Books & Brew Cafe

Books & Brew Cafe is a warehouse-style cafe at Unit 2/9 Shepherd Court, North Geelong, lined floor to ceiling with books and set up for a slower pace: comfy couches, board games, a lounge feel. It appears on published lists of dog-friendly cafes in the Geelong region, and its out-of-the-way industrial pocket makes it a calmer stop than the Pakington Street strip.

The dog setup

Dog-friendly listings for Geelong include it, but the specifics of where dogs can settle (footpath, courtyard or inside among the couches) are not spelled out in public sources. Bring your own water bowl to be safe, and confirm the arrangements with staff when you arrive, particularly if your dog is nervous or needs space. The roomy, casual layout works in your favour once you know where you stand.

Worth knowing

The menu runs well past standard cafe fare: deli melts in about ten varieties (the Big Ruben is the signature), rice bowls, toasties and banana bread, alongside iced Biscoff lattes, chai and matcha. A Wednesday lunch deal pairs a free small takeaway coffee with any deli sandwich. Hours shift through the week and weekends run short, so check before you drive out.

Getting there and parking

Shepherd Court sits in a light industrial and commercial pocket of North Geelong, with on-street parking on the surrounding streets. It is a quick run from the Princes Highway side of town and a different world from the waterfront crowds.

Close by with the dogs

The Corio Bay foreshore is a short drive away for a proper walk, and the Barwon River trail stretches further for a longer one. In the same pocket of North Geelong, Baba Yaga Coffee House is another local coffee option to check for dog seating.

More across the region under dog friendly cafes in Victoria or see North Geelong.