Hapi Cafe & Restaurant Dromana

Hapi Cafe and Restaurant is a licensed, all-day spot at 197 Point Nepean Road, directly opposite Dromana Beach on the Mornington Peninsula. It runs breakfast, brunch and lunch seven days from 6:30am, with dinner service extending Thursday through Saturday, and the front terrace with bay views is the part dog owners will care about.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating at the front of the venue, under cover and facing the beach across the road. Staff are used to dogs and generally happy to help with water, and reviewers mention water bowls and the occasional treat, but bring your own bowl to be safe. Dogs stay on a lead and settled beside the table, as you would expect at any licensed venue. The terrace is the place; plan your visit around sitting outside.

The vibe

The menu stretches well past standard cafe fare: chilli scrambled eggs and chai lattes at breakfast, curry laksa, dumplings and souvlaki through the day, and a modern Chinese dinner menu later in the week. There is a fireplace for cold days. Being mid-strip on Point Nepean Road, it gets busy with summer visitors, so weekday mornings are the calm window.

Getting there and parking

Free street parking runs along Point Nepean Road, but the large foreshore car park opposite is often easier when you have a dog in tow. Entry and seating are step-free, and it is an easy walk from the Dromana pier end of the strip.

Make a day of it

Dromana Beach and the foreshore walking track are straight across the road; dog access on the sand follows Mornington Peninsula Shire's seasonal on-leash and off-leash times, so check the signs before letting your dog run. For a proper off-leash session, the Pier Street Reserve fenced dog park is nearby, the McCrae Rosebud beach dog area runs along the bay to the north, and Laneway Espresso is another dog-welcoming table up the road.

Go either side of a beach walk and grab a terrace table facing the water. More dog friendly cafes in Victoria and the rest of Dromana are on the site.