Café 1809

Café 1809 is a neighbourhood brunch cafe at 34 Willow Avenue, Glen Waverley, tucked into a quiet residential pocket near Highbury and Springvale Roads. It has built a following on creative brunch plates and specialty coffee, and a small run of footpath tables out front where dogs are welcome to sit beside you.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the alfresco tables on the footpath out front only; the indoor room is for people. The outdoor area is small, a couple of tables rather than a courtyard, so it suits a calm dog that settles at your feet while the footpath traffic goes by. Staff are known for looking after dogs with a water bowl, but bring your own to be safe when the rush hits.

Worth knowing

The menu is where this place earns its reputation. Expect brunch classics with Persian-inspired twists, like eggs benedict served on roti, pesto chilli scrambled eggs, cinnamon french toast with mascarpone, chicken and avocado toasties and poke bowls, alongside solid vegetarian and vegan options. The coffee is a genuine draw on its own. Weekend mornings get busy, so arrive early if you want a footpath table.

Getting there and parking

It is a short trip from Glen Waverley Station, and street parking is available around Willow Avenue. The cafe runs weekday hours from 7:30am to 3:30pm, with a later 8:30am start and a 3pm close on weekends.

Close by with the dogs

Glen Waverley North Reserve Dog Off Leash Area is a few hundred metres away on Mulgrave Street, a good off-lead run before or after brunch. On the same street, Willow Ave General Store makes an easy second coffee stop, and Mocha Jo's on the Kingsway strip is another pet-welcoming option nearby.

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

Max: the footpath tables fill fast on Saturday morning, so walk me first and claim a table before the brunch crowd does.