The Happy Apple Cafe

The Happy Apple Cafe is an art, craft and garden cafe at 2 Crooks Valley Road, Crystal Creek, on the scenic tourist drive towards Numinbah Valley and about ten minutes from Murwillumbah. It is a vegetarian cafe that has been making everything from scratch since 2008, set in garden seating with escarpment views, and the garden is where dogs are welcome. The owners' own FAQ puts it plainly: pet friendly, outdoor dining, love dogs.

The dog setup

Dogs can join you in the outdoor garden dining area, not inside the cafe and gallery spaces. The house rules are straightforward: your dog should be friendly and used to being around other dogs and people, kept on a lead at all times, and kept clear of walkways, doorways and entrances so other guests can move around. The garden gives a leashed dog room to settle, and the site is flat with full wheelchair access, which makes arriving and parking easy.

Worth knowing

There is no meat on the menu at all, and no fried, poached or scrambled egg dishes either; the kitchen leans on baked frittatas, falafel wraps, nachos and a nutty millet sweet potato pie that regulars keep coming back for. Plenty of dishes are fully vegan, and the raw cakes, desserts and homemade ice cream are gluten free and dairy free. Coffee is Bastion Lane from Uki, with bags available to take home. Hours are Thursday to Sunday, 8am to 3pm, closed the first three days of the week; check socials around public holidays.

Getting there and parking

Turn off Numinbah Road into Crooks Valley Road and the cafe is at the corner. There is onsite parking right by the front doors, so the walk in with a dog is a short one. The venue doubles as an art and craft space with a gift shop, so there is something to browse while your food is made fresh to order, which can take a little time when it is busy.

Close by with the dogs

For a bigger outing, Hosanna Farmstay at Stokers Siding is a working farm with camping and day visits, and House of Gabriel across the river at Tumbulgum is another garden-set stop in the valley. More options are listed on the Crystal Creek destination page and the full NSW restaurants index.