The Sober Mule cafe

The Sober Mule is a casual cafe at 1132 Nepean Highway on the corner of Bungower Road, inside the Peninsula Lifestyle Centre, a short drive from central Mornington. It runs a large covered outdoor area, which makes it an easy, all-weather pitstop for dog owners heading in or out of town. Hours are 6:30am to 3pm weekdays, from 8am Saturdays and 9am Sundays, with the kitchen closing at 2pm.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the spacious covered outdoor seating, which works year-round whatever the weather. There is room for a dog to settle under the table without being crowded, and staff are known to bring out water bowls. Dogs stay in the outdoor seating rather than indoors.

Worth knowing

Big, well-priced meals carry the reputation: sausage rolls and vanilla slice from the cabinet, poached eggs and smashed avo for breakfast, then beer-battered fish and chips, Korean chicken burgers and chunky beef pies at lunch. The coffee is roasted by Melba Coffee & Tea, and the wet chai latte has its own following. Weekday mornings are calmest; weekends get busy, so come early for a roomy table.

Getting there and parking

There is a free car park on site plus street parking around the Lifestyle Centre, so arriving by car with a dog is straightforward. The highway position puts the foreshore about five minutes away.

Close by with the dogs

Civic Reserve Fenced Dog Park is the closest fully fenced run, and Pine Avenue Reserve is another fenced option on the Mornington side. For the coast, Royal Beach Dog Off Leash Area allows off-lead time under the shire's seasonal rules, and Dreamer Cafe is another dog-friendly stop nearer the water.

More options are on the Victoria dog friendly cafes guide and the Mornington destination page.

Max: the kitchen closes at 2pm even though the doors stay open to 3, so order the fish and chips early.