Macri's Cafe

Macri's Cafe runs out of the Better Choice Petrol Station at 177 Great Eastern Highway, Bellevue, in Perth's east. Do not let the servo setting fool you: this is a serious bakery and kitchen turning out in-house baked bread daily, Italian-inspired meals and what locals rate as some of the best coffee between Midland and the city. It operates as a quick, friendly weekday stop, weekdays only.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor paved seating near the entrance, on leash and settled. There is no guaranteed water bowl, so bring your own if you are planning a longer stop or arriving hot from a walk. The complex has flat, easy access and free onsite parking, which makes stopping in with a dog straightforward. Indoor seating is for people only.

Worth knowing

The menu leans on what comes out of the oven: fresh sourdough and in-house breads for breakfast rolls and sandwiches, the popular BLT with aioli on toasted sourdough, beef steak pies, sausage rolls and cheese or chilli cheese kranskys, mac and cheese bites, breakfast burgers and homemade muffins including a well-liked chocolate version. Gourmet grab-and-go options cover the early trade, and service is quick rather than leisurely, so it suits a coffee run on a driving day.

Getting there and parking

Hours are 6am to 2:30pm Monday to Friday, closed weekends, so weekday travellers on Great Eastern Highway get the full menu and weekenders need another plan. Parking is free at the complex and access off the highway is simple from either direction.

Close by with the dogs

For an off-lead run before coffee, Swan View Fenced Dog Park is a short drive east in the Darling foothills. Closer in, Bellevue Cottage is another dog-friendly cafe in the suburb, and Scott Street Coffee House sits a few minutes south in Helena Valley.

Pepsi: servo stop, but the sourdough is better than half the brunch places I have been dragged to.

More options are on the Western Australia cafes page and the Bellevue destination guide.