Who we are
We see things differently.
Cane and Table is a community-driven guide to pubs, cafes and restaurants across Australia, reviewed with accessibility in mind.
Every review comes from real visitors who went and experienced the venue for themselves.
- AccessibilityWe highlight venues that get the basics right, and say so when they don't.
- CommunityReviews are written by people with lived experience of disability, for everyone who needs to know before they go.
- ChangeMost venues that are hard to use aren't unwelcoming. They have just never been told.
453,000
Australians are blind or have low vision.
1.8 million
Australians with disability can't manage stairs without a handrail.
935,000
Australians with disability use a hearing aid.
Sources: Vision Australia; Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, People with disability in Australia; ABS, Disability, Ageing and Carers 2022.
Where we are so far
15,953
places listed, of the 54,285 cafes and restaurants the ABS counts.
24
have a review from someone who went.
15,929
still waiting for their first review.
Help bridge the gap.
Every listing without a review is a place somebody has to ring ahead about, or risk. One review from you changes that for the next person.
Meet the team
Cane and Table was started by one family with a shared problem. All three of us live with significant vision loss, so we know the difference a welcoming venue makes.
Joshua Whalan
Founder, digital table setter
Josh is a digital marketer, and builds and runs Cane and Table in his spare time. He is legally blind, doesn't drive, and spends the evenings after his four kids are in bed making the site work behind the scenes.
Thomas Whalan
Founder, creative co-pilot
Tom lives with retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive eye condition that runs in his family. He gave up his driver's licence at 27 and started using a cane at 32.
He reviews venues, writes most of what you'll read here, and helps shape the site around what actually makes a difference when you're navigating a room you can't see.
Brian Whalan
Chief accessibility enthusiast
Brian and his guide dog Quanti are regulars at cafes, breweries, restaurants and clubs. Brian has very low vision, and his reviews show how each venue and its staff handle a guide dog and offer help when it's needed.
He advocates for more accessible venues and shops, and for better awareness of guide and assistance dogs.
How the reviews work
1. Three ratings out of five
What the visit felt like. Food quality deliberately isn't one of them; plenty of other sites cover that.
Space
Getting in, moving around, parking and toilets.
Sensory
Lighting, noise, and whether you could read or hear the menu.
Service
Staff, assistance animals, and paying.
2. Yes or no to specific features
What is actually there: a step at the door, a large-print menu, a hearing loop. Each answer is dated, so a yes from this month counts for more than a yes from two years ago, and every venue page shows how much has been checked.
- Yes. Visitors confirm it's there.
- No. Visitors confirm it isn't. Still an answer, so it counts as checked.
- Visitors disagree. Answers conflict. Ring ahead if it matters to you.
- Not checked yet. Nobody has told us either way.
3. Recommended by Cane and Table
A venue earns the badge when most of its features have been checked and at least half are confirmed as there, three or more visitors have contributed, nothing is disputed or out of date, and it rates four or better for Space, Sensory and Service. Nobody can buy it or ask for it.
What makes a good reviewPrintable review cardWhat the badge means
Contribute
Share your experience.
Help us help others. What you noticed on your last visit is what the next person needs to know before they go.
Help out
Support the mission.
Your support keeps the site running and puts accessibility back on the menu.