Eno Garden Cafe

Eno Garden Cafe makes the strongest dog claim of Balwyn North's cafe strip: its own site says the venue is proudly pet friendly and welcomes dogs in the garden courtyard, and its Facebook posts advertise Puppychinos at $2.80. There is even a dog wash next door, with parking beside the garden. This is a venue that has built the dog visit into its setup rather than tolerated it.

Ask for the back garden and let the dog settle under the greenery; the courtyard is the venue's stated dog space, so there is no negotiating over tables. The Puppychino arrives cheap and photogenic, and the dog wash next door means a muddy post park dog can be dealt with before the drive home. Water bowls are part of the garden setup.

The vibe

The menu reads bigger than the suburb average: soft shell crab croissant, turkish eggs, fried chicken on waffles, seafood pasta and tiger prawns alongside the coffee program that reviews call smooth. Service runs 7:30am to 3pm weekdays and 8am to 3pm weekends. The garden fills on fine weekends, so a mid morning arrival improves your chances of a courtyard table with room for a dog. The combination of dog treats, a wash next door and a shaded garden has made it a fixture for local owners, and the socials fill with regulars' dogs as proof.

Make a day of it

Build the visit around the dogs: Macleay Park Dog Off Leash Area is the natural warm up before the garden, and Lemongrass Chicken is another Balwyn North listing for a future visit. The Balwyn North page collects the suburb's dog friendly venues.

Eno Garden Cafe is at 1146 Burke Rd, Balwyn North VIC 3104. Browse the Victorian dog friendly cafes hub for more.