Monday 7 September 2015

Top 10 Dog-Friendly Cafes in Australia + Puppacino Toy Giveaway!



Hi there, human. Allow me to introduce me and my pal Max. I'm a toy poodle and he's a Spoodle, but we get along great. He's the CEO of IdPet and I'm an Insta-famous pup who loves making people smile. We catch up regularly over puppacinos but know that it's not always easy to find cafes that accept dogs. That's why we decided to sniff out the best in Australia, just for you.

We probably should have been born in Paris. We’d fit right in; perched on a chair on the sidewalk, watching men 
walk by with baguettes tucked under their arms and cigarettes hanging from the corner of their mouths. We’d wear matching berets and warm our paws on puppacinos – hold the sugar – in the cooler months. Unfortunately it’s not as easy to dine out with humans here in Australia, but there are some cafes and pubs that welcome furry friends. Generally the rule is that we can sit in the courtyard if there is direct access, but there are a few places that allow us inside, too. Here are our favourites in the country (and don’t forget to scroll to the bottom to find out more about our puppacino toy giveaway!).



VICTORIA

#IDpetcafe1 - Grub Food Van
87-89 Moor Street, Fitzroy; (03) 9419 8991; grubfoodvan.com.au
There aren’t many places where we are welcome inside as well as out, but this is one of them. If it’s a nice day, sit beside the silver airstream caravan in the rug-covered courtyard (great for chewing), or head inside the eclectic green house on cooler days and nab a spot by the fire (ideal if you want to steal the ping pong ball from the table).
FOR DOGS: Prepare to be served like a person as waitstaff bring you a treat on arrival and your very own water bowl.
FOR HUMANS: During the day the baked beans, breakfast board and meatballs are all worth ordering. Come dinner, I was eyeing off the duck liver parfait and slow braised beef ribs with red cabbage and kipfler potatoes.


#IDpetcafe2 - The Farm Cafe
18 St Heliers Street, Abbotsford; (03) 9415 6581;
farmcafe.com.au
Pawsitioned in the Collingwood Children’s Farm beside the Abbotsford Convent (also dawg friendly), this is one of my human’s absolute favourite cafes. Here you can pretend you’ve had your head hanging out the window on a two hour drive to the country – surrounded by chickens, peacocks and animals – when really you’re just around the corner from the CBD.
FOR DOGS: Some serious pats, a walking path right outside and the occasional treat.
FOR HUMANS: An escape from the city without having to leave it and the must-order goat’s toast – goat’s curd, roasted beetroot relish, avocado smash, green herbs and a poached egg on seeded toast. Don’t forget to add a side of bacon. Make that two sides of bacon.


#IDpetcafe3 - Kanteen
150 Alexandra Avenue, South Yarra; (03) 9827 0488; kanteen.net
Situated right on the iconic Yarra River, brunch doesn’t get much more ‘Melbourne’ than this. There’s plenty of outdoor seating, as well as a couple of sheltered tables that are also dog-friendly. Make sure your human borrows one of the complementary blankets for extra snuggles.
FOR DOGS: Plenty of water bowls, cuddles and new paw-legged pals. Appropriate to lift a leg almost anywhere.
FOR HUMANS: Stick with the Yarra theme and order the river hash – a salted pacific cod potato cake made with capers, spanish onion and dill and topped with pancetta, tomato relish, snow pea tendrils and a couple of perfectly poached eggs.


#IDpetcafe4 - Welcome to Thornbury
520 High Street, Northcote; (03) 9020 7940; welcometothornbury.com
New to the northside is this beer garden and food-truck park with six vehicles parked at a time. Established by Mr Burger, over 40 trucks have already signed up to take part (who knew there were so many in Melbourne?). The best part? Dogs are allowed, so long as we’re on a leash and behaving appropriately. That means no leg humping. Don’t be that guy.
FOR HUMANS: Jaffles, BBQ, Mexican, churros, fried chicken, ramen, bagels, Thai and more in a social, outdoor space.
FOR DOGS: Finally! A place to party in the evening.


NEW SOUTH WALES

#IDpetcafe5 - Cafe Bones
Hawthorne Canal Reserve, Leichhardt; (02) 8086 2433; cafebones.com.au
This coffee pit stop puts pups first and humans second. It’s in The Hawthorne Canal reserve, one of Sydney’s biggest off-leash parks. Humans can sit under a shady tree and enjoy the serenity of the canal while you run around and sniff some new butts.
FOR HUMANS: A small selection of sandwiches and wraps with the odd burger and sweet treat.
FOR DOGS: Birthday pupcakes, pupffins (it’s a muffin, for pups), liver and lamb treats, bone bix (doggie biscuits baked on the premises), a puppacino made from frothy, lactose-free milk and even a lower fat dogaccino if the vet’s told you to lose some weight.


