Cafes with outdoor seating in Cronulla
Last updatedNext Door leads this list because its outside tables look over the sand and it stays open into the evening on Fridays and Saturdays. Every cafe below has seats outside, a park within a few minutes on foot, and a menu that works in the open air. The picks run from a beach breakfast to a sandwich on a bench, so the right choice depends on the time of day.
Quick picks in Cronulla
- Best for a beach breakfast outside: Contento Cafe, with eggs Benedict and seats across from the sand.
- Best for a sandwich lunch outdoors: LOAF, where the vegetarian sandwich leads.
- Best for a long brunch in the sun: Blackwood, with grilled WA octopus and outside tables.
- Best for a matcha stop outside: Rushi, with hot and cold matcha lattes.
- Best for an early coffee before a beach walk: Ocean Mist Espresso, opening at 5:15am on weekdays.
Cafes with outdoor seating in Cronulla, ranked
#1Next Door for outside tables over the beach
$$๐ Dogs outsideOutdoor seating๐ณ Dunningham Park, 2 min walkNext Door's outside tables look over Cronulla Beach, and that is the seat to ask for. Share the avocado on sourdough or the fruit and granola yoghurt bowl, with pancakes also on the menu. A kids' menu is available. Dunningham Park is two minutes on foot. Hours run until 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays, so the terrace works for dinner too.
Best for: Beach-facing tables, open into the evening
#2LOAF for a sandwich lunch on the outside seats
$๐ Dogs outsideOutdoor seating๐ณ Tonkin Park, 2 min walkLOAF is a sandwich bar on Cronulla Street with outside seating for a quick lunch. The breakfast burger, a vegetarian sandwich and a ham and cheese jaffle are the usual orders. Fillings come large and the salad is fresh, diners say. Tonkin Park sits two minutes away, so the meal can be finished in the park. Service stays quick, even when the counter is busy.
Best for: Quick sandwich lunch, park two minutes away
#3Contento Cafe for an early breakfast across from the sand
$$Outdoor seating๐ณ Cronulla Park, 2 min walkContento Cafe on Gerrale Street sits across the road from the beach. Its hours run from 5am until 2pm every day, so an early breakfast outside suits it. Eggs Benedict, bacon and egg rolls and corn fritters are the dishes to name. Visitors warn that peak times get noisy and crowded. Cronulla Park is a short stroll for after breakfast.
Best for: Beach breakfast at outside tables
#4Blackwood for a long brunch in the sun
$$๐ Dogs outsideOutdoor seating๐ณ Cronulla Park, 3 min walkBlackwood's outside tables suit a long brunch, and the kitchen runs from breakfast through to lunch. The Surf Lane arcade location opens at 7am and closes at 3pm. Grilled WA octopus and a brunch happy hour with beer are the menu's bigger draws. Cronulla Park is three minutes away on foot. Seats fill fast on sunny days and weekends, so arrive before the crowd.
Best for: Long weekend brunch outside
#5Rushi for matcha and breakfast eggs at outside tables
$$Outdoor seating๐ณ Dunningham Park, 4 min walkRushi on Kingsway has outside seating and a Japanese-style menu. Breakfast runs from a bacon and scrambled egg roll to hotcakes with berries and ice cream. At lunch the menu moves to sushi, curry udon and katsu sambos. Matcha and chai lattes are the drinks to try. Dunningham Park is a four-minute stroll for after lunch.
Best for: Matcha lovers and breakfast eggs
#6Grind Espresso for a coffee at a sunny table
$๐ Dogs outsideOutdoor seating๐ณ Cronulla Park, 2 min walkGrind Espresso on Surf Road has outside tables, and its coffee menu centres on a bean of the day. Coffee drinkers rank the espresso among the best in Cronulla, and the single origins come from places such as Mexico and Ethiopia. Food is light, so pair a coffee with a small bite. Cronulla Park is two minutes away. The mid-afternoon brings more customers.
