NearMeDog-friendly places in Sutherland
Last updatedIn Sutherland, the easiest dog outing is a coffee at Left Bower's outside tables, then a 5-minute walk to Gray Street Reserve. Left Bower opens at 5am on weekdays, and at the reserve dogs must stay on a lead and 10 metres clear of the playground.
A day with your dog in Sutherland
| Time | Where dogs can go |
|---|---|
| Weekdays, from 5am | Left Bower opens at 5am, the earliest of the five cafes, and the other four open between 6am and 6:30am. |
| Weekdays, until 3pm | Eliette and Parc Cafe stay open until 3pm on weekdays, while Oak Davis, Left Bower and Greenhouse on Flora close at 2pm. |
| Saturdays and Sundays | Left Bower opens at 6am, Greenhouse on Flora and Parc Cafe at 7am, and Oak Davis at 7am on Saturdays and 8am on Sundays. |
| Eliette, weekdays and Saturdays only | Eliette opens at 6am on weekdays and 7am on Saturdays, and is not open on Sundays. |
| Any day, at both parks | Gray Street Reserve and Glencoe Street Playground are leashed; keep dogs 10 metres from the playground at Gray Street Reserve. |
Weekday mornings in Sutherland: coffee at Left Bower, then a leashed walk
Start at Left Bower on Adelong Street, which opens at 5am on weekdays and has orange tables under its awning. Dogs can sit at the outside tables, so a coffee with the dog is an easy first stop, and visitors name the chilli scrambled eggs.
A 5-minute walk takes you to Gray Street Reserve, a 0.19-hectare reserve with shade from mature trees, benches and an open grass area. Keep the dog well clear of the toddler playground, where dogs are banned within 10 metres even on a lead. The reserve suits a short loop before the working day starts.
The weekend plan below starts later, because the cafes open later at weekends.
Hot weekend in Sutherland: shade at Glencoe Street Playground, then brunch
Begin at Glencoe Street Playground on President Avenue, where shade and seats are on hand before the heat builds. The reserve has a walking track, a scooter and bike path and a kickabout space, and dogs stay on a lead throughout. Take the track while it is cool, and bring a bowl for the dog.
It is a 7-minute walk to Greenhouse on Flora, a bright brunch cafe on Eton Street with big windows. Order a mocha, hot or iced, and ask for a seat outside, because dogs are welcome at the outside tables only. Visitors call the portions generous and the food fresh.
The weekday plan above is the earlier outing, with Left Bower open from 5am.
Dog rules in Sutherland: where dogs can't go
Dogs must stay on a lead at both of the suburb's parks. Gray Street Reserve is leashed, dogs are banned within 10 metres of its playground and play equipment even on a lead, and rangers may issue on-the-spot fines. Glencoe Street Playground is also leashed, and its playground was renewed in 2022 alongside an outdoor gym. Neither park has a fenced dog area, and there is no dog beach for the suburb.
Dogs can sit at the outside tables of all five cafes, and none of them takes dogs inside. Confirm with Sutherland Shire Council that no off-leash area is missing from this guide before you visit.
For more places to take a dog for coffee, see dog-friendly cafes in Sutherland.
Every dog-friendly place in Sutherland
| Place | Type | Dogs |
|---|---|---|
| Gray Street Reserve | Park | On lead |
| Glencoe Street Playground | Park | On lead |
| Oak Davis | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Left Bower | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Greenhouse on Flora | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Eliette | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Parc Cafe | Cafe | Dogs outside |
FAQ
Where can I take my dog off-leash in Sutherland?
Neither of the suburb's two dog parks is an off-leash area, so in Sutherland a dog stays on a lead at Gray Street Reserve and Glencoe Street Playground. Gray Street Reserve is a 0.19-hectare reserve with a toddler playground, and dogs are banned within 10 metres of that play equipment even on a lead. Glencoe Street Playground is bigger at 0.32 hectares, with a walking track, an outdoor gym and shade. A dog that needs room to run is better served by a longer walk on a lead, followed by a coffee at one of the five cafes that allow dogs at their outside tables. Both parks sit within a 10-minute walk of the cafes, so a walk and a coffee can fill a morning.
Is there a fenced dog park in Sutherland?
Neither of Sutherland's two dog parks is fenced. Gray Street Reserve and Glencoe Street Playground are both leashed, and neither has an area where dogs can run free. Owners who want a dog to run freely will need to look beyond the suburb's two parks. Both parks suit a short on-lead outing, with shade at each and water listed at Glencoe Street Playground, so a leashed walk and a coffee is the outing this suburb supports. Greenhouse on Flora is a 4-minute walk from Gray Street Reserve, so the coffee stop is close by.
Which cafes in Sutherland allow dogs?
Five cafes in Sutherland allow dogs, all at outside tables only: Oak Davis, Left Bower, Greenhouse on Flora, Eliette and Parc Cafe. Left Bower opens earliest, at 5am on weekdays, and Eliette and Parc Cafe stay open until 3pm on weekdays. Oak Davis, Left Bower and Greenhouse on Flora close at 2pm every day, so a dog visit to them is a morning outing. Visitors name the chilli scrambled eggs at Left Bower, and the crispy pork roll at Parc Cafe is a repeat favourite. Oak Davis is a one-minute walk from both Eliette and Greenhouse on Flora, so the three can be visited in one loop.
Where can I walk my dog and get a coffee in Sutherland?
Left Bower on Adelong Street is the quickest pairing in Sutherland: its outside tables take dogs, and Gray Street Reserve is a 5-minute walk away. Greenhouse on Flora on Eton Street is closer to the reserve, at 4 minutes on foot, and opens at 6:30am on weekdays and 7am at weekends. Oak Davis on Old Princes Highway is a 6-minute walk from Gray Street Reserve, and it opens at 8am on Sundays. Dogs stay on a lead at the reserve and must keep 10 metres from its playground. Glencoe Street Playground works too, though it is a 7-minute walk to Greenhouse on Flora.
What can I do with my dog in Sutherland?
In Sutherland, a dog outing is a leashed walk and a coffee at an outside table, in whichever order the opening hours suit. Two plans cover the common cases: a weekday morning, with coffee at Left Bower and a 5-minute walk to Gray Street Reserve, and a hot weekend, with a shady walk at Glencoe Street Playground and brunch at Greenhouse on Flora, a 7-minute walk away. Neither outing needs an off-leash park. Every one of the five cafes is within a 9-minute walk of one of the two parks, and Oak Davis, Eliette and Parc Cafe also take dogs at their outside tables, so a coffee stop is easy to add to either walk.