Cafes with outdoor seating in Paddington

Cafes with outdoor seating in Paddington, ranked

1. #1Lil Garden Cafe for a terrace near the reservoir gardens

   $$🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Paddington Reservoir Gardens, 1 min walk

   Lil Garden Cafe has both indoor and outdoor seating, and the outdoor tables sit in its own little terrace. Paddington Reservoir Gardens is only a minute away on foot, so a stroll is easy after a meal. Smashed avocado on toast is the outdoor order of choice, and the berry pancake is worth a look. Strong coffee and a matcha menu round out the drinks. The terrace is open weekends until 5pm.

   Best for: A quiet outdoor breakfast

2. #2Arthouse Kitchen for outdoor tables by the park

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Napier Street Open Space, 1 min walk

   Outdoor tables at Arthouse Kitchen sit beside Napier Street Open Space, a minute's walk off. The Italian-themed menu runs from breakfast plates to pizza, pasta and panini, so a long lunch outside works. The coffee is smooth and consistent, and matcha is on the list. Weekday trading runs from 7am to 4pm, with Saturdays closing at 3pm.

   Best for: Long lunch outside

3. #3Wolf Cafe for a corner table with a flat white

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Strong Memorial Reserve, 1 min walk

   Wolf Cafe sits on a quiet corner of Elizabeth Street, with outdoor tables that catch the street traffic. Strong Memorial Reserve is right round the corner for a walk with your coffee. Flat whites and lattes are the outdoor favourites, and the baristas often draw latte art. The pear rhubarb muffin is a good pick with a cup. Sunday trade wraps up at noon.

   Best for: Slow coffee on the corner

4. #4Mecca Coffee Glenmore Road for an outdoor iced latte

   $Outdoor seating🌳 Napier Street Open Space, 2 min walk

   Mecca Coffee Glenmore Road has outdoor tables, and it runs the same hours every day from 7am to 4pm. The iced latte is the drink to take outside on a warm morning. Brownies and feta croissants are the pastries that customers come back for. Napier Street Open Space is a two-minute walk, so a stroll works after your coffee. The shop also sells its own beans.

   Best for: Iced coffee on a warm day

5. #5Paddington Grind for footpath tables and a coffee stop

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Regent Street Reserve, 1 min walk

   Paddington Grind puts its tables on the footpath of Oxford Street, which suits people-watching over a coffee. Regent Street Reserve is a minute away, so a short walk fits before or after. The coffee is made with Toby's Estate beans. The salmon bagel and the brekkie roll are the food picks. Sandwiches are made to order, and the cafe is open from 5:30am on weekdays.

   Best for: People-watching over a coffee

6. #6The Hood for a few outdoor tables and a quick coffee

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Regent Street Reserve, 1 min walk

   Out front of The Hood on William Street, a handful of tables sit outside. Regent Street Reserve is a minute away, a good stop if you want to stretch the legs. The cafe is best for coffee and pastries, with the chicken wrap a solid lunch. A cinnamon bun and an egg and chicken muffin are the sweet and savoury picks. Sunday trade ends at 3pm.

   Best for: Coffee and a sit outside

7. #7Padre Coffee for a courtyard seat with coffee

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Gugara Park, 3 min walk

   Padre Coffee sits at Five Ways, with a courtyard that is the main outdoor seat. Gugara Park is about three minutes away, so a loop after coffee works. The beans are from Padre, a Melbourne roaster, and filter and espresso are both served. Bagels and pastries are the food, so it suits a coffee more than a meal. Trading is daily until 2pm, and until 3pm on Saturdays.

   Best for: Courtyard coffee with a park stroll

8. #8Apache Salute for outdoor tables and a quick breakfast

   $🐕 Dogs outsideOutdoor seating🌳 Lacrozia Playground, 3 min walk

   Apache Salute has outdoor tables on Boundary Street, and Lacrozia Playground is three minutes away. The scrambled eggs and the minestrone soup are the dishes to order when sitting outside. The coffee is good, and the service is quick when you only want a cup. Trading runs from 6:30am to 2pm on weekdays, with a 12:30pm finish on Saturdays.

   Best for: Outdoor breakfast near a playground

Compare cafes with outdoor seating in Paddington

The table below sets out which cafes have outdoor tables, the nearest park or playground and the weekend hours.

How we picked cafes with outdoor seating in Paddington

Overall standing with visitors was weighted so one cafe's enthusiastic comments do not outrank a steady record. Only cafes with outdoor seating were kept, then each was checked for the park or street nearby, its food, its coffee and its hours. Cafes that gave more detail about their seating and surroundings ranked higher.