Station Stop Cafe

Station Stop Cafe sits directly opposite Parkdale station on Como Parade West, opening from 4am weekdays (5am Sundays) until 3pm. That pre-dawn start has made it the coffee stop for early commuters and, handily for dog owners, an easy meeting point before a bayside walk.

The dog setup

Dogs are welcome at the footpath tables along the shopfront, so access with a dog in tow is straightforward and you can see the street from anywhere out there. Staff are used to dogs and will generally bring water on request. It is a popular little cafe, so arrive earlier rather than later if you want a roomier table where your dog is not underfoot.

Worth knowing

Regulars come back for the friendly, efficient service, the coffee and the cakes, with sandwiches and focaccias covering lunch and decent chai and hot chocolates alongside fresh juices. There is no website menu drama, it is a simple order-and-sit kind of place. Being right across from the station makes it an easy pick-up point for anyone arriving by train on the Frankston line.

Getting there and parking

The address is 274 Como Parade West, Parkdale, directly opposite the station, about 45 minutes by train from the Melbourne CBD. Street parking runs along Como Parade West and the side streets. The Parkdale foreshore is a short walk west, which is what turns this into a proper dog outing.

Close by with the dogs

Pair breakfast with a run at the Mentone Beach dog off-leash area one suburb up the bay, or stretch legs first at the Walter Galt Reserve off-leash dog park. Fellow Parkdale cafes The Coffee Chief on the Bay Trail and The Bayside Soho Coffee House make good alternates.

More options are on the Victorian dog friendly cafes guide and the Parkdale destination page.