Poppy Cafe & Pantry

Poppy Cafe & Pantry is a bright, family-run cafe on Boundary Road in Pascoe Vale with a genuinely dog-welcoming streak. It doubles as a pantry store, so between the courtyard tables, the coffee and the shelves of local produce, it is set up for a longer stay than the average brunch stop.

The dog setup

The courtyard is the dog-friendly spot, reached from the side or through the cafe, and it is popular with local owners. Water bowls are provided and the kitchen will happily make a pup-puccino, so this is one of the more set-up-for-dogs cafes in the suburb. Staff are noted for paying attention to the dogs rather than merely tolerating them.

The vibe

It rates well for brunch and coffee: eggs benedict, reuben sandwiches, sweet potato chips and gluten free options on the menu, with aromatic coffee and brownies at the counter. The feel is warm and community-minded, and the pantry side means you can take home take-and-bake sausage rolls and local pantry goods. It trades 7am to 3pm on weekdays and from 8am on Saturdays, closing Sundays.

Getting there and parking

Street parking runs along Boundary Road and gets busy on weekend mornings; the cafe sits close to the arterial roads, so driving in is easy from Coburg, Oak Park or Essendon way.

Close by with the dogs

K W Joyce Reserve Dog Off Leash Area is the local off-lead run, and the Merlynston Creek shared paths thread through the suburb for an on-lead leg-stretch either side of brunch. The bigger fenced option is Richards Reserve Fenced Dog Park, and Ferrovia Cafe is the next coffee stop in the suburb.

The Victoria dog friendly cafes guide and the Pascoe Vale destination page have more options.

Pepsi: courtyard table, pup-puccino, and a brownie to go. The pantry shelves by the door are exactly the height your lead will reach, so sit deep.