The Maldon Bakery

The Maldon Bakery holds a corner of Main Street in one of Victoria's most intact gold towns, and the pastry case makes the trip worthwhile on its own. Pies, pasties and sausage rolls come out through the day, the vanilla slice has a following of its own, and dogs are welcome in the courtyard and garden seating, which turns a coffee stop into an easy detour with the dog in tow.

The dog setup

The venue's own website describes a dog friendly courtyard, and that is where dogs and their people sit: outdoor tables in the courtyard and garden, none inside. Keep leads on while other tables are occupied and bring a water bowl if your dog prefers its own. On weekends the courtyard fills quickly with cyclists and day trippers passing through town, so a weekday visit or an early order makes a shaded corner table much easier to find. The menu stays closer to a country bakery than a brunch cafe: flaky pastry, eccles cakes and generous rolls rather than big breakfast plates, with reliable coffee alongside. Hours run from 7:30am to 4pm Monday to Friday, from 8am on Saturday, and 8am to 3pm on Sunday, so it works as a breakfast stop before a walk or a late lunch after one.

While you're out there

Maldon is a short drive from Castlemaine, with Bendigo and Ballarat both within reach for a day trip. Free parking runs along Main Street, so pull up close, order at the counter, and settle into the courtyard. Most of the town's historic sights, from the miners' cottages to the old railway station, sit within a short on lead stroll of the door, and the lookout rewards the climb with a view over the rooftops.

If you are building a run of dog friendly stops across regional Victoria, Coffee Staines in Beechworth and The Turret Cafe in Ballarat both welcome dogs in other historic gold towns, and the full list of dog friendly cafes in VIC helps fill out a road trip.