Percy and Percy

Percy and Percy runs from Hargreaves Street in the middle of the Bendigo cafe strip, open 7am on weekdays and 8am on weekends, closed Sundays. The dog side of the house is generous by cafe standards: a large tree-shaded side courtyard plus front verandah tables, per the Dogsonholidays listing, with doggie treats sold at the counter so the fourth member of the table gets its own course.

Because the detail comes from aggregator listings rather than the venue's own policy page, treat it as well-reported rather than contractual; in practice the courtyard setup is the kind that welcomes dogs as routine, and the counter treats seal it. Shade matters here: the courtyard's tree cover makes it usable through a Victorian summer in a way most footpath rows are not.

Getting there: Hargreaves Street is the main drag north of the city centre, with street parking along the block and the CBD a five minute walk south, so the cafe slots into a town loop or a straight coffee run. Weekday parking is easiest before 9am, and the courtyard doors are wide enough that a morning dog arrival raises no eyebrows at all.

The vibe

The menu has personality: a signature Percy cheeseburger sits alongside toasties, a smoked salmon bagel and a vegetarian bagel, with carrot cake anchoring the cabinet. A review base over a thousand strong keeps it rated solidly, and the courtyard crowd is the regular kind: prams, dogs and laptops all have their patch. Weekday mornings are the trade; weekends bring the browsing crowd off Hargreaves Street.

Close by with the dogs

Hargreaves Street packs the options: London House up the road, The Green Olive for another outdoor table, and Hargreaves Retreat if the visit turns into a stay. See the Bendigo destination guide and the VIC dog-friendly cafes list for more.

Pepsi: the cheeseburger is mine and the courtyard is shaded. I made the right call bringing them here.