The Gong Cafe

The Gong Cafe is a breakfast and brunch spot in the pedestrian Crown Street Mall in the middle of the Wollongong CBD, at Shop 122, 118-124 Crown Street. Dogs are welcome at the shaded outdoor tables in the mall walkway, which makes it a natural mid-walk coffee stop on a lap of the city.

The dog setup

Dogs sit with you at the open-air mall tables under the trees, not at the indoor counter-service area. Keep them leashed and settled next to your table, as the mall foot traffic runs thick on shopping days. The shade cover is the real draw here: on a warm Illawarra afternoon it keeps your dog out of the sun while you eat. Water bowls are usually around, but carry your own if you want to be certain.

Worth knowing

The kitchen is built around breakfast and brunch: the bacon and egg roll is the signature order, along with avocado on toast, a chicken schnitzel wrap, hash browns and fresh juices, with the coffee holding up for the mocha and matcha crowd. Hours run 7am to 3pm Monday to Thursday, to 4pm Friday, and 8am to 2pm weekends, so it is a morning-to-early-afternoon stop rather than a dinner option.

Getting there

The mall runs through the heart of the CBD between Keira and Crown streets, with Wollongong station a short walk away and several paid car parks within a couple of blocks. It is an easy stop if you are already in the city with the dog.

Close by with the dogs

Lee and Me on Crown Street takes dogs at its street tables from a historic terrace, and Opus Coffee Brewers is another CBD caffeine option. For exercise either side of brunch, Coniston Dog Beach is minutes south. More dog friendly restaurants in NSW and the Wollongong guide are on site.