Cafe Patina

Cafe Patina operates from a restored 1894 building at 64 Coonanbarra Road, Wahroonga, directly opposite Wahroonga Park, and it is one of the Upper North Shore's reliable dog-friendly dining rooms. The position is the whole proposition: walk the park with your dog, then settle at an outdoor table for breakfast, lunch or dinner without moving the car.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables along the quiet street front, with the park across the road as the backdrop. Staff are known for accommodating dogs well, though bringing your own water bowl removes any doubt on busy mornings. Keep the lead short beside the table. The outdoor section fills fast on sunny weekend brunches, so booking ahead and asking for an outside table is worth the phone call.

The menu

The kitchen runs modern Australian across breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the signature dish regulars chase is the snapper pie, often served gluten-free and dairy-free with Italian mixed leaves. Turkish baked eggs, coffee and a compact beer and wine list round it out. Hours run 7:30am to 4pm Monday, Tuesday and Sunday, with 7:30am to 10pm Wednesday through Saturday, so it works as breakfast, dinner or a happy-hour stop between.

Getting there and parking

Free street parking runs along Coonanbarra Road and the surrounding residential streets, and it is a short walk from Wahroonga Station if you would rather arrive by train with the dog.

Close by with the dogs

Wahroonga Park itself is on-lead only under Ku-ring-gai Council rules, so for an off-lead run use the council's designated area at Claude Cameron Grove on the corner of Westbrook Avenue and Kintorn Street, or the Frances O'Brien dog park and Wahroonga dog park we list nearby. For a longer outing, the Lovers Jump Creek and Samuel King loop at Turramurra is a solid on-lead bush walk, and C9 Chocolate and Gelato covers dessert.

More options are on the NSW dog friendly restaurants guide and the Wahroonga destination guide.

Pepsi: Park lap, snapper pie crumbs if I am lucky, and a sunny footpath seat. Sundays are sorted.