Odd Spot Cafe

Odd Spot Cafe is a small, well-liked suburban cafe at Shop 1/302 Melbourne Road in Newport, and it has become part of the local dog-walk circuit. The setup is simple: footpath and outdoor tables out the front, so you can pull in with a leashed dog mid-walk, order, and be back on your way without any ceremony.

The dog setup

Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome in the outdoor seating, which is mostly sidewalk tables along Melbourne Road. Staff have a good reputation with dogs and will often bring out a water bowl, though bringing your own is never a bad idea on a busy morning. Keep your dog tucked in close while you order, since the tables sit beside a working road.

Worth knowing

The kitchen trades on solid, mostly healthy cafe plates: reviewers single out the sourdough, the sausage roll, the tuna cakes and the cinnamon donuts, and the smashed avocado is a regular order. Coffee is a strong suit, and plenty of locals use it as a grab-and-go stop on the way to the water. Doors open at 7am on weekdays and Saturday, with the day wrapping up mid-afternoon; Sunday trading has varied between listings, so check the cafe's current hours before making a special weekend trip.

Pepsi: cinnamon donuts within paw's reach of a footpath table is the exact reason I insist on joining every walk.

Getting there and parking

Melbourne Road runs through the middle of Newport, so the cafe is an easy walk or ride from most of the suburb and straightforward by car, with street parking on the surrounding side streets. Weekday mornings are the calmest window if you would rather skip the walk-and-coffee rush.

Pair it with

The obvious string-together is The Warmies Dog Off Leash Area on The Strand, a large fenced space down by the water, or Newport Lakes Park Dog Off Leash Area for a bushier loop. If you are making a morning of it, Charli's Cafe is another dog-friendly option in Newport. More options are in our Newport guide and the Victoria dog-friendly cafes directory.