Ambrosia Cafe

Ambrosia Cafe is a small, family-run spot at 313 Huntingdale Road on the Oakleigh edge, doing a brisk trade in coffee, deli sandwiches and Greek-inspired baking. The footpath tables out front are where dogs sit, and the staff are the kind who actually use them, which makes this an easy stop if you are walking the neighbourhood with a dog.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the outdoor footpath seating, which is the practical option in a cafe this size. Water bowls usually come on request. The tables front onto busy Huntingdale Road, so keep your dog on a short lead and settled close to your chair rather than letting the lead run wide. It is a footpath coffee-and-lunch setup, not a courtyard to sprawl in.

On the plate

The Greek side of the menu is the point: flaky spanakopita and a genuinely good baklava, plus jam tartlets and other traditional sweets. The savoury list runs to focaccias, deli sandwiches including a Reuben on rye, bacon and egg rolls, eggs benedict and, more surprisingly, chicken parmas and gourmet kransky dogs. Coffee is well regarded, with a flat white that regulars order without looking at the menu.

Getting there and parking

Street parking runs along Huntingdale Road and the surrounding residential streets. Huntingdale Station is a two to three minute walk away, so arriving by train is easy. Hours run from early morning on weekdays to mid-afternoon, with shorter mornings on Saturday and Sunday from around 7:30am and 8:30am respectively, closing 1:30pm.

Close by with the dogs

Jack Edwards Reserve Dog Off Leash Area is the nearest off-lead run, though Monash has had upgrade works under way there, so check access before you go; Scotchmans Run Reserve is an alternative. The Eaton Mall precinct in Oakleigh is close by for more footpath dining. In the same suburb, Dalgety's Cafe is another dog-friendly option.

More stops are on the Victoria dog friendly cafes guide and the Oakleigh destination page.

Max: Baklava for me, a bowl of water for him, and Huntingdale Road humming past. Oakleigh does mornings well.