Miss mat

Miss Mat is a Turkish-inspired brunch cafe on Carlisle Street in Balaclava, known for its friendly staff and community feel. Dogs are welcome in the sunny outdoor footpath seating out front.

The dog setup

Dogs can join you at the outdoor footpath tables, and staff are known to be attentive and generally happy to have dogs around. As with the rest of Carlisle Street, the footpath gets busy, so a short lead keeps things easy for everyone passing by. There is no dedicated dog menu and bowls are not guaranteed, so bring what your dog needs. The tables sit right on the pavement, which suits a settled dog but is worth thinking twice about if yours is wary of trams, shoppers and other dogs within arm's reach.

The vibe

The kitchen runs Turkish-inspired dishes such as gozleme, chicken shawarma, manti and Turkish eggs, plus loose sticky chai. It draws a mixed local crowd, and weekday mornings are calmer than the weekend brunch rush, when the footpath tables fill quickly. Hours run from 6am weekdays and 7am weekends until mid-afternoon.

Pepsi: get there before 9am on a weekend and you will get a table with a sunny patch. By 10 the footpath is a queue and your dog is negotiating prams.

Getting there

Directly on Carlisle Street, reachable by tram or a short walk from Balaclava Station, which makes it an easy stop on a car-free morning. Street parking on Carlisle Street and the side streets is limited, so check signage carefully if you do drive.

Close by with the dogs

The Alma Park East off-leash area gives you open space for a walk before or after brunch, and Las Chicas and Phoenician Cafe are other dog-friendly options along the same strip.

More picks are on the Victoria dog-friendly cafes guide and the Balaclava destination page.