Rubber Duck Cafe

Rubber Duck Cafe sits in the old Normandy Hotel on Queens Parade in Clifton Hill, and it is a genuinely easy place to bring a dog. There is comfortable footpath and outdoor seating where dogs settle happily, and staff are known to be relaxed about well-behaved dogs on a short lead.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables along Queens Parade, with room beside the chair on the wider footpath. Tie up in the shade, ask for a water bowl, and you are sorted. The strip is busy, so keep the lead short and pick a table angled away from the foot traffic if your dog is on the nervous side.

Max: Queens Parade never stops moving. A table with a wall behind me and a view of the street ahead keeps me settled until the corn fritters arrive.

Worth knowing

The coffee is Melbourne-standard and the breakfast and brunch list is solid, with the corn fritters and hearty morning plates getting the most mentions. Hours run from 6am on weekdays and 7am on weekends, with later trade Thursday to Saturday evenings. Weekdays are calmer; Saturdays are the crush, so an early start is your friend if you want an outside table with room for the dog.

Getting there and parking

It is on Queens Parade with tram routes running past the door, so you can leave the car at home. Free street parking exists nearby but turns over slowly on weekends. The 86 tram stops within a short walk.

Make a morning of it

The cafe is walkable to Quarries Park Dog Off Leash Area up the hill and Darling Gardens Off-Leash Area toward the station, so you can run the dog first and reward yourself with coffee after. If you are working a Clifton Hill loop, Dirty Apron Cafe is another local stop that takes dogs.

More dog friendly cafes in Victoria and other dog friendly spots in Clifton Hill are listed on PawScapes.