BENCH COFFEE CO. Roastery

Bench Coffee Co.'s Brunswick roastery occupies a converted warehouse on Breese Street near Anstey Station, roasting in house and pouring alongside Japanese-influenced baking from Little Cardigan Bakery. The win for dog owners is the layout: the open warehouse room means well-behaved dogs are usually welcome inside with you, not parked out front.

The dog setup

Dogs settle inside the spacious warehouse, under or beside the long communal tables, with front and outdoor spots as alternates depending on the day. The room rarely feels cramped, which makes it a good match for a calm dog happy to lie low while you work or linger over a pour-over. Carry your own water bowl, since the space gets busy through the morning.

Max: mid-morning on a weekday is the sweet spot, after the opening rush and before the laptop crowd fills the communal benches.

The vibe

The coffee is the point here: espresso on a La Marzocco, seasonal V60 pour-overs, batch brew and iced filters, backed by the famous shokupan and a rotation of almond croissants, chocolatines and ham-and-cheese croissants from the bakery inside. Strong wifi and a calm, industrial room make it a popular working spot.

Getting there and parking

The roastery is at 38 Breese Street, a two or three minute walk from Anstey Station on the Upfield line, which is the easy way in. Street parking on Breese Street and the backstreets is limited and varies through the day, so arriving on foot or by train beats circling for a spot, especially on weekends.

Close by with the dogs

Gilpin Park is close, with a fenced dog park in its southwest corner and a 24-hour off-leash area for a proper run before coffee. Sydney Road is a short leashed wander away, and if you want to keep cafe-hopping, Lux Foundry and Lobbs are other dog-friendly Brunswick rooms.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly cafes guide and the Brunswick destination page.