#IDpetcafe6 - The Duck Inn Pub & Kitchen
74 Rose St, Chippendale; (02) 9319 4415; theduckinnpubandkitchen.com
Join your human for a drink at this pub where pets are welcome. Although the odd cat makes an appearance, it’s still worth visiting. Set just off Cleveland Street the space feels like a country hideaway with polished floors, provincial-style furniture and – for those with opposable thumbs – board games. There's also a brilliant beer garden and comfy couches if you need to nap.
FOR HUMANS: Craft beer, mostly Aussie wine and everything from pub classics (think bangers and mash) to fancier plates (such as sous-vide lamb rump and smoked duck breast)
FOR DOGS: We’re allowed inside AND outside. First round on me.

#IDpetcafe7 - Blackwattle Cafe

55 Leichhardt Street Glebe; (02) 9692 9785; blackwattlecafe.com
Pooches are always welcome at Blackwattle Cafe in the heritage Bellevue Cottage, which boasts plenty of outdoor seating in both the sun and shade. It’s surrounded by park, Blackwattle Bay and has a view of the CBD and former Glebe Island Bridge. It doesn’t get much more relaxing than this. Unless you add a tummy rub.
FOR HUMANS: Breakfast ranges from house made banana and walnut loaf with ricotta to eggs how you like them. For lunch, try the chilli con carne wrap or the silken tofu with eggplant and prawns.
FOR DOGS: Water bowls, pegs for tying up pets if you need a break (how could you?) and doggie bone biscuits.



QUEENSLAND

#IDpetcafe8 - The Velo Project
19 Careela Street, Mooloolaba; (07) 5444 8693; theveloproject.com.au
Here’s a first: an all-organic menu just for dogs! The Dogue Menu at The Velo Project caters exclusively for furry friends. Think doggie doughnuts drizzled with carob and yoghurt, rice beef carob crackles and even peanut butter lactose-free milkshakes. It’s all fit for human consumption, so if your human is behaving, you can reward them with a crumb or two.
FOR HUMANS: Impressive smoothies, the kind of avocado smash (with red onion, roasted garlic, corn, lemon and herbs) that makes me wish I could digest avocado, blackberry chia pudding and a special crepe menu.
FOR DOGS: The fun continues with birthday pawties and even poochy lattes, described as “a warm milky green treat topped with kangaroo liver sprinkles”.


WESTERN AUSTRALIA


#IDpetcafe9 - Burns Beach Cafe
35 Ocean Parade, Iluka; (08) 9304 8080; burnsbeachcafe.com.au
Another cafe with a doggie menu, but this time over in Perth. One of the best spots to rest after a walk along the waterfront, Burn’s Beach Cafe launched the Doggy Num Nums menu back at the start of 2012. Better yet, all profits are donated to the local pound to pooches less fortunate.
FOR HUMANS: From local scallops with proscuitto, poached eggs and avocado at breakfast to pork belly sliders, a bucket of chicken wings and a seafood platter come lunch or dinner, the variety here means there’s something for everyone.
FOR DOGS: Healthy snacks (like pork ears, lamb jerky and beef and vegetable stew), milky sticks for puppies, bacon strips and even K9 protein shakes and stubbies of dog beer.


TASMANIA

#IDpetcafe10 - Jam Jar Lounge
45 Hampden Road, Battery Point; (03) 6224 1447; jamjarlounge.com
Part cafe and part wine bar, Jam Jar Lounge is smack-bang in the middle of Battery Point. There’s an eclectic mix of food from the humble jaffle to Japanese bento boxes for lunch, all served in a relaxed 1920s setting with a jazz soundtrack.
FOR DOGS: Feel as special as a human in one of the coolest courtyards in Hobart. Service is top notch here, especially when you score a scratch behind the ears.
FOR HUMANS: Free wifi during business hours, a fireplace and Japanese tapas every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night.




WIN ONE OF 5 PERSONALISED PUPPACINO TOYS

We have put together these recommendations to celebrate Australia’s cafe culture and the launch of our new personalised Puppacino toys. 
To go into the running to win one of 5 personalised Puppacino toys, simply comment and include the name of your favourite dog-friendly cafe from this blog.

The top three cafes, as voted by you, will receive a custom ceramic pet bowl from us for their canine customers to show our in appreciation of their efforts in being Dog friendly.


RULES

- Open to Australia only
- Voting closes on the 15th of September.
- Winners and most popular cafes will be announced on the 16th by 8PM EST via Instagram
 
MAX and JINKEE enjoying Puppacinos at Little Henri

A special thanks to Sofia Levin, journalist and copywriter from Word Salad (and proud fur parent of Jinkee) who has created this special blog post for us, as well as our local cafe, Little Henri in Thornbury, for letting us use their dog-friendly courtyard for our Puppacino photoshoot.

1 comment:

  1. Great tips regrading CBD. You provided the best information which helps us a lot. Thanks for sharing the wonderful information.

    ReplyDelete