NearMeDog-friendly places in Ashfield
Last updatedThe best outing in Ashfield is breakfast at Ashfield Apothecary, then a shaded walk at Ashfield Park, a 10-minute walk away. All three dog-friendly parks here are listed as leashed, and the cafes that take dogs seat them at outside tables only. The timing rule that matters most is that the cafes close at 2pm or 3pm, so plan the coffee stop for the morning.
A day with your dog in Ashfield
| Time | Where dogs can go |
|---|---|
| Weekdays, 6:30am to 3pm | Excelsior Jones opens at 6:30am on weekdays and closes at 3pm, with dogs welcome at its outdoor tables. |
| Weekdays, 7am to 3pm | Ashfield Apothecary is open from 7am to 3pm on weekdays, and dogs sit only in its outside seating. |
| Saturday and Sunday, 7am to 2:30pm | Outfield Cafe is open from 7am to 2:30pm at weekends, with dogs welcome at its outside tables only. |
| Saturday and Sunday, 7:30am to 3pm | Excelsior Jones opens at 7:30am at weekends and closes at 3pm, so its early coffee stop starts later than on weekdays. |
Shady dog parks in Ashfield for a hot day: coffee first, then Ashfield Park
Start at Ashfield Apothecary at 7:30am, before the heat builds. The cafe is a relaxed brunch spot in a tiled heritage shopfront on Charlotte Street, with outdoor seating where dogs are allowed. Reviewers praise the coffee, and the sandwiches and the vegan bowl are the dishes to order. Then take the 10-minute walk to Ashfield Park, the largest of the three parks at 6.42 hectares. It has shaded picnic areas, paved walking and running paths, and drinking water stations and water fountains for people and dogs, so the dog can drink before a walk on lead. Finish at the picnic tables in the shade. The weekend version starts with a run at Gough Reserve.
Dog-friendly brunch in Ashfield on a weekend: a run at Gough Reserve, then Outfield Cafe
Gough Reserve is a 0.67-hectare reserve on Old Canterbury Road that shares its site with Yeo Park, and a short on-lead walk through it suits a weekend morning. It has a rotunda set among fragrant gardens, a playground and a cricket pitch, so the outing is a slow stroll through the gardens. Then it is one minute on foot to Outfield Cafe, a family cafe at 230 Victoria Street with a deck under an awning and a kids' menu. Its outside tables take dogs. Regulars say the coffee is consistently good, the food is tasty for a cafe, and the staff stay friendly from the start of the visit to the end. Arrive at 9:30am so there are hours left after the walk. Weekday mornings start earlier, with coffee at 7am.
Early weekday coffee in Ashfield: Excelsior Jones at 7am, then Lewis Herman Reserve
Excelsior Jones is the earliest of the three cafes, open from 6:30am on weekdays and from 7:30am at weekends. It is a relaxed cafe on Queen Street with a footpath terrace out front, a good place for a local start. Its breakfast and brunch dishes draw praise, and the latte with leaf-pattern milk art is the drink to order. From there, Lewis Herman Reserve is an 8-minute walk. It is a 0.36-hectare dementia park at 84-88 Holden Street, with a dementia-friendly sensory garden, a playground, exercise equipment and picnic tables on mobility-inclusive pathways and ramps. The dog stays on lead through the reserve, as it does in the other two parks.
Dog rules in Ashfield: where dogs can't go
All three of Ashfield's dog-friendly parks are listed as leashed: Ashfield Park, Lewis Herman Reserve and Gough Reserve. Ashfield Park has drinking water stations and water fountains for people and dogs, and Gough Reserve's own listing says it provides dog poo bags for owners. Dogs sit only at the outside tables of Ashfield Apothecary, Outfield Cafe and Excelsior Jones, and none of the three cafes lets dogs inside. Confirm with Inner West Council before planning an off-leash run, since none of these parks is listed as off-leash. For more on where to go, see the best dog-friendly cafes in Ashfield.
Where these are in Ashfield
- Ashfield Park: A 10-minute walk links the shaded park to the cafe on Charlotte Street, so a hot-day outing is one walk and one coffee.
- Gough Reserve: Outfield Cafe is 1 minute from Gough Reserve and Excelsior Jones 5 minutes, so one short walk covers a run and two coffees.
Every dog-friendly place in Ashfield
| Place | Type | Dogs |
|---|---|---|
| Ashfield Park | Park | On lead |
| Lewis Herman Reserve | Park | On lead |
| Gough Reserve | Park | On lead |
| Ashfield Apothecary | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Outfield Cafe | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Excelsior Jones | Cafe | Dogs outside |
FAQ
Where can I take my dog off-leash in Ashfield?
Ashfield's three dog-friendly parks, Ashfield Park, Lewis Herman Reserve and Gough Reserve, are all listed as leashed, so none of them is listed as off-leash. Ashfield Park is the largest at 6.42 hectares, with shaded picnic areas, paved walking and running paths and drinking water for dogs, which makes it the best place for a long walk on lead. Lewis Herman Reserve is a small dementia-friendly park with a sensory garden, and Gough Reserve, at 0.67 hectares, is a short stroll around its rotunda and gardens. For a longer off-leash run, look for a different park.
Is there a fenced dog park in Ashfield?
No fenced dog area is described for any of Ashfield's three dog-friendly parks, so a dog stays on lead at Ashfield Park, Lewis Herman Reserve and Gough Reserve. Ashfield Park is the largest, at 6.42 hectares, with sporting fields, a cricket field and walking and running paths. Gough Reserve, at 0.67 hectares, has a playground and a cricket pitch, and Lewis Herman Reserve, at 0.36 hectares, is a dementia park with mobility-inclusive pathways. None of the three lists a fenced area, so bring a water bowl and plan the walk on lead.
Which cafes in Ashfield allow dogs?
Three cafes in Ashfield allow dogs, but only at their outside tables: Ashfield Apothecary, Outfield Cafe and Excelsior Jones. Ashfield Apothecary, a brunch and coffee cafe on Charlotte Street, is open from 7am to 3pm on weekdays and until 2pm at weekends. Outfield Cafe at 230 Victoria Street has weekend hours from 7am to 2:30pm, with a deck under an awning and a kids' menu. Excelsior Jones on Queen Street has a footpath terrace, and it opens at 6:30am on weekdays, which makes it the earliest of the three. All three are listed with outdoor seating, so that is where a dog sits, and the hours below show when each one is open.
Where can I walk my dog and get a coffee in Ashfield?
The quickest pairing in Ashfield is Gough Reserve and Outfield Cafe, one minute apart on foot, so a short on-lead walk turns into coffee with almost no walking between. Excelsior Jones is 5 minutes from Gough Reserve, and from 6:30am on weekdays it is the stop to make first. For a longer walk, the 10-minute walk from Ashfield Apothecary to Ashfield Park gives shade and water before the dog rests. Every walk is on lead, and each cafe seats dogs at its outside tables only, so keep the dog at those tables while you order.
What can I do with my dog in Ashfield this weekend?
On weekends in Ashfield, start with a run at Gough Reserve, then coffee at Outfield Cafe, one minute away, from 9:30am. Outfield Cafe is open from 7am to 2:30pm at weekends, so there is time after the walk. On a hot day, Ashfield Apothecary at 7:30am and a 10-minute walk to the shade and water at Ashfield Park works on any day of the week. On weekdays, Excelsior Jones opens at 6:30am, so the early coffee stop starts at 7am, and an 8-minute walk leads to Lewis Herman Reserve. Keep every walk on lead and every dog at the outside tables.