The Hatter and the Hare

The Hatter and the Hare is the Alice in Wonderland themed cafe and patisserie on Scoresby Road in Bayswater, famous for over-the-top cakes and a maximalist fit-out that people queue for on weekends. Dogs are genuinely welcome in the outdoor seating, so the Mad Hatter's table can come with a tail attached.

The dog setup

Dogs on a lead are welcome in the outdoor seating area at the front of the cafe. The heavily decorated indoor dining room is humans only, per standard food-safety rules, so plan on a footpath table. Staff have been known to bring out a water bowl for waiting dogs, though a backup bowl in the car costs nothing.

Max: weekday mornings get you an outdoor table with no wait, weekends this place draws a queue down the strip and a busy car park to match.

Worth knowing

The draw is the cakes: a cabinet of individual-serve domes, tarts and themed desserts, with vegan options on the menu and generous savoury portions alongside. Custom and whole cakes can be pre-ordered with a day's notice, and high tea bookings run as its own event. Hours run 7am to 3pm Monday to Thursday, until 4pm on Fridays, and 8am to 4pm on weekends, with the kitchen closing about half an hour before the doors.

Getting there and parking

The cafe is at 1/21 Scoresby Road, Bayswater, near the Stud Road intersection. On-site parking exists but fills fast given the crowds, so check for extra parking behind the complex via the side driveway or grab a spot on the nearby side streets.

Close by with the dogs

Knox Park Fenced Dog Park is a short drive off for a proper run to earn the cake, and Glen Park's off-leash area is another nearby option. For a quieter coffee, Your Coffee Chick sits up the road in Bayswater North. The Bayswater destination page rounds out the suburb.

If your dog is not a fan of crowded footpaths, stick to weekday or off-peak visits. More of Melbourne's east is under the Victorian cafes listing.