Red Door Corner Store

Red Door Corner Store is a converted corner shop at 70 Mitchell Street, Northcote, set back from the High Street rush and now one of the suburb's busier brunch addresses. It is a genuinely dog-friendly venue, and the partly covered rear garden is the reason it works so well for owners: when the Melbourne weather turns, you and your dog get shelter instead of an exposed footpath table.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the rear courtyard garden, which is partly covered, and at the seating out the front. Inside is not the dog area, so plan around the outdoor tables. The courtyard cover is the real draw, making this a reliable all-weather stop in a suburb where most options are bare pavement. Weekend mornings fill fast, so arrive early or come on a weekday if you want a sheltered table with a dog in tow.

The kitchen

The brunch line-up is built on local produce: dukkah eggs, shakshuka, fritters and a rotating tart selection, with the crumpets the signature order and a dark hot chocolate for the cool mornings. Coffee is solid and the pastry cabinet is well stocked. Expect a bustling, proper-local feel rather than a quiet nook, which suits sociable dogs that are relaxed around foot traffic.

Getting there and parking

The cafe sits on a residential stretch of Mitchell Street, so parking is street-side and fills up at peak brunch times; it is a short walk from the High Street trams and buses if you would rather arrive on foot. Hours run 7am to 4pm weekdays and 8am to 4pm weekends.

Make a day of it

The off-lead run at Merri Park Dog Off Leash Area is a short trip away for a proper run before breakfast, and the Merri Creek corridors are walking distance via the Abrahams Reserve track. On the same street, Poke the Bear Cafe is another dog-friendly option at the Mitchell Street end of the suburb.

More dog-friendly spots around the area are on the Northcote destination page, with the wider list in the VIC cafes index.