A Guide to Pet-Friendly Places (Where You Can Get a Wine)

There’s hardly anything more wonderful in this world than sharing a pub beer garden with a dog or two. Their presence brings joy to the dogless, while a cheeky pint can be the perfect excuse to walk your pup no matter the weather. Not every bar can cater for our canine companions though, so it’s good to know there’s a few out there flying the flag for dog-friendly venues. In partnership with Caydon Property, we’re taking a look at five of the best spots around Melbourne to unwind with a glass of something nice and your best friend by your side.

The Royal Saxon (Cremorne)

Down the Cremorne end of Church Street, the Royal Saxon is a classy gastropub, refitted as a modern, two-level venue behind its vintage pub exterior. For us humans there’s a great menu of pub classics taken up a notch, but the real treat is the dog-exclusive menu. Featuring roo jerky and a dog-appropriate burger (a plain beef patty called the “Quarter Hounder”), your pooch will love it as much as you. Stake out a sunny spot in the beer garden and you’ll be sorted.

The Royal Saxon

Jamsheed Urban Winery (Preston)

Bringing the cellar-door experience to the city is Preston’s Jamsheed Urban Winery, a fully functioning winery where – depending on the time of year – you can catch a glimpse of the whole process while you sip through the range. Yarra Valley shiraz, pinot noir and riesling are all worth sampling, along with a menu of sharing food from Josie at Jamsheed, which changes weekly. There’s plenty of seating in the two-storey warehouse, but dog owners will want to make a beeline for the large outdoor courtyard, dotted with dog bowls to keep our friends happy.

Jamsheed Urban Winery

Moon Dog World (Preston)

When they say “world”, it might be a bit of an exaggeration – but not by much. The bigger brother to the original brewery bar in Abbotsford, Moon Dog World is a truly massive warehouse conversion, with 72 taps and room for 725 people. Inside you’ll find a lagoon snaking around the floor (with deck chairs for lazing about), plus tables, booths and a few different levels and platforms. Outside is the beer garden, which – as you’d expect from the name “Moon Dog” – is appropriately dog-friendly.

Moon Dog World

The Vale (Ascot Vale)

This very stylish Union Road spot is perfect for a glass of wine with your four-legged friend, and there’s a good chance they’ll be dragging you back. In summer you’ll find the team slinging half-litres of “dog brew” – a beef bone broth for your dog, poured from a very cute beer bottle. There’s also a food menu for hungry hounds courtesy of Trav’s Treats, with all profits going to the Lost Dogs’ Home.

The Vale

Hoppa & Joe (Fairfield)

This one is more for the early birds, with the Fairfield cafe specialising in friendly neighbourhood vibes and quality brunches. Your dog doesn’t care if it’s wine or coffee in your hand, though, and they’ll be especially distracted by the treats made in-house, offered freely. Hoppa & Joe also does pet parking – a spot to tie up your dog outside the cafe while you pop in; sells Cannabis Co hempseed oil for pets; and even has its own Instagram page to show off local dogs (@dogs_of_hoppa).

Hoppa & Joe

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Caydon Property. Privately owned and founded in Melbourne, Caydon has spent over two decades diversifying city skylines in Australia and the United States with contemporary apartments, commercial offices, retail spaces and luxury hotels.