Saltation Café

Saltation Cafe operates out of the Port Bouvard Surf Life Saving Club on Southport Boulevard in Dawesville, right at Pyramids Beach. It is a casual beachside kitchen doing breakfast, lunch and dinner with sea views over the water, and the alfresco area at the surf club is where dogs are welcome. Trading days are limited, generally Friday to Sunday, so it is a weekend sort of place.

The dog setup

Dogs join you in the outdoor alfresco seating, where the breeze off the Indian Ocean does most of the air-conditioning. It gets popular with other dog owners on fine mornings, so arrive early for a comfortable table. Because the club setting means layouts can change, confirm the current dog arrangement with staff when you arrive, and carry your own water bowl in case the outdoor tables are full or none are out.

Worth knowing

The menu leans beach-club casual: cheeseburgers, chips and coffee through the day, with stone-baked pizza and pasta specials in the evening. Reviewers consistently call out the view from the balcony and the friendly service. Given the surf club position, expect swimmers, nippers and weekend noise, which suits confident dogs and can overwhelm quiet ones.

Getting there and parking

The address is 101 Southport Boulevard, Dawesville, at the end of the Port Bouvard peninsula. Parking is in the surf club car park, generally available outside peak swim hours, and the walk from the car to the alfresco deck is short and flat.

While you are out there

The sand is the bonus. The City of Mandurah designates a stretch of Dawesville beach southwest of the Pyramids Beach car park as a dog off-leash area, so check the on-site signage for boundaries near the patrolled swim zone before letting your dog off the lead. For a structured walk, the Melros Beach Walk runs along the nearby coast, and Friar Tuck's House across the channel in Wannanup is another dog-friendly stop if you are making a loop of it.

More options around the suburb are on the Dawesville destination page, and the full run is in the Western Australia restaurants guide.

Pepsi: Salt water first, chips second. The deck fills with other dogs by mid-morning, so if mine wants a calm breakfast we get there when the doors open.