Best for: Single-origin coffee at a sunny table
#7Barefoot on the Beach Cafe for ocean views from outside
$๐ Dogs outsideOutdoor seating๐ณ Cronulla Park, 1 min walkBarefoot on the Beach Cafe at 30 Gerrale Street has outside seats with ocean views. Hot chocolate with marshmallow and the raspberry and white chocolate muffin suit a seat by the water. Smoothies and juices offer a cold option. Cronulla Park is one minute from the door. On weekends the cafe runs to 3pm, and weekday coffees begin before 6am.
Best for: Ocean views with hot chocolate
#8Ocean Mist Espresso for a coffee before the beach walk
$Outdoor seating๐ณ Cronulla Park, 2 min walkOcean Mist Espresso on Surf Road faces the beach, and many customers end up at its outside tables because the room is small. Coffee earns good marks, and the baristas are singled out. Toasted chicken sandwiches and muffins are the usual picks. Cronulla Park is a short two-minute walk off. Weekday mornings open at 5:15am.
Best for: Early coffee before a beach walk
Compare cafes with outdoor seating in Cronulla
The table compares price, outside seating, dog rules, weekend hours and the nearest park for each cafe.
| Cafe | Price | Brunch | Outdoor | Dogs | Weekends | Nearest park |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Next Door | $$ | โ | โ | Outside | โ | Dunningham Park, 2 min |
| LOAF | $ | โ | โ | Outside | โ | Tonkin Park, 2 min |
| Contento Cafe | $$ | โ | โ | โ | โ | Cronulla Park, 2 min |
| Blackwood | $$ | โ | โ | Outside | โ | Cronulla Park, 3 min |
| Rushi | $$ | โ | โ | โ | โ | Dunningham Park, 4 min |
| Grind Espresso | $ | โ | โ | Outside | โ | Cronulla Park, 2 min |
| Barefoot on the Beach Cafe | $ | โ | โ | Outside | โ | Cronulla Park, 1 min |
| Ocean Mist Espresso | $ | โ | โ | โ | โ | Cronulla Park, 2 min |
| The Pie Shack | $ | โ | โ | โ | โ | Dunningham Park, 2 min |
| Nudo Cafe | $ | โ | โ | Outside | โ | Monro Park, 1 min |
| Top Shop at Wanda | $ | โ | โ | Outside | โ | Don Lucas Reserve, 1 min |
| Six Smith | $ | โ | โ | โ | โ | Oak Park, 3 min |
| Hendrix | $ | โ | โ | โ | โ | Monro Park, 1 min |
| Ham Harry & Mario | $$ | โ | โ | Outside | โ | Cronulla Park, 3 min |
| Kafenio | $ | โ | โ | Outside | โ | Dunningham Park, 3 min |
| The Nuns Pool | $$ | โ | โ | โ | โ | Shelly Park, 1 min |
| 96 Degrees | $$ | โ | โ | โ | โ | Cronulla Park, 4 min |
| Nulla Nulla Cafe | $$ | โ | โ | Outside | โ | Tonkin Park, 3 min |
| Shelly Park Shop | $ | โ | โ | Outside | โ | Shelly Park, 2 min |
How we picked cafes with outdoor seating in Cronulla
Every cafe here has seats outside, and the list is then ordered by overall standing. Standing gives more weight to cafes with more scores, so a few scores cannot lift one to the top. Outside tables, the nearest park, and the food and coffee each cafe's own page describes were checked as well. Dish names come from those pages.
Cafes with outdoor seating in Cronulla: FAQ
Where in Cronulla can I sit outside and look at the beach?
Barefoot on the Beach Cafe has ocean views from its outside seats, and Contento Cafe sits across the road from the sand.
Which Cronulla cafe with outside seating opens earliest?
Contento Cafe opens at 5am every day, and its outside tables sit across from the beach with Cronulla Park two minutes away.
Which Cronulla cafes with outside seats also have a children's menu?
Blackwood, Barefoot on the Beach Cafe, LOAF and Next Door each offer a children's menu alongside outside tables.
Which Cronulla cafe is best for a quick takeaway lunch outside?
LOAF on Cronulla Street suits a quick takeaway lunch, with a breakfast burger and sandwiches you can carry to a bench.