Saltwater Cafe

Saltwater Cafe sits right on Terralong Street, Kiama's waterfront strip, and it is first and foremost a seafood house: fish and chips, the seafood basket and calamari are the orders that define it, and the saltwater in the name is not a pose. Dogs are welcome in the alfresco outdoor dining area along Terralong Street, on a leash and under control, per the Kiama tourism listing and the Illawarra dog friendly dining guides that keep recommending it. That is a natural fit for a town where the harbourside walk is the main event.

Hours run 7:30am to 3:30pm Monday to Thursday, later on Friday nights, and long weekends: 7am to 7pm Saturday and 7am to 5pm Sunday. Live music turns up in the mix, and the kitchen handles the halal requirements that few waterfront outlets bother with. The alfresco tables put you close to the harbour action, and the turnover is quick enough that the wait for an outdoor table rarely gets painful even at the Saturday peak.

Worth knowing

Terralong Street parking is the busiest in town and Kiama's waterfront fills on any day with decent weather, so the early or late ends of service are the relaxed visits. The alfresco area is shared footpath territory, so a dog that settles and stays put makes the meal easier for everyone. Because the dog welcome is documented by the tourism listing and dining guides rather than a venue policy page, a quick word with staff when seated keeps everything smooth, particularly at Saturday dinner pace.

Make a day of it

The full Kiama dog day writes itself: the blowhole walk in the morning, fish and chips here for lunch. Becks is the coffee stop a block back, Kiama Surf Beach Holiday Park is the pet friendly overnight option, and the Lovs Bay via Blowholes trail is the walk that anchors it. Our Kiama guide ties it together.