The Corner Restaurant

The Corner Restaurant is a light-filled breakfast and brunch spot at 2/11 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie, and it has a well-earned reputation as one of the town's most dog-friendly tables. Locals time their morning walks to finish here, and the relaxed service and outdoor seating make it an easy habit to repeat.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor seating, where staff have a consistent track record of greeting canine guests and bringing out water bowls. The covered outdoor tables sit off the main footpath, so there is a contained spot to settle a dog beside the table without constant foot traffic. Indoor seating stays people-only. Arrive early on weekends: the dog-walking crowd finds this place too, and the best outdoor tables go first.

Worth knowing

Breakfast and brunch run daily from 7am to 11:30am, with Campos coffee brewed to order plus fresh juices and smoothies. The menu covers the classics and a few signatures: bacon and eggs on Turkish bread, dukkah crusted eggs with smashed avocado and poached eggs on sourdough, and the Corner Big Breakfast stacked with mushrooms, house beans, hash browns and gluten-free pork sausage. Dinner runs Thursday to Saturday from 5:30pm to 8pm and closes Sunday to Wednesday, so it is primarily a morning venue; a post-walk breakfast or brunch is the play with a dog.

Getting there and parking

The restaurant sits on Clarence Street in central Port Macquarie, a short walk from the waterfront and Town Green. Street parking is available on Clarence Street and the surrounding blocks, with the CBD car parks close by, and the whole approach is flat and pram-friendly if you are carting a dog and a coffee order.

Close by with the dogs

The waterfront path along the Hastings River is a few minutes away for the walk that earns the breakfast, and Town Beach sits at the end of the headland for an on-lead sand stroll. For other stops, The Local Flynn's Beach covers the beachside end of town, Bloom PMQ is another central cafe option, and Stuart Park Fenced Dog Park handles the off-leash run.

More options are in the dog-friendly restaurants across NSW list and the Port Macquarie dog-friendly guide.

Pepsi: completed the morning circuit of Clarence Street, then held court under the brunch table until the hash browns ran out.