A great coffee is even better when you can take your pooch along. Check out these dog-friendly cafés in Newcastle, where the staff will make you both feel at home.
Need a good caffeine hit and some friendly banter, but don’t want to leave your furry friend at home? No worries! Check out one of these dog-friendly cafés in and around Newcastle where four-legged friends are welcomed with open arms and plenty of pats.
Outdo Espresso
Newcastle West
Outdo Espresso is well known for its top-notch Flamingo Coffee – which is locally-roasted in Newcastle – and its awesome range of toasties. On the menu are some unusual combos such as its Buffalo Chicken, Mac & Cheese, and the Garlic Bread Pepperoni Pizza toastie. It also does a classic avo and ricotta cheese on sour dough, and delicious pastries including a cookie dough croissant. For a healthy treat, try one of its tasty açai bowls, or a matcha drink – including a sweet strawberry version. It has a grassed, outdoor area for your pooch, and there’s a ‘Puppachino’ on the menu, so your dog can enjoy a treat as well.
Lulu and Benson
Hamilton
Lulu and Benson is the first milk bar in Australia, and in honour of its heritage, it has pretty vintage vibes, with swirly pastel wallpaper, and tiles featuring both ice cream and pooches. This gorgeous café is renowned for making its own waffle cones, a jersey milk hand-crafted soft serve in a huge array of ever-changing flavours, signature whirlys, milkshakes, and thickshakes. There’s always a new delicious sweet treat on the menu such as the spiced oat and raison, coffee Tim Tam gelato sandwich, apple and carrot pretzels, or the cereal milk softy with crunchy cornflakes and fruit loops. Your dog can also enjoy a treat as it serves little pupcakes made with banana, peanut butter and greek yoghurt, with no added sugar and made with all-natural colours.
Equium Social
Mayfield East
Equium Social is a vegan and vegetarian’s idea of heaven, and your dog is more than welcome. This warm and welcoming floor-boarded café brings together food and art, with dried flowers hanging from the ceiling, an entry created from quirky metal art, and many other locally made pieces on display. The ever-changing menu is focussed on wholesome meals made with local ingredients, with some tasty examples being the potato and cornmeal tortillas with fried eggs, house-made cheese curds, green salsa, fresh slaw, escabeche pickles and a fermented hot sauce. Or tuck into the fermented kimchi and vegetable pancakes with Equium’s famous green juice on the side.
Little Millards
Cardiff South
Little Millards won the title of Newcastle’s best coffee in 2023, serving up Botero coffee which is lovingly made in NSW’s Clarence Valley. What started out as a small a sage and white painted caravan selling coffee has been transformed into a quaint café with a wooden deck, outdoor fairy lights, picnic benches, pot plants and a small grassed area. Its menu includes savoury pastries (try the pistachio cannelloni) delicious shortbread, and a range of awesome toasties, including a new menu item – the delish bean toastie. Little Millards is known for its sense of community and dog friendliness – it even has a furry friend and mascot called Coco, who is the owners’ beloved Golden Retriever.
Slingtown Espresso
Islington
Slingtown Espresso began as a small espresso bar in Islington, and is now also a café and store selling its signature roasted coffee which is beautifully packaged in brightly coloured bags – with its four most popular coffee roasts being Easy Tiger, Bees Knees, Lil Rippa, and Foundation. Slingtown is also known for its healthy sandwiches including a spiced pumpkin wrap and a mushroom halloumi hamburger. It is a perfect destination on a warm, sunny day when you are your pooch both want a little something to enjoy in the outdoor courtyard packed with tables and benches.
Good Friends Eatery
The Junction
Good Friends Eatery is known for serving excellent coffee and food to be shared with loved ones and friends in a cool, sun-drenched space. Open from 7am until 1pm every day, the menu is fresh, simple, and plant-based. It has lots of lovely salads on the menu, and popular dishes include fritters topped with avo, and its famous buttermilk pancakes with lemon curd, macadamia crumb, fresh berries and salted caramel. Also on the menu is charred pumpkin wedges with spiced chickpeas, house pickles, a fried egg, hummus and pomegranate seeds. With outdoor seating, this is one of the most deliciously healthy and dog-friendly cafés around Newie.
Uprising Bakery and Kitchen
Maryville, Cooks Hill and Erina
Uprising Bakery and Kitchen began as a micro-bakery known for selling handmade artisan products, and it is now a community bakery employing more than 50 people. Bread is nurtured for more than three days, and there’s an ‘Uprising Sarnie’ menu including a classic Rueben – light rye, fermented sauerkraut, pastrami, Swiss cheese and thousand island dressing. Uprising also serves bowls of wholesome soup with toasted bread and butter, with options changing on a weekly basis. There’s a spacious front yard with doggy parking stations.
Harry and Lola’s
Speers Point
Harry and Lola’s offers outdoor, waterfront dining on Lake Macquarie with a focus on specialty coffee, grazing bowls, and a great selection of toasties. Harry and Lola’s has a ‘Paw of Fame’ – which includes photos of all its regular furry customers – and it sells homemade dog treats engraved with the letters ‘H’ and ‘L’ as a nod to its charming name. With its breathtaking views and accessible location just around the corner from Speers Point dog park, this destination is definitely one to bring your pooch along to after a nice big walk.
Little Lane Espresso is a dog-friendly hole-in-wall style café in New Lambton. Image: Little Lane Espresso.
Little Lane Espresso
New Lambton
Little Lane Espresso (with a sister café called Corner Lane) is a cute hole-in-the-wall kinda café serving up its own coffee with a strong, rich, and punchy flavour, and a smooth earthy finish. The cafe has a relaxed atmosphere, super friendly staff, and a ‘famous wall’, which is equivalent to a loyalty card – get your name up there and your 11th coffee is on the house.
Sherwood Coffee Parry Street
Newcastle West
Sherwood Coffee Parry Street is an environmentally friendly and minimalist café with over 80 lovely staff members. Its coffee is made with its custom Sherwood house blend and it has a simple yet delicious menu including toasties, fresh juices, and açai bowls. You can also order ahead with online ordering so that you and your pooch can skip the line and enjoy your fix faster. Order a ‘puppachino’ and your best friend will love you even more. If that’s possible.
If you enjoyed this article on dog-friendly cafes in Newcastle, check out this article on dog-friendly hotels in Western Australia.
