Paletto

Paletto is a gelato shop on Mount Eliza Way trading in handcrafted, gluten-free gelato and sorbet pops, and it goes out of its way for dogs with puppy pops of its own. This is a dessert stop rather than a sit-down meal: grab your pop, then settle into the outdoor courtyard with your dog for the eating part.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor courtyard, which is the spot to linger with a pop. The puppy pops mean your dog gets a frozen treat of their own rather than watching you eat, and the counter has been known to stock dog-friendly options alongside the human toppings. Service is largely takeaway or courtyard, so bring your own water bowl for hydration on warm afternoons. Keep your dog on lead in the courtyard and clear of the serving counter.

Worth knowing

The whole range is gluten-free, with dairy-free and vegan options, and the pops are hand-dipped and finished with toppings and chocolate sauce. Flavours rotate, which is half the reason locals keep coming back. Hours run 8am to 5pm Mondays and Tuesdays, 8am to 7pm Wednesday to Saturday and 8am to 5pm Sundays, so after-dinner gelato is on the table most of the week. It has become a known dessert-with-your-dog stop on the Mornington Peninsula.

Getting there and parking

The shop is at 34 Mount Eliza Way in the village. Street parking runs along Mount Eliza Way, with more in the shopping village car parks a short walk away, so the walk from the car with a dog is quick.

Close by with the dogs

Ezra Next Door sits beside Paletto on Mount Eliza Way with its own puppy menu, which makes the village an easy double-stop for dog owners, and Cafe Mise en place hands out dog biscuits with the coffee. For the run before or after, John Butler Reserve's fenced dog park is close, and the Mount Eliza Beach dog off-leash area covers a bay swim on the warm days.

More options across the region are on the Mount Eliza destination page, and the full list sits in the VIC cafes index.