Homecoming Thirroul

Homecoming is an all-day brunch cafe at 369 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, the main street of Thirroul, pouring Headlands Coffee and drawing a steady local crowd from the coastal villages either side. Dogs are welcome at the front footpath tables, which makes it a natural stop on a beachside walk through the village.

The dog setup

Dogs on a lead take the footpath seating out front; the enclosed indoor room is off limits under the usual NSW food rules. The footpath runs along the street, so park your dog tucked in beside your chair away from passing prams and dogs. Service is at the table and the strip is busy on weekends, so it helps to have one person free to order while the other holds the lead. Water bowls are not set out, so bring your own.

Worth knowing

The menu runs from a big breakfast roll and The Feast spread to mushrooms on toast with black garlic butter and Meredith feta, and an eggs benedict that gets repeat mentions for its smoked trout. There is a kids' menu and milkshakes, licensed service from 10am, and dinner sessions on Thursday and Friday nights, 5pm to 8pm, with kids-eat-free on Thursdays and a pasta-and-wine special on Fridays. Mornings trade from 6:30am on weekdays and 8am on weekends, closing 2pm.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits on Lawrence Hargrave Drive with street parking out front and on side streets like Russell Street, and Thirroul station is a short walk if you are coming down the line. Weekend brunch is the peak, so weekday mornings are the calmer slot with a dog.

Close by with the dogs

Bark at the Beach pairs an off-lead beach session with brunch on the walk back, and South Sailor up the same strip is the dinner shift if you are staying on in the village.