Some days, I feel like a dog’s breakfast.
Not like the ‘bad-hair-day, blue-Monday, I-forgot-to-pack-my-lunch’ dog’s breakfast. I mean a puppuccino and a dognut. Well, not for me, personally. I much prefer a chai latte and a flakey croissant. With a bit of chocolate. Okay, smothered in chocolate.
But having breakfast by myself isn’t as fun as when I have my loved ones with me — in this case, my dogs Keiko and Summer. When they’re with me, a quick brekkie becomes a real treat. An occasion. And at the right cafe, it has the chance of becoming a real dog’s breakfast for my two furry companions!
While not all eateries welcome our four-leggers, there are lots of the best dog-friendly cafes in Melbourne to be found in Australia. I’ve visited a bunch of them, and many of Melbourne’s cafes that welcome dogs have become fav hangouts for a weekend treat.
Why We Love Dining with Doggo
It’s safe to say that for a pet parent, dogs and cafes go together like vegemite and butter. It’s almost a deal-breaker if a restaurant isn’t keen on having my doggos dine with me. If I had a restaurant, the admissions policy would be as follows:
No shoes, No shirt, No Sweet Pup = No Service 😂
As locals, we LOVE taking our pooches out to dog-friendly cafes in Melbourne. I think I’ve figured out why.
- Sad puppy eyes — If there’s one thing that I don’t love, it’s seeing two sets of mournful eyes looking at me as I leave home. I’ve even turned back to give Keiko and Summer one last cuddle before I walk out into the garage. When heading out to dog-friendly cafes in Melbourne, I simply pop their leashes on and out we go together…. guilt-free!
- After-walkies — It’s lovely to head out with them for a park walk and then finish with a coffee or meal. Nothing is worse than wanting a post-walk sneaky snack and being told no dogs are allowed!
- It’s a dog-meet-dog world — Meeting up with fellow dog lovers and their pups is always a treat! Nothing brings people closer than a shared love for our furry offsiders.
- Smooth sailing — When Sam and I are on the road or out for the day, we need places to bring the puppers. Sometimes there’s nowhere else for us to leave them, and a dog-friendly cafe in Melbourne is the only thing to save (and serve!) our bacon.
- Business meetings — Well, if you can call meeting an adorable new doggo a business meeting! As a photographer, I love meeting a dog before our photography session. This is often in a local dog-friendly cafe in Melbourne when I’m far away from home (for a travel session).
- Menus for Doggo — Dining out is a wonderful experience; that delight is doubled when it’s shared! After all, why should we have all the fun of dining out? Doggy date night, anyone?
It’s im-pawtant your dog is an excellent doggo guest. For more tips and preparations for a cafe-culture canine, check out our article here.
Menus for Dogs in Dog-Friendly Cafes in Melbourne
Not every dog-friendly cafe in Melbourne will have a menu for dogs — and that’s okay. Having our best friend next to us makes our experience so much better!
That said, most dog-friendly cafes in Melbourne we love have a lil’ sum’n for our pups. When they have a doggy menu (even if it’s only the choice between 2 doggo bikkies), this is an excellent indicator that they welcome our fur babies!
You might not know what to expect if you’ve never seen a doggy menu out in the wild. Here are some items we’ve seen in the dog-friendly cafes of Melbourne.
- Puppuccino / Dogachino — frothed, lactose-free milk safe for dogs, sometimes with an appealing dog-friendly flavour or sprinkled ground treat topping.
- Dognut — doughnuts for dogs. We’ve also seen muffins! (Mutt-fins, maybe?)
- Doggo Beer — usually a jowl-smacking bone broth, sometimes lightly carbonated.
- Pupcakes — especially great for bark-day parties!
- Doggie Bikkies — a tried and tested treat.
- Pupsicles — frozen broths or juices. My fur kids love these on those warm Melbourne days!
- Ice Creams — specially made, dog-tummy friendly ice cream or frozen yoghurt, is perfect in warm weather.
- Dehydrated meats and bones — nom nom nom (doggos only — not for hooman consumption!)
- Full meals — from beef loaf to bacon burgers – I’ve never seen chicken strips and pawmet steak!
Dog-Friendly Cafes in Melbourne
Now I must add that this list contains places you and doggo can go together for a fur-kid / dog-mum / dog-dad date. There are some other options, though. I’m talking about eateries that cater specifically (or exclusively) for your floof. That’s right. There are also some fantastic dog-friendly cafes around Melbourne. So if you want to make your doggo feel extra special (on a bark day or similar occasion), take them to a place that caters just for them.
Trust me — It makes them feel like the cat’s pyjamas.
How We Found The Best Dog-Friendly Cafes in Melbourne’s Outer Suburbs
The best dog-friendly cafes in Melbourne are real tail-waggers! We’ve visited many of these cafes, but we have compiled our list from various sources:
- Our own experiences
- Reviews
- Recommendations
- Social Media
And so for a howling good breakfast, we present Puppy Tales list of the ultimate list of Outer Melbourne’s Best Dog-Friendly Cafes.
(If this list doesn’t have what you’re looking for, check out more dog-friendly cafes in Melbourne and Victoria here.)
The Best Dog-Friendly Cafes in Melbourne
Looking for a dog-friendly cafe in a particular area of Melbourne’s Outer Suburbs? Click the area below to jump straight there!
