Twelve Sea

Twelve Sea sits at 12C Sunset Strip in Ocean Grove, and its best dog real estate is out the back: visitors report dogs are welcome in the outdoor areas, particularly the relaxed backyard courtyard you reach via the lane behind the cafe, while indoor seating is restricted to assistance animals. The backyard gets consistent praise in its own right, a green, easygoing space that most indoor cafes cannot offer a dog.

The kitchen has a strong breakfast reputation, with corn fritters and the egg and bacon roll as the recurring picks, and the kitchen also welcomes coeliacs, which is rarer than it should be. Hours run 7:30am to 3pm Tuesday through Sunday with the cafe closed Mondays, and weekend trading stretches later, so a late breakfast or an early afternoon stop both work.

The vibe

It reads as a locals cafe that the coast crowd has caught onto: friendly staff, unhurried service, and a backyard that suits families with dogs and kids at once. Because dogs are outdoor only here, this is a fair weather venue rather than a winter one; on a cold or wet day you will be leaning on the lane side seating and a fast turnaround rather than settling in.

Make a day of it

Ocean Grove is one of the Bellarine's better dog towns, so build the day around it. The Ocean Grove to Barwon Heads walk is the signature on lead route, the dog beach at the river mouth gives the swim, and if the backyard is full you have fallbacks in Some Folk Coffee and Dawn Cafe nearby. Staying over with the dog, Ocean Grove Holiday Park is the pet friendly base, and the state list of dog friendly cafes in VIC fills in the rest of the coast.