SONIC BEAN & C0

Sonic Bean & C0 is a walk-up coffee hut on Glen Huntly Road, Caulfield, doing a tight menu of espresso, Japanese matcha and grab-and-go bakes from 7am on weekdays. There is no indoor dining room to worry about, which makes it an easy dog stop: order at the window and take the footpath tables out front, under the big umbrella, with your dog at your feet.

The dog setup

Because the whole operation is outdoors, dogs are straightforwardly welcome. The seating is a small cluster of tables and chairs on the footpath rather than a courtyard, so it suits a mid-walk coffee stop more than a long brunch. Water bowls are not permanently stationed out front, so pack a portable bowl for your dog. Glen Huntly Road carries steady traffic and foot traffic, so keep the lead short while you wait for the espresso.

Worth knowing

The drinks list is the draw: properly pulled espresso and lattes, premium Japanese iced matcha, and rotating specials along the lines of pistachio, strawberry and Biscoff cold drinks. Food is limited to fresh muffins, plum cake and light bites from the cabinet, so plan breakfast elsewhere if you want a sit-down plate. Hours run 7am to 2pm or 3pm depending on the day, with Friday trading to 2:30pm and no Sunday service, so weekend walkers need a Saturday plan.

Getting there and parking

The hut sits at 625 Glen Huntly Road in Caulfield, in Melbourne's south-east. Glen Huntly station is a short walk south for train arrivals, and street parking is available in the side streets off the main road. The flat local blocks make it a natural waypoint on a neighbourhood dog walk.

Close by with the dogs

The Pawfield Park fenced dog park at Caulfield East is the closest proper off-leash run, and the bigger Caulfield Racecourse Reserve off-leash dog park is just beyond it. For gelato after the walk, the Park Cafe & Gelato at Glen Huntly works as a follow-up stop.

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

Pepsi: iced matcha at the footpath table, then zoomies at Pawfield Park before lunch.