Cafe Brio

Cafe Brio is a family-run cafe at 181 Seacombe Road in South Brighton, a short drive from the Brighton jetty end of Adelaide's southern beaches, with a Brazilian-influenced warmth to the menu and the hospitality. Locals rate it as genuinely dog-friendly rather than dog-tolerant, and the puppacinos on the counter are the tell.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the designated outdoor seating and courtyard areas; indoors is for humans only. Staff bring a water bowl on request and the cafe serves puppacinos, so the dog gets a proper order rather than just a patch of shade. Keep your dog leashed and close to the table, since the footpath area takes passing prams and other dogs through the morning rush.

The vibe and the menu

The room is rustic and the menu runs bigger than the strip-shop frontage suggests: the King Benny Croissant, a croissant-based take on eggs Benedict, Brio's Big Breakfast with halloumi, potato rosti and chicken chorizo, and the Mr & Mrs Benny with pulled pork, smoked chipotle hollandaise and peanut chilli oil. Brunch runs 7am to 2:30pm every day, and Thursday to Saturday the venue reopens for dinner from 5:30pm, with gourmet pizzas, risottos and local craft beers and gins behind the bar, plus live acoustic music through Friday night service.

Getting there and parking

Seacombe Road runs from South Road down toward the coast, and the cafe sits in the local strip with street parking along Seacombe and the side streets. Brighton Beach and the jetty are a few minutes' drive, or a solid walk, away.

Close by with the dogs

The Dover Square Reserve Fenced Dog Park is the neighbourhood's off-lead option before brunch. Down the hill, Rocksalt Cafe & Restaurant and the Brighton Jetty Bakery line up along the Brighton seafront, with Brighton Schoolhouse further along Jetty Road.

More of the state is in the South Australia dog friendly restaurants guide and the South Brighton page.