Cafe Tesorina

Cafe Tesorina, now trading as maggie.s, is a neighbourhood cafe on the quiet Morrah Street in Parkville, a street away from Royal Park and minutes from the Royal Children's Hospital. It sits in a heritage building with a dusty-pink facade dating back to the 1800s, and dogs are welcome at the outdoor footpath tables, where staff are known to bring out a house-baked biscuit for four-legged visitors.

The dog setup

Dogs settle at the outdoor pavement tables along the tree-lined street frontage rather than inside, on a leash beside your chair. The team is used to canine regulars and frequently hands out complimentary house-baked dog biscuits on arrival. Water bowls are not confirmed as standard, so bring your own to be safe. The alfresco area is limited and fills quickly on weekends, so an early arrival is the safer bet for a table with a dog in tow.

Pepsi: a stranger in a pink apron handed me a warm biscuit before the humans had even ordered, which is the correct way to run a cafe.

Worth knowing

The cafe rebranded from Tesorina to maggie.s, keeping the same corner and kitchen, with the new name honouring owner Zoe's grandmothers Marguerite and Margaret and the neighbourhood magpies. The menu leans French-Melbourne brunch: a proper croque monsieur under creamy bechamel, chilli scramble, house-made ricotta toast, seasonal toasties and smashed avocado, plus fresh madeleines, date scones and house muffins with Rumble Coffee roasts. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options are well covered. It trades 7:45am to 3pm seven days, so it is a morning or early lunch stop rather than dinner.

Getting there and parking

Find it at 52 Morrah Street, Parkville, just off Royal Parade. Street parking is usually findable on Morrah and the surrounding lanes but tightens during the morning rush, and the Royal Parade tram stops are a short walk away. Coming from the park is the nicest approach on foot, along quiet residential streets.

Close by with the dogs

Royal Park (MacArthur Road) Dog Off Leash Area is a few minutes' walk for an off-lead run before or after coffee, and Tom's Dog Park sits in the same suburb. If the pavement tables are full, Sweet Marie's Cafe in Carlton is a short stroll away, with North Melbourne Recreation Reserve Dog Off Leash Area also close by.

More brunch spots are listed under dog-friendly cafes in VIC, and the local listing lives under Parkville.