Nancy Eatery

Nancy Eatery is a brunch cafe that shares its Mulcahy Road site with the Robert Gordon pottery warehouse in Pakenham, on Melbourne's south-eastern fringe. The covered outdoor courtyard is where the dogs go, the menu is where you go, and the pottery next door is the reason you linger.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome in the covered alfresco area, which has room and picnic-style seating, and staff are used to four-legged regulars at the tables. Inside the cafe and the pottery shop are off limits, which is only fair given the shelving. Keep your dog on lead and bring a water bowl to be safe; the site is roomy enough that the lead never gets tangled with traffic.

The vibe

This is proper destination brunch: specialty Industry Beans coffee, Lorna's crumpets with lemon curd, brisket nachos, a chilli scramble and a smashed avo with sweet potato hummus, with strong vegan and gluten-free coverage across the menu. The kitchen has drawn press for marrying contemporary cafe cooking with country-style produce, and the gnocchi and homemade hash browns come up in reviews. Open seven days, 8am to 4pm, with mornings calmest before the rush.

Getting there

The address is 114 Mulcahy Road, Pakenham, reached via the Princes Highway end of town. Parking is a large free gravel area shared with the pottery, so it is rarely a problem. It is a drive-from-the-station kind of spot rather than a walk from the train.

Make a day of it

Burn off the crumpets at the Don Jackson Reserve Fenced Dog Park or the Onyx Crescent Fenced Dog Park in Officer, and walk the Cardinia Aqueduct Trail if you want a longer outing. The High Horse is the other dog-welcoming cafe nearby for a second visit.

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