Young Mugs Cafe

Young Mugs Cafe sits in the shopping strip at 5/329 Alexander Drive, Ballajura, and it does something almost no suburban Perth cafe bothers with: it runs a proper cafe menu in the morning and an authentic Nepalese kitchen alongside it. Momos, chicken chilly and baby goat curry sit on the same board as eggs benedict and burgers, which is a large part of why it holds a strong local following.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor seating out the front, on the paved walkway of the complex, on lead and settled at your table. Staff have a reputation for being welcoming, and a water bowl often goes out, though it is worth asking when you arrive rather than assuming. Because this is a shopping strip frontage rather than a fenced courtyard, it suits a calm dog better than one that reacts to passing prams and foot traffic.

The food

Breakfast and brunch classics anchor the morning: the Sticky Pulled Pork Benedict is the dish regulars name first, along with Hellenic eggs, big breakfast plates and solid coffee. The Nepalese side of the menu brings chicken or vegetable momos, chicken chilly and curries, and portions are noted for their size. It is the rare spot where a coffee stop can turn into an early dumpling lunch.

Getting there and hours

The cafe is inside the small shopping complex on Alexander Drive with free parking directly outside and flat, easy access from the car park to the outdoor tables. Hours are 7am to 2pm Tuesday through Sunday, closed Mondays, so plan the dog walk and coffee for any day but Monday.

While you're out there

The lakes around Emu Lakes and Central Lakes in Ballajura are City of Swan dog exercise areas where off-lead exercise is permitted under effective control, an easy pairing for a morning loop that ends at the cafe. Further afield, Toe Beans Bassendean is a purpose-built dog cafe down the hill, Muzz Buzz Malaga covers the drive-thru run in the adjacent industrial suburb, and Dancing Duck & Co in Morley is worth the trip for brunch.

Max: this is a shopping strip footpath, not a dog park. Keep the lead short near the walkway and be ready for other shoppers and prams passing close to your table.

More options are listed in the Ballajura guide and across dog friendly cafes in WA.