Cherry Tree Cafe

Cherry Tree Cafe sits at 246 Maroondah Highway in the middle of Healesville, and it is a proper stop for dog walkers touring the Yarra Valley. The cafe runs a garden courtyard out the back and footpath tables out front, both of which take dogs, and it has built a reputation for friendly service and solid brunch fare.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome across the outdoor seating: the casual rear garden courtyard, which is set back from the highway and partially covered, and the front footpath tables. Water bowls are readily available, and the cafe is a regular rest stop for people walking the main street with their dogs. The rear courtyard is the pick on a warm day, and the safer choice for a dog that startles at highway traffic.

Pepsi: take the courtyard table if it is free. Off the road, shadier, and nobody's porridge gets woofed by a passing malamute.

Worth knowing

The kitchen runs breakfast and lunch from 8:30am to 3pm, with eggs benedict, corn fritters and smashed avocado among the regulars, plus a good line of vegetarian and vegan options. Coffee is locally roasted. The cafe closes on Thursdays, so plan around the midweek gap - weekends fill with valley visitors, and a weekday visit is calmer.

Getting there and parking

The cafe is on the main highway through Healesville, roughly an hour from Melbourne. Street parking runs along Maroondah Highway and fills on weekends; free parking sits behind the shops and connects to the main street on foot. Healesville is compact, so the whole township is walkable with a dog on a lead.

While you're out there

For an off-leash run before brunch, Healesville Showgrounds Dog Off Leash Area is close by. My Little Kitchen Cafe & Bar is another dog-friendly table in town, and Jayden Ong Winery & Cellar Bar covers the afternoon with dogs welcome outside.

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