The Bayside Soho Coffee House

The Bayside Soho Coffee House is a casual, well-liked cafe on Warren Road in Parkdale, in Melbourne's bayside south-east, and it welcomes dogs at the outdoor tables. It opens early and closes mid-afternoon, so it works as a breakfast or lunch stop rather than an evening one.

The dog setup

Dogs sit at the tables out the front and to the side, which catch the morning sun. Staff are relaxed and used to dogs, and water bowls are usually on hand. Seating is oriented outdoors, so plan to sit outside with your dog rather than indoors, and bring a backup bowl on busy mornings.

Worth knowing

The kitchen is known for consistently good coffee and chai, fast and friendly service, and a wide spread of muffins, slices, salads and sandwiches, with eggs benny and solid vegan options in the mix. A pet shop a few doors down covers treats or a toy if you arrive empty-handed. Hours run from 5am on weekdays and weekends, closing around 3.30pm weekdays and 3pm weekends, which explains the early-morning regulars.

Getting there

The cafe is at 1/65 Warren Road, Parkdale, with free parking in the surrounding streets and a nearby lot, and a step-free entrance. Parkdale Station is a short walk, which suits a train-then-walk morning.

Pair it with

The Parkdale foreshore is a short stroll away for the walk it off, and the Mentone Beach off-leash area is just up the bay. For an off-lead run closer in, the Walter Galt Reserve off-leash dog park is Parkdale's own, and Reg Marlow Reserve adds a fenced option in Mentone.

More coffee nearby at Station Stop Cafe and Applehead Deli, with the rest on the Victoria cafe guide and the Parkdale destination page.

Pepsi: early tables catch the sun, the staff know the regulars' dogs by name, and Mentone beach is a short walk north. Weekday mornings are the move.