Best cafes in Petersham

Best cafes in Petersham, ranked

1. #1Brothers Ben Cafe for a quick breakfast and a matcha latte

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Brighton Street Reserve, 2 min walk

   Brothers Ben Cafe on Palace Street is the top pick for a quick weekday start. Order the corn fritters or the bacon and egg roll, then add a matcha latte, which tastes of matcha without being overly sweet. The menu mixes classic brekky with congee and bahn mi. It opens at 7am on weekdays and closes at 2:30pm, and dogs can sit outside after a walk from Brighton Street Reserve, 2 minutes away.

   Best for: Weekday breakfast with a dog

2. #2Sweet Belem for Portuguese tarts and a takeaway cake

   $🌳 Maundrell Park, 6 min walk

   Sweet Belem is a Portuguese bakery on New Canterbury Road where the tarts come first. Start with the pastel de nata, then try the salted caramel tart, or the Portuguese chicken pie if you want lunch. The cabinet also holds whole fruit-topped cakes, which suit a boxed gift. It opens at 8:30am on weekdays and Saturdays, and at 9am on Sundays. From the bakery, Maundrell Park is about 6 minutes on foot, so a tart can be eaten on a stroll.

   Best for: Portuguese tarts and takeaway cake

3. #3The Counter for an early weekday coffee and an omelette

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Brighton Street Reserve, 5 min walk

   The Counter on Audley Street opens at 5:30am on weekdays, so it is the earliest pick for a coffee before work. Order the omelette, which regulars call generous, or one of the sandwiches. The kids' menu and dog-friendly outdoor seating suit a family breakfast. Brighton Street Reserve is about five minutes on foot, which works for a takeaway picnic. The coffee is smooth and strong, and it is sold to go.

   Best for: Early weekday coffee

4. #4The Kentish Chef for sourdough loaves and a pastrami sandwich

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Brighton Street Reserve, 7 min walk

   The Kentish Chef is a British-style bakery on New Canterbury Road, and its sandwiches are what most visitors take away. Try the Katz pastrami, which arrives with pickles, or the Royal Chook for something spicier. Weekend sourdough loaves can go home with you, and warm pastries sit beside the coffee. It closes at 1pm on Sundays and at 2:30pm from Wednesday to Saturday. Both Brighton Street Reserve and Petersham Park are about seven minutes on foot.

   Best for: Sourdough loaves and takeaway sandwiches

5. #5Celeste Cafe and Restaurant for vegan cake and a Friday dinner

   $$Outdoor seating🌳 Maundrell Park, 6 min walk

   Celeste Cafe and Restaurant on Addison Road is the stop for vegan cake. Visitors often pair a coffee with a slice from the cabinet, which also holds a large vegan selection. The vegetarian waffles come topped with fruit, maple syrup and pistachios, and the Earth bowl is the savoury choice. It stays open until 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 8:30am to 9pm on Sundays. Maundrell Park sits roughly six minutes' walk from the cafe.

   Best for: Vegan cake and Friday dinner

6. #6Lunas for chorizo at breakfast and a weekday lunch

   $$Outdoor seating🌳 Maundrell Park, 2 min walk

   Lunas on Stanmore Road puts chorizo in many of its breakfast dishes. Order the chorizo scramble, or poached eggs with chorizo in a zesty tomato broth. Tables sit on the footpath and in a courtyard out the back, which suits a group. At lunch, the crunchy chicken sandwich is best ordered with chips. Doors open at 7am daily, closing at 2pm on weekdays, and Maundrell Park is two minutes off.

   Best for: Chorizo breakfasts and weekday lunch

7. #7The Bungalow for a long catch-up brunch with dogs outside

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Maundrell Park, 2 min walk

   The Bungalow on Stanmore Road has warm, yellow decor and turns into a dining room in the evening. Weekend breakfast and brunch suit a long catch-up, and dogs can sit at the outside tables. Order the chicken, chilli and mushroom peri-peri crepe or the Israeli couscous salad with falafel, then a fresh juice such as the Immune Boost. It opens at 7:30am on weekends, and dinner and drinks start on Wednesdays. Maundrell Park is only two minutes on foot.

   Best for: Long weekend brunch with dogs

8. #8The Pig and Pastry for a family brunch before the park

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Petersham Park, 2 min walk

   The Pig and Pastry at 1 Station Street is the pick for families. Kids get a menu, colouring pages and toys, and Petersham Park is across the road, so a meal can finish with a play. Order the baked eggs in chorizo sauce or the English fish cakes with salad. Several visitors single out the almond croissant. It opens at 7am on weekdays, and dogs can sit outside.

   Best for: Family brunch near the park

Compare best cafes in Petersham

The table below sets out price, brunch, outdoor seating, dog access, weekend hours and the nearest park for each cafe.

How we picked best cafes in Petersham

Cafes are ordered by overall standing, with more weight given to a cafe that has plenty of feedback behind it than to one with only a handful of comments. Every cafe was also tested for brunch on the menu, weekend opening, dogs inside or outside, and outdoor seating. Each cafe's own page was read for what it says about its food, and the notes above come from those facts and from the shared themes in its reviews.