Laneway Espresso

Laneway Espresso sits on Point Nepean Road directly opposite the Dromana foreshore, roasting its own Odyssey coffee across a quirky two-storey space stuffed with retro memorabilia. For dog owners the draw is the undercover laneway running beside the cafe: several shaded tables, a calm feel, and the beach a minute's walk away for the leg-stretch either side of brunch.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas, both out the front and down the side laneway that gives the cafe its name. Indoors is kept for people. Staff are used to canine visitors and usually put a water bowl out, though on a hot summer day bring your own so nobody is waiting. The laneway tables are the pick with a dog because they are out of the wind and away from the footpath traffic.

Worth knowing

The kitchen leans hearty: generous brunch and lunch plates, well-regarded bacon rolls and sausage rolls, eggs benedict, and a carrot cake that comes up again and again. It opens early, 6:15am on weekdays and 6:45am on weekends, and closes mid-afternoon. This is a popular local stop, so weekend queues build fast; arriving before 8:30am is the difference between a laneway table and a wait.

Max: order at the laneway counter, grab the shaded table at the back, and let the dog watch the world go by while you wait for the benedict.

Getting there and parking

Street parking runs along Point Nepean Road and the side streets, and it fills quickly on summer weekends. The foreshore car park opposite is often the easier bet. The cafe is an easy stroll from the Dromana shops, so a combined beach-and-coffee morning works without moving the car.

Make a day of it

Dromana Beach is straight across the road. Dogs are allowed on the foreshore, but on-leash and off-leash times change with the season, so check the Mornington Peninsula Shire signage at the beach access before unclipping. For a fenced run, Pier Street Reserve Fenced Dog Park is close by, and The Blackthorn Cafe at the Dromana Hub is a second dog-welcoming outdoor option down the road.

More Mornington Peninsula stops are on the Victoria dog friendly cafes guide and the Dromana destinations page.