. Dogs are allowed in the outdoor seating areas, and the garden-style tables out back are where you eat with yours.

The dog setup

Leashed dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables, not inside the main dining room. The garden area is compact and the tables sit close together, so it suits a dog that lies down and stays put rather than a socialiser with opinions about every passerby. Bring your own water bowl to be safe; staff are accommodating but the space is small and the service is run tight. Confirm at the door that an outdoor table is open before you sit, since policies and layouts at small cafes can shift.

On the plate

The menu runs Asian-Western fusion across breakfast and lunch: eggs benny, smashed avo and baked eggs sit alongside Vietnamese plates, burgers and a solid vegetarian and vegan range. The drink list is the real signature, led by the salty Vietnamese coffee (ca phe muoi) with its salty-sweet cream foam, plus traditional Vietnamese iced coffee and bac xiu. Hours run 7am to 5pm every day, with public-holiday variations announced on their Instagram.

Getting there and parking

The cafe is at Shop 6/88 John Street, Cabramatta, through the arcade off the main strip. Cabramatta station is a few minutes' walk. Street parking is tight given how busy the strip gets, so the council carparks off Dutton Lane and Fisher Street are the reliable fallback.

Close by with the dogs

For a proper leg-stretch before or after, Fairfield Park Fenced Dog Park is a few minutes' drive away, and the Fairfield Park Boathouse & Tea Gardens by the park's lake is a dog-friendly stop in its own right. Hoppa and Joe in Fairfield is another outdoor-table option for the next visit. More local picks are on the Cabramatta guide and the NSW restaurants list.