The Hamptons Bakery

The Hamptons Bakery holds down a prime spot at 427 Hampton Street, and it earns the line out the door with bread, croissants and pastries made in-house daily. The front footpath tables take dogs, so a bakery run and a coffee stop can both happen without leaving the dog outside.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor seating along the Hampton Street frontage; the indoor bakery and service areas stay dog-free under the usual Victorian food rules. Staff are good about bringing water bowls out. The tables sit on a busy shopping strip, so keep the lead short while trays of pastries move past at nose height.

Max: order the sourdough to take home. You will want a second loaf anyway once the dog has watched you eat the first slice.

Worth knowing

Doors open at 6:15am, Monday to Saturday, with the bakery closed on Sundays. The draw is the baking - sourdough, croissants, custard-filled donuts and seasonal hot cross buns - but the kitchen also plates a proper brunch with chilli eggs and gnocchi. Weekend mornings get busy and the footpath tables go first, so weekday mornings are the relaxed option.

Getting there and parking

The bakery is a short walk from Hampton Station on the Sandringham line. Street parking along Hampton Street is tight at peak times; the side streets off the strip give you a better chance. The beach foreshore is a few blocks down for a post-coffee walk - check the Bayside council signage for seasonal off-leash windows before unclipping.

Close by with the dogs

Merrymen is another dog-friendly table further along the strip. For an off-leash run first, R J Sillitoe Reserve is nearby and Decker Park Fenced Dog Park is a short drive north.

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