Cafe Zoo

Cafe Zoo holds the corner position on High Street in Drysdale, and it functions as the Bellarine Peninsula's all-day local: big alfresco and courtyard seating out front, a menu that runs from egg and bacon rolls to a seafood basket, and a scone cabinet with a following of its own. The artwork on the walls is for sale, which tells you the kind of room it is: stayed-in, settled, and unhurried, seven days a week from 7:30am to 3pm.

For dogs, the draw is the sheer size of the outdoor section. The alfresco and courtyard tables are large enough that a dog under the table is out of every footpath, and the venue's own site carries guest comments that reference the dog water bowls provided, so water is handled without you carrying a bowl in. With the dog-friendly tag confirmed through the venue's own channels, this is one of the more confident dog stops on the peninsula's northern side.

The dog setup

Water bowls are provided for canine guests at the outdoor tables, and the alfresco footprint is big enough for larger dogs to settle properly rather than perch. Service runs morning to mid-afternoon daily, so the mid-morning window after the school drop-off and the lunch trade are the natural dog sessions; by 3pm the kitchen closes and the courtyard empties. The staff reputation for welcoming regulars extends to the four-legged ones, and the tables fill early on weekends when Geelong visitors cycle out onto the Bellarine.

Make a day of it

Drysdale sits in the middle of the peninsula's dog territory. JR's Coffee Lounge and The Bungalow are the alternative High Street stops for a rotation, while Griggs Creek Providore at Curlewis is five minutes east towards the bay. For a long lunch with the dog, Tuckerberry Hill does the farmhouse version a short drive out of town. The Drysdale page and the Victorian cafe directory fill in the rest.