CAFÉ MAMÉ

Cafe Mame sits in the Melba shops at Shop 2, 4 to 6 Melba Court in Belconnen's north, and it is one of Canberra's most consistently well-rated suburban cafes. It trades 7am to 2:30pm on weekdays and 8am to 2pm on weekends, so plan around a breakfast or lunch visit with the dog rather than an afternoon one.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables on a lead, kept calm around other diners. Water bowls are typically available in the outdoor area and staff are accommodating with dogs, though the indoor room is people only. The free parking directly in front of the shops keeps the walk from car to table short.

Worth knowing

The coffee draws people from well beyond Melba, and the menu covers the classics and the interesting ends alike: loaded bacon and egg rolls, a prawn omelette, salmon bagels, waffles including a vegan version with caramelised banana, carrot cake and choc chip biscuits, with vegan and lactose-free options across the board. There is no dedicated dog menu. Weekend mornings fill fast and the cafe closes early, so go early on Saturdays and Sundays.

Getting there and parking

The Melba shopping precinct sits off Copland Drive, with parking immediately out front. Signage for the shops is easy to drive past, so set your GPS on Melba Court rather than the suburb name.

Close by with the dogs

The Lake Ginninderra Dog Park is a short drive south for an off-leash run before breakfast. For other tables, Rosie's at Evatt is the next suburb over and The Irvine Cafe & Bar in Florey covers the lunch-to-dinner shift.

More options are on the ACT dog friendly cafes guide and the Melba destination page.

Max: the bowls are already out when you arrive, but bring a backup. A dog this well fed does not share.