Area52 Cafe

Area52 Cafe is a well-regarded neighbourhood spot on Wingrove Street in Alphington, a short walk from Alphington Station. For dog owners the draw is a leafy rear courtyard and street-front footpath seating where your dog is welcome to settle while you work through the coffee and the specials.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the rear courtyard, the main dog-friendly area, and at the footpath tables out front. As with most Victorian cafes, only assistance dogs go indoors, so the courtyard or footpath is your spot in wet weather. Reviewers regularly mention water bowls being offered, though it is worth carrying your own on a hot day.

Worth knowing

The cafe rates highly for its coffee and freshly made food, with croissants, muffins, toasties and the mushroom wrap among the favourites, and the staff have a friendly, dog-welcoming reputation. It gets busy on weekend mornings, so expect a wait for a courtyard table at peak. Aim for a weekday mid-morning if you want a quiet table with the dog at your feet.

Getting there and parking

Street parking is available on Wingrove Street and the surrounding residential streets, though it fills on weekend mornings. Alphington Station is within easy walking distance if you would rather leave the car.

Close by with the dogs

The Darebin Creek corridor is the obvious pairing. Darebin Parklands Dog Off Leash Area sits at the northern end near the creek pool, while the bushland tracks are on-lead. Darebin Creek Trail runs south for a longer ramble, and Coate Park is a smaller off-lead option close to the cafe.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly cafes guide and the Alphington destination page.

Max: creek first, coffee second. A damp dog in a leafy courtyard is expected here; a damp dog indoors is not.