Ferrovia Cafe

Ferrovia is a small Italian cafe on Railway Parade in Pascoe Vale, directly opposite the station, with proper espresso and a kitchen that cooks for real: handmade pasta, frittata and home-style cakes from a operation co-owned by chef Riccardo Momesso. The name means railway in Italian, and the trains are close enough to watch from the front tables.

The dog setup

The interior is narrow, so dogs stay outside, and that is no hardship: there are small street-front tables out front plus a sheltered open-roofed courtyard at the rear that suits dogs well. Staff are friendly and will usually bring water on request, though carrying a bowl is safer. Street-to-seating access is flat and easy.

Worth knowing

This is rustic Italian rather than standard brunch fare: think toasties, poached eggs, frittata and an apple cake people cross town for, with consistently praised coffee and soy milk handled without fuss. Hours matter here: Tuesday to Friday from 7am to 2pm, Saturday from 8am, and closed both Sunday and Monday, so check the day before you plan the visit.

Getting there and parking

The address is 10 Railway Parade, Pascoe Vale, opposite Pascoe Vale Station on the Craigieburn line, roughly half an hour from the Melbourne CBD by train. Free street parking runs along Railway Parade and nearby streets, though it fills at busy times. K W Joyce Reserve and Gavan Park are both close on foot for a walk either side of coffee.

Close by with the dogs

Walk it off at the K W Joyce Reserve dog off-leash area before settling in. Same-suburb alternates include Poppy Cafe and Pantry and St Derby, and Cactus over in Pascoe Vale South is a good quick stop.

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