Dog friendly brunch spots in Durban

Old Town Italy

If my dog can’t come, I’m not going.

Benji LOVES an outing and luckily, he is the most well behaved little Jack Russell which makes it so easy for us to include him in our day to day adventures.  Because Brett and I work quite demanding jobs we have a tradition of always doing brunch together on weekends, as a family, and that includes Benji.  You know, “ohana” and all of that. “Ohana” means “family.” “Family” means no one gets left behind”.

Here is a list of our favourite dog friendly restaurants in the Durban / Umhlanga area where we love to go for brunch:

• Mayfair Café - Woolworths Centre, Mackeurtan Ave, Durban North, Durban, 4051, South Africa
  Monday - Friday 7am to 4:30pm
  Saturday - Sunday 7am to 4:00pm
  Mayfair Café have a really good selection of breakfast dishes and it is great value for money. What makes this one of our favourite brunch spots is the waiters. They are without a doubt the nicest people, so attentive and genuinely welcoming. Mayfair constantly serve great food too. I have personally never had a bad meal there and I’ve been so often it’s almost like a second home. I’m simply known at Mayfair Café as “Benji’s mom” and I love that they know his name and not mine. If you find yourself there and don’t know what to order, try the “halloumi stack”, trust me! A branch is opening in Hillcrest soon so pop in if you’re up the hill. Oh, and they offer almond milk cappuccinos too!
• African Roots Coffee - 6-8 Lagoon Dr, Umhlanga, 4320, South Africa
  Monday - Saturday 7am to 6pm
  Sundays and Public Holidays - 9am to 4pm
  I was going to include African Roots Coffee under a dog friendly coffee shop review because their menu is relatively small, but they have the BEST croissants which you can have plain, with jam and Boerenkaas cheese or with Smoked Salmon, avocado and cream cheese. They also stock the reusable coffee cup ‘KeepCup’ which are beautifully made, come in a range of colours and help minimise plastic. So pick one up if you are a coffee on the go type of person like me.
• Old Town Italy - 39 Meridian Dr, Umhlanga Rocks, Durban, 4319, South Africa
  Monday - Sunday 7am to 6pm
  This is one of the few restaurants where you can sit outside at a table on the sidewalk, with your dog, and for a few moments pretend you are in Europe sipping on your espresso. It oozes that old town, Italian charm which is evident in every little detail of the décor and all their luxury Italian products that are stocked in their market and deli. Try the ‘Il Bosco Verde’, the sautéed spinach is so good. I don’t usually like spinach, but this is too good to pass up. They have a great vibe and I have been there a few times now where the waiters start singing and dancing and it makes you remember how special a place South Africa is.
• Doppio Zero
  7 McCausland Cres, Umhlanga, 4320, South Africa
  Sunday & Monday: 7am – 9pm
  Tuesday - Thursday: 7am – 10pm
  Friday & Saturday: 7am – 10:30pm
  One of Benji’s favourite things to do is walk on the beach and his humans like to brunch, so often as a compromise we walk from one end of Umhlanga’s promenade to Doppio Zero. By the time we get there he is quite happy to have a little snooze and we have worked up an appetite. Win win. We love siting at the window seats if they are free, so you get to see the beautiful décor inside. They have a large breakfast selection, but the coffee is underwhelming so I would recommend having one of their freshly squeezed juices instead as they are delicious.  Top tip, go when it’s sunny otherwise it always seems to get quite windy outside (although they do provide blankets if its chilly).
• Vovo Telo
  9, Lighthouse Mall, 14 Chartwell Dr, Umhlanga Rocks, Durban, 4319, South Africa
  Monday - Sunday 6am to 6pm
  Umhlanga village has undergone a revamp in recent years and if you’re in the village, one of the popular places to go for breakfast is Vovo Telo which serves hearty, homemade style breakfasts and great coffee freezos (can you tell I love coffee!) They also have two bowls of water outside for your dog to quench their thirst and kiddies can play with dough and make their own pastries, under the watchful eye of the pastry chef, which is such a sweet thing for a restaurant to do and makes it an overall lovely family brunch spot. On your way out, don’t forget to buy a fresh loaf of sour dough bread for lunch!
• Market
  40 Gladys Mazibuko Rd, Morningside, Durban, 4001, South Africa
  Monday Closed
  Tuesday 11am - 9:30pm
  Wednesday - Friday 8am to 9:30pm
  Saturday 8:30am - 9:30pm
  Sunday 8:30am - 4pm
  Market is tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city in a beautiful, quaint courtyard shaded by Leopard trees where you can eat fresh / organic food while listening to the relaxing sound of the water flowing from the fountain, as the rest of the world goes by. Did I mention they serve ALL DAY breakfast? I’m sold! Keep in mind because of the cobble stones it won’t be the most comfortable for your dog so take a small blanket they can sit on.
• Freedom Café
  I warn you now, if you haven’t been before, you will drive past Freedom Café about three times before you finally find it. It is truly a hidden gem but always filled with locals who obviously have the location saved in their sat nav. It’s a quirky urban space that you would almost expect to find in East London (UK not SA) serving simple food with a creative twist. And what I love about Freedom Café is that they state the source of their locally produced products on their menu so you know exactly where the food comes from. 

Where do you and your pooch like to brunch? We are always up for an adventure and will be exploring dog friendly restaurants in Ballito next.