The Cake Lady Cafe

The Cake Lady Cafe is a retro, 1950s-style cafe on High Street in New Norfolk, the Derwent Valley town half an hour northwest of Hobart, known for a big spread of homemade cakes, good coffee and a welcoming attitude toward dogs at the outdoor tables. The team has publicly clarified its dog policy on social media, which tells you how often the question comes up.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables out front, on a lead. Staff are known to bring out a water bowl and the odd treat for well-behaved dogs, but ask when you order rather than assuming. The footpath tables sit on the High Street side, so it suits a dog comfortable with passing foot traffic.

The vibe

The room is quirky and memorabilia-filled, and the cabinet is the whole show: homemade cakes with the apple crumble and vanilla slice named most often, scones, milkshakes and a solid range of gluten-free and coeliac-friendly options. Hours run 9am to 5pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 3pm on weekends, with Mondays closed, so weekend lunch is the tighter window.

Getting there and parking

The cafe is at 33 High Street, New Norfolk, with free street parking along High Street and the side streets. It fills up on weekends when the town gets busy with day-trippers heading for Mt Field, so a weekday morning is the easy table.

Close by with the dogs

The Derwent river path and Arthur Square are an easy stroll from the cafe if your dog needs to stretch its legs before or after cake, and the town has its own dedicated dog park for a proper off-leash run. The river walk makes a good loop with a coffee stop in the middle.

For the off-leash leg, the New Norfolk dog park is the local pick. More options sit under the Tasmanian cafes listing and the New Norfolk destination page.