Jessica Rabbit

Jessica Rabbit is a riverside cafe at 23 Hugh King Drive in Mildura, set in the Rio Vista Park precinct with the Murray River paths right outside. The layout makes it one of the easiest dog outings in town: dogs are welcome across the outdoor areas, which have real grass and clean tables, while the inside stays people-only.

The dog setup

Pick an outdoor table and your dog settles onto the grass beside you. The riverfront frontage is flat and roomy, so there is space to keep a dog settled without blocking the path. Water and treats have circulated for dogs at times, but the famous pupcake-and-dog-menu reputation in Mildura belongs to Bobby + Me further along Hugh King Drive; treat this one as bring-your-own-bowl to be safe. The big draw is the location: the fully fenced Mildura Fenced Dog Park, with separate large and small dog enclosures and agility gear, sits straight across Hugh King Drive.

The menu and the vibe

The cafe has built a following on the sort of things people drive across town for: acai bowls, the Dubai chocolate cup that filled local social feeds, pistachio treats, specialty hot chocolates with a torched marshmallow rim, and a solid lunch list that runs to vegetarian nourish bowls, dumplings and spring rolls. Fairy lights come out after dark, though day visits suit dogs best.

Getting there and hours

Parking runs along Hugh King Drive, with the Lock 11 car park closest and the Rio Vista car park on Cureton Avenue about 260 metres away. Hours are currently limited: the cafe opens Thursday to Sunday, 8am to 2pm, and closes Monday to Wednesday, so check its socials before planning a trip. There is no dedicated website.

Pepsi: Dog park first to get the zoomies out, then coffee on a patch of real grass while my humans recover. That is a perfect Mildura day.

After coffee, the paved riverfront path past the historic wharf makes an easy on-lead walk, and Shippys Cafe is another dog-friendly stop up the riverfront. One caution: Lock Island, across from Lock 11, is a nature sanctuary where dogs are not permitted. More options are on the Mildura destination page and in the VIC cafes index.