Aroma's Cafe

Aroma's has been running at the southern end of the Charles Street strip in Launceston since 2000, and it is one of the city's straightforward dog-friendly picks: dogs are openly welcome at the front footpath tables, and the topic that shows up most in visitor notes, right beside the caramel slice, is exactly that. For anyone walking the Charles Street strip, it works as a proper stop rather than a compromise.

The dog setup

Dogs settle at the outdoor tables along the front of the cafe on Charles Street. The team is friendly to dogs and their owners, and the footpath position puts you in the middle of the strip's people traffic, which some dogs love and others find busy; a short lead keeps things tidy. Bring your own water bowl since the cafe does not advertise one, and aim for an off-peak slot if your dog is still learning cafe manners.

The vibe

This is a family-run, all-day local: breakfast and lunch built around locally sourced produce, an egg and bacon roll for the early crowd, toasties, a chickpea curry for lunch and a cabinet heavy on cakes, with the caramel slice a regular mention. There is also artisan gelato from Hobart's White Cow, which earns its keep on warm days. It opens early, from 6am on weekdays, and runs seven days.

Getting there and when to go

The cafe is at 727 Charles Street, on the edge of the Launceston CBD near the General Hospital, with on-street parking along Charles and the surrounding blocks. Mornings are busiest, so coming slightly off the brunch peak gets you an outdoor table with actual room for a dog.

Close by with the dogs

City Park is a 10 to 15 minute walk for a post-coffee stroll, and for a proper off-lead run the Hoblers Bridge Reserve Fenced Dog Park and Heritage Forest Fenced Dog Park are both short drives. More of the city's options are in the Tasmania dog friendly cafes guide and on the Launceston destination page.