Poke the Bear Cafe

Poke the Bear Cafe sits on a quiet residential corner of Mitchell Street, half a block off the High Street tram strip in Northcote, and it has built a following on playful bear-themed brunch dishes and serious coffee. With the dog, the outdoor seating out front is the spot: a compact, easygoing footpath setup where you can park your dog while you work through the chilli scramble and a Portuguese tart.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the outdoor area at the front, not inside the small dining room. It is footpath-style seating on a low-traffic corner, so keep the lead short and out of the way of passing prams and other dogs. Staff are accommodating, but there is no guarantee of a water bowl on the day, so bring your own, particularly through the warmer months.

The vibe

This is a small venue with a creative breakfast and brunch menu, including a strong vegan and vegetarian lean, and the Wide Open Road coffee gives locals a reason to keep returning. It suits a quick, well-caffeinated stop rather than a long sit-down, which honestly works in your favour with a dog in tow. Expect a relaxed, local crowd rather than a destination scramble.

Pepsi: bring your own water bowl backup. The tables are close together on a narrow footpath, so a dog who sprawls will be negotiating with strangers all morning.

Getting there and parking

The cafe is at 2A Mitchell Street, an easy walk from the Route 86 tram on High Street. Parking is limited street parking on Mitchell Street and the surrounding residential streets, and the signage is worth a careful read before you leave the car. It opens from 7:30am on weekdays and 8am on weekends, closing mid-afternoon, and it shuts completely on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so plan the dog walk around that.

Close by with the dogs

For a leg-stretch before or after, Edinburgh Gardens' off leash area is a short trip south. Back in Northcote, Madera Bar and Cafe and Ellis Belly keep the coffee options open, and Little Henri up in Thornbury works if you are heading north.

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