Truly Scrumptious

Truly Scrumptious sits in Granary Lane, just off Mentone's main dining strip, and the lane setting is exactly why it works for dogs: outdoor tables under umbrellas, away from Beach Road traffic. It is a hearty, homemade-food cafe running breakfast and lunch on weekdays, with coffee and a muffin case that regulars come back for.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor alfresco tables in the lane, on lead and settled beside your chair. Water bowls are usually out on the terrace, though a travel bowl is worth packing on quieter days. Indoors is people only, so this is a fair-weather, dog-at-your-feet kind of stop rather than a linger-all-morning one.

The menu

The kitchen leans homemade: hot breakfasts, lunches like the turkey sandwich and gnocchi, a falafel wrap for lighter appetites, and devonshire tea for the classic route. The muffins draw the most repeat praise in reviews. It is straightforward, generous cafe food at city-fringe prices rather than a specialty coffee destination.

Worth knowing

This is a weekday operation: roughly 7am to 3pm Monday to Friday, closed on weekends. Plan a weekday morning visit, which also means the lane stays calmer than the foreshore strip, a genuine plus for a nervous dog. Free street parking and public lots sit nearby in central Mentone, and the lane is a short walk from Mentone station.

Close by with the dogs

The off-leash sand at Mentone Beach is a short drive away, open to dogs between Charman and Plummer Roads around the clock on the sand itself, with leads required on the Bay Trail above. The fenced run at Marlow Reserve is the inland option. Back in the strip, Applehead Deli is another local stop to try.

More of the area's dog-friendly venues are on the Mentone destination page, with the state list in the VIC cafes index.